Cello
Playing, Books and Sheet music

Introduction

I'm an adult (born 1954) beginner. I bought my cello in September of 2000, after having thought of doing this for at least 15 years. I think that the instrument has very nice timbre and dynamics, at least when played by people who know how to do it. It is my first instrument, if you don't count recorder in third grade and a tiny try at piano some 12 years ago.

The first shock is over, but I get new ones all the time. I was looking forward to know where to put the fingers, so I did not have to think about it, but I still have a long way to go. But the real shock was, of course, that the left hand is the easy part...

Right now I don't have a teacher, and tries to keep the cello warm by just playing piecess I know.

Fingering Charts

When I first started I had a hard time figuring out where the notes can be found on the finger board. I still have, to be honest. For those of you who have a similar problem, the fingerings charts found in the left index column may be of help.

I don't use them anymore, I have found a better alternative, see Susanna Thomas book below.

My cello stand

I have designed a simple cello stand, see pictures and description.

Books I have read

I have read some books in the hunting for the perfect beginner's guide to the cello. I do not have access to a book store that have these books in store so I had to go mail order (nowadays called "buying on the internet" of course!). This means that I had to take a lot of "risk" when looking for the right books. I have bought more of them than I would have if I could browse these books in a bookstore. None of the ones I have read fit the nirvana description of being the perfect cello technique for beginners, but some of them do some of the work.

I have bought and read the following:

Bunting, C. Essay on the Craft of 'Cello-Playing: Prelude, Bowing and Coordination (Vol. 1) and The Left Hand (Vol. 2)	These two go together, but are for some reason divided into two volumes. It seems odd to a beginner to cover the left and right so separate. The books are not for a beginner, at least for one that is at the level I am. It starts off with a very interesting essay about concentration and the importance of making music. These book is way over the head for me, I would image most cellist can pick something up in here. I can’t say I like the binding, it is spiral bound for the sake of using the scores, but the covers make the books "flimsy". Nice, but not for me. A4 size, circa 2x170 pages

Dorner, Jane. An A-Z of Instrument Care Published by Orpheus Publ. Ltd.	This is the Owners Manual, as it should come with the instrument, if you ask me. It tells the essentials on to take good care of your cello. It cheap and small and not-to-be-lived-without. Highly recommended! It should go free with all cello purchases. 10x15 cm, 58 pages.

Luckman, Phyllis. Handbook for Cello Students: Music Theory and Other Facts. 1998. Published by Phyllis Luckman	This book is a little disappointing to me. It covers a lot more of music theory in general than its implications for the cellist. It does have some fingering charts, but not the perfect one, the one that I'm looking for. This book is for people that do not have the musical background. About 80% music theory, 20% cello technique. I could do without it, but I suppose there are a lot of readers that can't. A4 size, 230 pages.

Potter, L. The Art of Cello Playing. 1973 Published by Sumner-Birchard	This book is perhaps the best to fit as a beginner's guide to the cello. It contains a lot of exercises, and it starts from scratch: the cello parts and how to hold it. It does not contain any fingering chart, but cover the positions 1-4 rather nicely and the thumb positions a little lighter. Bowing is covered as good. If the book had a tad more illustrations, it would be perfect. As a bonus it contains some nice duet pieces for two celli. Recommended. A4 size, 229 pages.

Sazer, V. New Directions in Cello Playing. Published by ofnote, 1995.	This book is not really a book on how to play the cello, at least not from a beginner's point of view. It discusses what a professional (or hard-working amateur) player has to do to avoid pain when playing. It has, however, interesting ideas that are valuable for a beginner as well, particularly how to breathe when playing. Well worth its money if you play for longer periods, but still interesting for the rest of us. 20x15 cm, 180 pages.

Stowell, Robin (editor) The Cambridge Companion to the Cello.	Stowell has collected a number of essays, most of them covering music and composers, rather than cello technique. Interesting but not enough to buy it if I had seen it in a bookstore. 15x25 cm, 268 pages.

Tortelier, P. How I Play and How I Teach.	Tortelier starts off at a basic level, but very early into the book covers things I wouldn't dream to try. There are a couple of good pictures in the beginning, which is a good illustration on how to sit and how to hold the instrument. He is very keen on pointing out exactly how the fingers should be bent, for instance.

