Summer Keys - Cello Master Class Notes

Day 1 -
Channel the energy
Experiment, improvise
Practice making it easy - expand your sensory awareness
Be artistic, expressive, innovative, interpret the music.

Day 2 -
Circles
Up the bow, frog to tip
Pointing up on the up bow, pointing down on the down bow.
Running the bow along the bridge
Release the bow on circle bows so the strings ring
Sinking in with the vertical circle
Pulling back with the horizontal circle

Day 3 -
Fast coordination versus slow coordination
Using finger pads on legato - slow playing

Fast playing requires less bow per note
and keeping fingers closer to the string
Using one finger at a time. Blocking creates tension in the hand.

Up the scale, adding a note -- G, GA, GAB, GABC#, etc...
Down the scale, G, GF#, GF#E, GF#ED, etc.
building physical memory, faster motions in wrist and fingers

Top Down Learning.
Get the main notes and rhythm first, then fill in the gaps

Day 4 -
What makes practicing successful and rewarding?
Don't fight the instrument
Vibrato relies to left hand balance, arm, wrist alignment, springiness.
Finger articulation, fast playing. Practice the flexors, left hand pizzacato, strumming, playing chords and downward scales, 4,3,2,1
Using percussive motion with the left hand.
Be expressive in the upper register
Run fingers up and down the strings, each finger and also the whole hand as a block.