You Can Do This!
B-flat major two octave scale comes pretty quick once you’ve mastered A major two octaves. Both scales use similar techniques — A major extends up, B-flat major extends back; A major uses 2nd and 5th positions, B-flat major 3rd and 6th positions. The hope is that with each new scale we expand your technique just a bit. Reinforcing the most recently acquired skills and adding new variations as we climb the fingerboard making more and more repertoire available.
First thing’s first — before you start practicing the full scale spend 2-3 minutes just building some muscle memory on 6th position. Familiarizing your body with the new position is the fastest way to get the whole scale under your fingers. Check 1st finger in 6th position with your open G string — those notes are two octaves apart. Check 2nd finger with the harmonic A, make sure that 2nd finger is the only finger touching so the harmonic can sound. Then 3rd finger is a small half step away from 2. The thumb remains behind the neck in 6th position. It is not fully behind the neck as it is in 4th position but lightly pressed against the side of the back of the neck. Try to memorize the space between your thumb and 1st finger. Leaving the thumb behind, gives you one more landmark to help you pop into 6th position.
B-flat Major two octave scale fingering starts on the G-string 2-4-D-x1-2-4-A-x1-2-shift to third position 1-2-4-shift to sixth position 1-2-3- then back down 2-1-shift to third position 4-2-1-shift to first position 2-x1-A-4-2-x1-D-4-2. This is an upper intermediate level scale. Soon you will be playing 3 and then 4 octave scales!
As you practice, listen to be sure your backward extensions reach far enough back for E-flat and B-flat. Try using a tuner on those notes, you may be surprised how used your ear has become to playing those notes out of tune. Take time to check your 3rd position first finger with open D, and as you climb higher and higher up the instrument it becomes more important than ever to check your intonation using open strings and harmonics.
Pro Tip
Very few students use tapes in these upper positions. If you do want a visual crutch to help you in 6ths position, I recommend using a pencil to draw “tapes” or frets where you want them. The nice thing about pencil is that it is a self-removing crutch. The more you practice, the more you rub off the pencil markings and hopefully the less you need the crutch.
B-flat major will test your elbow height. In order to comfortably reach the top B-flat, your elbow has to be out like a kickstand. So air out that armpit! Check your hand shape — it should be arched. Let’s review all the healthy habits that will come with us through all our scales:
- Posture – feet flat on the floor, cello between your knees, touching at your sternum, sitting straight up, shoulders relaxed, elbow out like a kickstand, straight EWP (elbow-wrist-pinkie)
- Left hand – thumb bent (making a “C”), fingers arched and contacting the string with the fingertips, thumb under 2nd finger
- Bow path – bow travels straight across the string (t-bow), midway between the fingerboard and the bridge (forte-freeway)
- Bow hand – thumb slightly bent, index finger touching the stick between the first and second knuckle, hand pronated, fingers slightly apart — not spread or bunched together
- Keep fingers down as you play – as you ascend the scale don’t lift the finger you just played when you place the new finger. As you descend place all 4 fingers and then peel off the fingers one by one.
- Check intonation – verify your intonation. Play with the video, use a tuner, watch your hand in a mirror to check that you are on the tapes. Don’t assume, verify.
Jestes przyjacielem poniewaz jestes wezlem w swobodnej kwerendzie, ktlry laczy, lecz nie zniewala i wicaz na ziemie powala. Sensei H. Oshiro.