August 14, 2009 Cello Lesson

August 14, 2009

Scales: Still too much jerkiness; need to play smoother; work on shifting smoothly

Also need a fuller sound; louder and use the entire bow

Messed up something on one of the scales; was supposed to be on a different string (look at and try to figure out) Might have been that I played an F# on the G string and it should have been played on the D string???

Practic a slow slide/shift in the E flat scale. From the F to the E flat; slur and slide or slide and slur

For next week, the F# Major scale play like a spider on the strings

On D flat major scale, practice shifting up and them switching strings; make it so you don't hear the shift up; there will be places in every scale where this can be practiced.

Schroeder:

Work on same exercise for next week

Try to do entire page times 3 different bowings

2 Slur: Use upper part of bow

4 Slur: Use middle and upper bow

8 Slur: Use entire bow

Use a metronome with a drone to make sure intonation is OK; wasn't very good on this exercise today.

Need a fuller sound as well as evenness and accurate rhythm

Tarantella:

Make sure fingers are not jammed together in measures 13 and 14

Practice 13 and 14 separate bow and also practice 6 slurs instead of 12 slurs; smoothly moving from 1 to 4

Practice separate bowing and make sure fingers are where they are supposed to be: fingers must be ready to go!!!

OVERALL:

Pizzicato: Hold bow as if you were arco and then pivot so that you can use your first finger for the pizz. A little plus on top of the note means to use your left first finger for the

Sometimes your're Gladys and sometimes you're "the Pipps"

Practice difficult passages the opposite of what they are written until you can do it and then work your way back to the correct way to play

From last week: When playing the upper part of the bow, to get the correct feel: press the bow down on a string until the hair and wood touch; note how that feels in the right hand

Duets were OK; make sure to look at the key signature before playing and look ahead to how fast some of the music must be played!

MORE legato; more volume