Teaching Cello - What Advanced Students Need Before Moving On:
- Good form holding the cello.
- A good bow hold.
- Strong left-hand fingers.
- Good general bow control,facility, and good tone. A workable bow technique that includes the ability to play all advanced bowings on the cello, including sautille and thrown bowings such as ricochet.
- A working knowledge of all of the notes on the cello.
- A strong and capable thumb technique and a working knowledge how to use thumb position around the cello.
- The strength and ability to play double stops in thumb position, such as octaves, thirds, or tenths, in tune.
- The ability to sightread complex rhythms, notes, and bowings.
- Fluency in bass, tenor, and treble clefs.
- The ability to come up with their own fingerings and bowings for a piece.
Lesson Recipe for Early-Advanced Students
- 1 page of finger exercises (such as Finger Exercises for the Cello, Book Four)
- 1-2 pages of scale studies (from a book such as Three-Octave Scales for the Cello, Book One or Book Two) 1 page of higher scale studies may be added (such as Scale Studies for the Third Octave).
- Double stop work for stronger fingers, if not covered in finger exercises (1 etude from a book such as Sixths for the Cello, Book One or Octaves for the Cello, Book One).
- 1-2 pages from a thumb position method, such as Thumb Position for the Cello or Thumb Position School for the Cello.
- 1 or more pages of shifting studies (from books such as Broken Thirds (One String or Octave Shifts for the Cello, Book Two).
- An etude and/or duet, preferably one that includes thumb position.
- Repertoire: One or more pieces to learn each week, preferably a piece including thumb position and also a movement of a Bach Suite.
Lesson Recipe for Late-Advanced Students
- 1 page of scale studies up a single string (such as Scale Studies (One String) for the Cello, Book One).
- 1-2 pages of scale studies (from a book such as Three-Octave Scales for the Cello, Book Three or Book Four)
- 1 page of daily work in thumb position (from a book such as Thumb Position Studies Book One or Book Two; the method has 14 books total, many of which are currently published).
- 1 or more pages of double stop work in thumb position, always including octaves, from books such as Octaves for the Cello, Book Two or Thirds in Thumb Position Preparatory Studies or Tenths for the Cello Book One.
- Advanced shifting is optional and could include a page from Arpeggio Studies in Three Octaves or Octave Shifts for the Cello Book Three.
- Artificial harmonics can be studied if required in a piece.
- An etude and/or duet.
- Repertoire, including a major concerto or sonata and the Bach Suites