Breval Sonata in C Major Notes

This was the first play through for BH. Did OK. Some sections weren't as good as at home, but overall, was fine.

Tempo was OK, though somewhat unsteady on the second page of the first movement.

Throughout, USE MORE BOW!!!!!

Three chords at the beginning: Take thumb off the back of cello to get a better vibrato, especially in the first and third chord. More bow is needed in the chords. Make sure the bottom notes can be heard in the third chord.

In many of the moving passages throughout the piece, PLAY INTO THE STRING, I.E., KEEP THE BOW ON THE STRING.

Overall, when leading into a chord, don't take the bow off the string. (This works!)

Overall, be generous with the bow; when changing bow direction, release and relax the sound.

Overall, when playing on the C string, make sure playing on tips of fingers.

Overall, don't saw the triplets.

Measure #7: Vibrate half notes and greater

Measure #13: Bow can travel through the air

Measure #29: No flat fingers!

Measure # 39: Don't lift fingers.

Measures # 58 and 59: Keep the bow in the air.

Measure # 73: Don't rush.

Measure #102: The trill. The beg. C is part of the trill. Must play the C with 1st finger; extension (x4) up to the E to begin the trill (baroque trill starts with the note above target note).

Measure #last: There is no space between last two chords.

Exercise to help with playing on the C String:

Play in the middle of the bow.

Play a C scale but alternate with open G.

Start upbow.

Breval Sonata Notes from Lesson, November 13, 2009

Went onto the Breval Sonata. Played basically OK; about what I've been playing at home.

Didn't vibrato as many notes as I should have.

Looked too much at the fingerboard.

Play with more bow throughout.

On measure 7, etc. need to play more staccato and keep bow on strings. Play as if am playing on the wood.

Watch the phrase endings and the dynamics throughout.

In measures 29 and 30, need to play 29 louder to make sure the P of 30 isn't too quiet, but is different from 29.

Vibrato more notes.

In measure 59 watch the E to C (bigger stretch than previous notes)

Triplets on second page are stressed, tight and not fast enough. Try to loosen up and relax when playing the triplets.

Overall, played as if stressed. Need to try to relax, especially in the throat, neck, chest areas.

Try to tighten these areas and then relax them to tell the difference. Possibly some yoga?

Overall, make sure bow is parallel.

Play more toward the middle and not on top of the fingerboard.

Bow strings should be flatter.

Keep cello closer to the body and don't look at the fingerboard.

In spite of all this, will play for 1 more week and then start on Vivaldi #5 Sonata.

Breval Sonata

Again, did not play well at all. B said as long as I played the first chords fully, could do away with the vibrato.

Throughout I was killing the sound. Take the bow off the string to get the note to ring. Throughout I marked notes that need to be held slightly longer.

In measure 58 + make sure the bow continues in the air and taper off the notes.

In measure 95 + play with more bow as get to the top of the run. Make sure thumb is in place for hitting high G correctly.

Will work some this week on the Breval and hopefully pull all this together. Will also begin working on the Vivaldi Sonata in E minor, just the first part of the Allegro movement. B wrote in some of the fingering from her copy as the Suzuki version doesn't have much in the way of fingerings.