August 26, 2009 Cello Lesson

August 26, 2009

Scales:

Still stopping between notes, especially in shifts and string changes

Shroeder:

Dynamic changes were good

Intonation was good; sound wasn't good; try playing slower

Next: do 4 and 8 slurs, use whole bow

Tarantella:

Work on for one more week.

Very good

Use a paintbrush, instead of abruptly ending notes

Use more bow

Check double stops at end; playing the wrong note

Second page; second time did not do the triple stacatto's but instead did a repeat of first version?? Need to look sometimes at the music

Vibrato:

Too much wrist action; use more of forearm

Look at Potter again

Practice up and down on the D string; can do in fourth position. Start slow and increase speed

Get comfortable with Vibrato first before incorporating it into music

Thumb Position:

Instead of 4th finger, can use harmonic on A

Need more of a C shape between thumb and fingers

Larger gap between fingers 1 and 2; fingers 3 and 4 are closer together.

Watch elbow height and elbow tension

Overall:

Watch elbow and arm tension as well as wrist

Make sure right thumb is bent at first joint; do not keep straight

For next week: September 2, 2009 at 11:45

Scales: B major and G sharp minor

Schroeder #25

Work on thumb exercise

Vibrato

Finish up Tarantella

Squire: Bouree

Begin Swan

August 19, 2009 Cello Lesson

August 19, 2009

Scales:

Redo the two scales and make sure to go to the A string when told to!!

Move thumb into the crook/slot whenever going to 4th position; this will help get the correct fingerings

Make sure the elbow is higher when playing on the G and C strings

Thumb Position:

THIS WILL HURT!!!!!

Practice the first line only of the exercise

Do on the D string

Place thumb on side over both the A and D strings; first knuckle/joint is on A and D is at the middle of the nail

Press; not a harmonic; this will hurt

Do not bend wrist; wrist is not crokked

Shoulder is normal

Elbow is up

There is a 'C' shape between the thumb and fingers

When in thumb position you can play more on the tips of your fingers

You will rarely use the fourth finger (baby)when playing in thumb position (except for this exercise)

The first finger plays one note above the thumb

Vibrato:

Read the section in the Potter book

Use a metronome set at 60

Vibrato is even, heavy, weighted but natural, not forced

Don't move the cello when playing vibrato; hang on tight with knees

Schroeder:

Watch the dynamics on exercise 24

Play at the tip of the bow

Starts Up bow

The faster I can play, the easier this will be

Overall:

ST: "onesies" don't put all fingers, or more than one finger, down at the same time

Next week get there 10 minutes early; Brian and another student will be there

Keep a smooth wrist line

The faster the music is the more you can play on the tips of the fingers

The slower, more legato music needs to be played on the fleshy part of the finger

For next week: August 26, 2009 at 11:35

Redo the scales

Schroeder #24

Thumb exercise, first line only

Vibrato

Tarantella

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

August 5, 2009 Cello Lesson

August 5, 2009

Tuning: tune A string first; once in tune go to 1/2 harmonic on the D string and check to see if D is in tune.

Work down to the C string; use 3rd finger on the top harmonic and 1st finger on the 1/2 harmonic

Problems with the scales mainly due to bow not being straight and not in the center. This causes bad, squeaky sounds.

Extensions were better today on scales.

Good idea to try and memorize different pieces and then can look at the bow and bowing to make sure it is OK. Location and Angle.

Schroeder: Exercise 23 for next lesson.

Work on 2, 4, and 8 slurs

Play in the middle

NO elbow flapping!!

Watch the wrists and fingers and their motion. Motion of these areas will differ depending on whether doing 2, 4 or 8 slurs.

Shoulder shouldn't be different with each version. Shoulder will move some but shouldn't be going up. Shoulder stays steady.

Try loosening the finger grip on the bow; may help with #23. Try crunching and un-crunching the fingers.

SCALES:

Aim for a seamless, smooth shift; no jerkiness!!

In B flat minor pull the cello in to the body at the top of the scale.

Play on the fingertips at the top of the scale.

Something about the 2nd finger and the thumb; can't remember????

It is OK to play the scales with detached bowing if slurring is too hard.

Tarantella:

Nuggets or piece practice

Play slower

Use metronome and gradually increase speed only when playing perfectly at the lower speed.

Measures: 13 to 16

23 to 24

all double stops on the first page.

Email B TH, August 13th re: thumb exercises

Next lesson is Friday, August 14th, 11:45

THUMB:

Don't do yet, but

will have marks on right side of thumb

will rarely use the 4th finger when in thumb position.