Slick As A Whistle! Time to test your muscle memory by complicating the task. Take the same motion developed in video 1 and video 2 and start using the bow. The more weight you add to the exercise the smaller the motion becomes and the more likely you are to lock up and create a vibrato […]
Cello Vibrato No 3 – With The Bow Read More »
With One Hand Behind Your Back! Take it one step at a time. I know you are dying to use the bow but first we have to make sure that your motion is going to create the most beautiful and controllable vibrato possible. Once we add pitch, speed, and the bow you may find that
Cello Vibrato No 2 – Motion On Cello Read More »
First step? Find a wall. The first step to a professional vibrato is to put the cello down and find a wall! Anchoring the elbow will help to isolate the motion to the correct joints. There are of course other methods of creating a beautiful vibrato so please do not attempt to correct your teacher,
Cello Vibrato No 1 – Basic Motion Read More »
Your First Scale! D major one octave scale is the first scale I teach for a number of reasons. The first half of Suzuki book 1 for cello is in D major so if you can play this scale you can find the notes for the first half of the book. Using the open D
D Major One Octave Scale Read More »
You don’t hold anything in this world the same way you hold a cello bow! Why is it so hard to hold a bow properly? Why does it take nearly every student weeks just to figure out how to hold a stick that weighs around 80 grams? Because you don’t hold anything else in this
Building A Cello Bow Hold Read More »
Audience: “Your student has such a great ear!” Teacher: “No, her mother has very good eyes!” Starting out you’ll want to give yourself some way besides just using your ear to know if your first position fingers are out of tune. Often when you purchase a student cello it comes with the tapes pre-installed. If
Placing First Position Tapes On A Cello Read More »
“How do you know where to put your fingers?” “PRACTICE!” Catapults are the foundation of in-tune first position playing. Pianists have it easy – all they do is push a button. Guitarists have to hit somewhere between two frets to get it right. Even violinists get to look at their fingers while they play. Cello
Catapults – 1st Position Left Hand Exercise Read More »
“Oh, they tuned my cello at the store.I’m good.” If only that were the truth! However, your cello should be tuned each time you sit down to play. You’ll find that if you tune it every day, it will stay more or less in tune from day to day. Using an electronic tuner is a
How to Tune a Cello Read More »
Why is the cello the most beautiful sounding instrument in the world? Because of the way we use the bow! A natural bow stroke is one of the most fundamental and at the same time most advanced elements of cello technique. The process of learning the cello is largely one of learning which muscles NOT
Natural Bow Stroke Read More »
Correct cello posture is the most fundamental element to good playing. It seems like every student, no matter how advanced, needs to be reminded of posture. Whether you are just starting out or are playing major concertos, your posture can make or break your success on the instrument. Here’s how it works, the more complex
Natural Cello Posture Read More »