The Musical Gym
A cello workout in The Musical Gym: a place to gain agility, accuracy, flexibility, technical control, endurance on your cello

A TONGUE-TWISTER

For a real workout, try this
famous tongue-twister from
the lst movement of Beethoven's
Op.59 No.3 Quartet:

Beethoven String Quartet Op.59 No.3: passage from 1st movement
Let's work out on this passage in different steps:

First of all:
Keep the ultimate goal in mind: the passage must sound light,
fluent, pearly, brilliant.


The Premise:
These practice methods are purposely more difficult,
to make the actual passage seem much easier in the end.


Step 1 (DOUBLE) DOTTED NOTES


IMPORTANT: Really exaggerate the quickness of the dotted
rhythm and land on the arrival note with elasticity. Stay with
the bowings. Practice the entire passage 3 times in each pattern.

Step 1: Double Dotted Notes, a technical practice method for cello left hand quickness and elasticity

Step 24-NOTE GROUPS

IMPORTANT:Exaggerate the quickness of the fast notes and
land on the arrival notes with elasticity. Follow the bowings
Practice the entire passage 3 times in each rhythm pattern
HINT: Let your eye look ahead to the nextnote.

Step 2: Four-Note Groups, another cello technique for developing left hand quickness and elasicity



Step 3 ADD & DROP GROUPS

NOTE::Practice in tempo (suggest
Exaggerate crescendi, then pull bow on accented notes.
Practice each line 4 times.

Step 3: Add & Drop Groups. This adds cello bow speed and accents to the left hand speed training.

 
Step 4Now try the passage with slight control accents on each
group of l6th notes. You should be sailing along now!
The same Beethoven Quartet passage with added control accents.

___________________

Would you like to continue the Studio Tour?

Harry WimmerCello Studio Tour navigation buttons
Teaching StudioMusical GymHumor LoungeCreativeWall of FameCenter CourtLibrary -WorkshopGalleryGardenReading Room


or go directly to Ask Harry Wimmer your cello questions.

If you found this workout helpful, e-mail Harry Wimmer
<hwimmer@wimmercello.com>.

HomeThe Joy of Cello Playing Books
Order all books online from: sharmusic.com


Friendly Links

This site created and maintained by Harry Wimmer (hwimmer@wimmercello.com). Thanks to Shirley Givens (sgivens@peabody.jhu.edu) for her imaginative illustrations. Thanks to Kevin Wimmer (kwimmer@aol.com) for his selfless and expert assistance.
Design and content ©1999-2006 by Harry Wimmer. Artwork ©1999 by Shirley Givens.
All materials on this website are limited to personal, non-commercial use.