Thomas, Susanna. Scale and Arpeggio Charts for Cello Schott & C Ltd London	This, my friends, is the optimal scale book! It contains 26 scales with recommended fingering for each. It has very easy to read charts, which for me is lot easier to use than the actual notes. It is in fact quite fun to try G flat major (6 flats) just for the heck of it! I would not dream of trying that, were it not for the charts. A must have. But... It does not seem to be available anymore, I got my copy from my cello teacher. Scanned sample from the book: G Major

Fischerbach & Frost, Viva Vibrato! Neil A Kjos Music Co	I bought this to learn vibrato, but I can't say I got much help from it. The major reason for this is probably the childish tone, which offends me a bit. This is probably correct for the intended readership, but not for me.

Mooney, Position Pieces for Cello Warner Brothers	This book contains a number of songs that practice shifts. The positions covered are half through fourths position. The songs are good, although a bit childish, but I haven't heard most of them. This makes the book miss the point for me, when you hear yourself playing a song you know, you hear the mistakes so much better. Not that I know, but I suppose an American would recognize many of them. Not bad at all. 60 pages, about as many pieces.

Sevcik, Op 8, Changes of position & preparatory scale studies	Sevcik is heavy stuff! If you sail through these 59 studies without a problem, I think you may qualify as someone who knows the cello. I'm still at the first one, having a lot of trouble there. Hm... A classic. Unfortunately the copy has gone through one to many copy machines., although it is a Bosworth original, as far as I can see.

Sheet Music Collections

I have bought some collections that I could recommend for a beginner.

Suzuki Cello School Part 2 & 3

These collections fit my music taste and level of playing. Part 2 can be played with Position 1 & 4, if I am not mistaken, and contain mainly Bach Minuet type music. Part 3 is a little harder, but consists of the same type of music. I do play these for fun rather often, especially with accompaniment from a piano player. The piano part is sold separately, be sure to get those if you have a friend or spouse that you can play together with.

100 Solos for Cello
Arranged by Ramonn Kraber
Wise Publications
ISBN 0-7119-0939-3

This collection contains popular pieces of the pop variety, scattered with some jazz standards and other material of this kind. This is a bit harder than the Suzuki books, mainly because I did not learn the flat keys from the beginning.

Aebersold Vol. 54 Maiden Voyage

I bought this to be able to play some jazz standards. It comes with a CD with jazz trio accompaniment, very hip! The score is written in bass clef among 3 other notations. The problem with these songs is twofold: the music is written in the upper registers, which is a bit on the hard side for me, and is often written in flat keys, which is not my preferred keys, at least not yet.

But I will work on the flats; these jazz standards are lovely. The cello is just the instrument for Satin Doll!

The Really Easy Cello Book

Published by Faber Music Ltd

This collection by Lowri and Ian Blake is really fun! It is 20 pieces for cello and piano, where the cello part can be played by anyone after a few weeks, but where the piano part takes an intermediate (or better) pianist. In my case, it is perfect; my wife plays almost anything. We have had a lot of fun with these pieces.

To give you an idea on how really easy these pieces are, I can tell you that the first three is played pizzicato on open strings, but sound like music nonetheless.

Team Strings

International Music Publications Ltd

This is, according to the publisher a course for mixed instrumental teaching, but I bought as just another collection of songs that comes with a CD.

The CD arrangements is so-so, but it is a lot nicer to play with, than without, of course. It is also useful to learn to keep the pace.

There are some fifty songs, of varying style, from Bach to Pink Panther, most of them (all?) can be played in first through firth position.

Playalong Cello Classical Tunes

Bosworth

Twelve classical tunes, (Ave Maria, Gymnopedie, and others) that also has an accompanying CD. This is better than the Team Strings, about the quality as the Suzuki series. In fact one of the Bach minuets is here too.

If you like the Suzuki type tunes, I recommend this one.

Bach Cello Suites. Mischa Maisky. (CD plus Score)

This music is well known to all of you I hope. (If not, you have an extra reason to buy this CD.) The special thing with this CD set is that it comes with a complete score, which can be read on your computer while listening to the music. A marker follows the music while playing. The score can also be printed, if you want to do this. You can also switch between listening to Mr. Maisky and listening to a MIDI synthesizer. The MIDI track can be speed adjusted in order to play really slow together with yourself on the cello. Nifty!