Teaching Cello
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  • Teaching Cello: The Steps
    • Step One: Cello First Position >
      • Methods for Beginning Cello Students
      • Exercises for Beginning Cello Students
      • Etudes for Beginning Cello Students
      • Duets for Beginning Cello Students
      • Repertoire for Beginning Students
      • Lesson Material for Very Young Beginners
    • Step Two: Building Early-Intermediate Cello Skills >
      • Methods and Exercises for Teaching Shifting
      • Etudes for Teaching Shifting
      • Duets for Teaching Shifting
      • Repertoire for Early-Intermediate Students
    • Step Three: Building Late-Intermediate Skills >
      • Methods and Exercises for Intermediate Cello Skills
      • Etudes for Late-Intermediate Cello Skills
      • Duets for Intermediate Cello Skills
      • Repertoire for Late-Intermediate Skills
    • Step Four: Starting Cello Thumb Position >
      • Exercises for Early-Advanced Cello Skills
      • Duets for Early-Advanced Students
      • Repertoire for Early-Advanced Students
    • Cello Sight-reading
    • Cello Alternative Styles
    • A Practical Guide to Bach Cello Suite Editions
  • Planning Cello Lessons
    • Organizing a cello lesson
    • What do Cello Students Need? >
      • What Beginning Cello Students Need
      • What Intermediate Cello Students Need
      • What Advanced Cello Students Need
  • Cello links and resources
    • Cello teaching supplies
  • Contact/Blog
    • Contact
    • Cello Teaching Blog

Teaching Cello - What Beginning Students Need Before Moving On:

  • Good form holding the cello.
  • A good bow hold.
  • Strong, agile left-hand fingers.
  • A workable bow technique that includes the ability to move the bow at different speeds and play straight bows on every string.
  • A working knowledge of the notes in first position. 
  • The ability to sight-read easy notes, rhythms, and bowings in first position. This is best taught by playing and practicing as much music at the same level as possible. Have the student play nearly constantly during the lesson and make corrections while they are playing, whenever possible.
  • The ability to extend back and extend forward.
  • A basic grasp of where half position is.

Lesson Recipe #1 for Beginning Students 

  • Pages from one or more method books (such as Learning the Cello, Book One) After this, material for reading can be played (such as Playing the Cello or Cello Book One).)
  • One or more pages from an exercise book (such as Early Exercises (for young beginners) or Beginning Technique (for older beginners). 
  • 1/2 page- 2 pages of Scales (such as First Position Scale Studies for the Cello)
  • One or more duets (such as Beginning Fiddle Duets for Two Cellos)
  • Repertoire: One or more pieces to learn each week, depending on age and available practice time.

Lesson Recipe #2 for Beginning Students 

  • Pages from one or more method books (such as Learning the Cello, Book Two)
  • 1-2 pages of finger exercises (such as Finger Exercises for the Cello, Book One or Finger Agility for the Cello. The Triplet Book Part One and Part Two and Trill Preparatory Studies can also be used as finger exercises. 
  • Music reading material such as 2 pages from Playing in Keys, Book One.
  • 2 pages from a method such as Cello Stretching to teach extended first position. 
  • 1/2 page- 2 pages of Scales (such as First Position Scale Studies for the Cello)
  • 1-3 pages from Double Stop Beginnings could be studied to strengthen fingers. This is not essential unless the student has particularly weak fingers.
  • An etude and/or duet
  • Repertoire​

Some Beginning Cello Technique Books by Subject 


Next Step: What Intermediate Cello Students Need

Teaching Cello

Repertoire and advice for cello teachers.



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  • Home
  • Teaching Cello: The Steps
    • Step One: Cello First Position >
      • Methods for Beginning Cello Students
      • Exercises for Beginning Cello Students
      • Etudes for Beginning Cello Students
      • Duets for Beginning Cello Students
      • Repertoire for Beginning Students
      • Lesson Material for Very Young Beginners
    • Step Two: Building Early-Intermediate Cello Skills >
      • Methods and Exercises for Teaching Shifting
      • Etudes for Teaching Shifting
      • Duets for Teaching Shifting
      • Repertoire for Early-Intermediate Students
    • Step Three: Building Late-Intermediate Skills >
      • Methods and Exercises for Intermediate Cello Skills
      • Etudes for Late-Intermediate Cello Skills
      • Duets for Intermediate Cello Skills
      • Repertoire for Late-Intermediate Skills
    • Step Four: Starting Cello Thumb Position >
      • Exercises for Early-Advanced Cello Skills
      • Duets for Early-Advanced Students
      • Repertoire for Early-Advanced Students
    • Cello Sight-reading
    • Cello Alternative Styles
    • A Practical Guide to Bach Cello Suite Editions
  • Planning Cello Lessons
    • Organizing a cello lesson
    • What do Cello Students Need? >
      • What Beginning Cello Students Need
      • What Intermediate Cello Students Need
      • What Advanced Cello Students Need
  • Cello links and resources
    • Cello teaching supplies
  • Contact/Blog
    • Contact
    • Cello Teaching Blog