scales Archives

CelloKids: Beyond Scales: Exploring Scale Modes with Improvisation

Wondering what on earth are scale modes? Great! Mike Block will be using improvisation as a means to explore the 7 Greek modes of the typical Major scale (i.e. Dorian mode, Lydian mode, etc). Join this class to better understand the importance of these modes and how they apply to music. This class is intended for Intermediate players—but any curious beginner can sign up to audit the class as an Observer off camera. For the purposes of this class, “intermediate players” should have 3-5 years of playing experience AND be over age 10.

By CelloBello Webmaster|2022-11-14T07:52:48-05:00October 12th, 2022|Categories: Virtual Events, Workshops, CelloKids|Tags: scales, CelloKids, Mike Block, Modes|

Conversation with Stephen Kates (September, 2002)

Interview by Tim Janof Stephen Kates studied with Gregor Piatigorsky, Leonard Rose, Claus Adam, Laszlo Varga, and Marie Roemaet-Rosanoff. He was awarded the Silver Medal at the Third International Tchaikovsky Competition in 1966 in Moscow, where he returned as the American juror in 1986. He has made solo appearances with the world's greatest orchestras in New York, Chicago, Boston, Philadelphia, Detroit, Cincinnati, San Francisco, Atlanta, Baltimore, Leningrad, and Los Angeles. He is a former President of the Violoncello Society in New York. For seven summers he was a member of the faculty of the Music Academy of the West in Santa Barbara, California, and has taught at the Peabody Institute in Baltimore for almost 30 years. He has recorded for the RCA, Denon, Melodiya, Orion, CRI, and Bainbridge labels. [...]

By Tim Janof|2020-03-01T18:06:28-05:00October 27th, 2019|Categories: Internet Cello Society Archive, Interviews, In the Practice Room, Performance, Teaching|Tags: scales, Tchaikovsky Competition, Boccherini, Laszlo Varga, Schumann Concerto, Leonard Rose, Piatagorsky, Stephen Kates|

Practicing, Some Practice Advice (Part 1) — by Michael Haber

I've written this brief essay for purely selfish reasons: I like to see my students improve. When they do, I feel happy, they feel happy, I go home for dinner a happy man. What follows is intended to help you organize your practicing, and your thinking about your practicing, in an effective way. Your progress, mine too, depends on the quality and quantity of this work. It's also intended to encourage you to practice, period. Not all of my students are always inclined to work as well and as much as they should. I should confess from the beginning that I have always loved practicing. It is the royal road to instrumental mastery and the incomparable satisfaction of playing music as well as it deserves to be played. I have [...]

By Michael Haber|2024-03-28T00:03:32-04:00September 1st, 2017|Categories: In the Practice Room, Self Discovery, Videos|Tags: intonation, Starker method, technical work, scales, trills, Technique, Piatti, Janos, Duport, Starker, Popper, Michael Haber, Practice, setting goals, Gallamian|

100 Cello Warm-ups and Exercises Blog 20: Thumb Position and the Upper Registers (Part 2) — by Robert Jesselson

In the first part of this series on thumb position (Blog #19), we discussed the basic techniques for understanding the geography of the upper registers of the cello. There are three concepts for knowing the “latitude and longitude” in this part of the instrument: 1. Using nodes and other fixed points for reference 2. Measuring distances: a) understanding and using intervals b) the “Configuration of the Hand” across string 3. Using the basic thumb position, as described above, and organizing the finger spacing with tetrachords We looked at #1 and #2a in Blog #19. Next we will discuss the “Configuration of the Hand.” 2b. Configuration of the Hand Knowing the intervals and distances on one string is vital in understanding the geography of the upper part of the cello. But one still needs [...]

By Robert Jesselson|2024-07-01T18:22:55-04:00February 18th, 2016|Categories: 100 Cello Warm-ups and Exercises, In the Practice Room, Playing Healthy, Teaching|Tags: cello technique, CelloBlog, Robert Jesselson, Cello Exercises, cellobello, cello warmups, configuration, scales, tetrachord, thumb position|

100 Cello Warm-ups and Exercises Blog 19: Cello Geography Part 5: Thumb Position and the Upper Registers — by Robert Jesselson

Blogs #15 and #16 discussed the geography of the lower regions of the cello. In sorting out the “latitude” and “longitude” in this part of the instrument the main organizing principle is the knowledge and use of positions. We identify the positions by the location of the first finger on the string up through Seventh position, with “normal” and “extended” variants throughout. When the first finger is playing the A in seventh position on the A string the thumb is still behind the neck—so this is still considered neck position. Seventh position is a significant place on the cello, because it divides the string into two equal parts, and as a result we find the A harmonic there as well. After seventh position, the thumb is used as a [...]

By Robert Jesselson|2024-06-25T20:12:47-04:00February 8th, 2016|Categories: 100 Cello Warm-ups and Exercises, In the Practice Room, Playing Healthy, Teaching|Tags: thumb position, cello technique, CelloBlog, Robert Jesselson, Cello Exercises, cellobello, cello warmups, scales|

Self-Motivation and Summer Vacation — by Brandon Vamos

As I helped my students over the last few weeks in preparation for their juries and looked through my calendar to discover how many recitals I will be attending before the middle of May, it suddenly hit me. The end of the school year is upon us once again. That time when there’s one final burst of juries and lessons, tests and papers before summer vacation hits. And after a long academic year, summer vacation can offer a welcome change. I remember those summers I was attending summer programs, and had three or four weeks off, or those students who sometimes have the entire summer devoted to working or relaxation. But regardless of what your summer plans may look like this year, I’d encourage you to remember one very important [...]

By Brandon Vamos|2018-03-14T04:34:06-04:00May 5th, 2011|Categories: In the Practice Room, Self Discovery|Tags: Experience, scales, Practice, improvement, Brandon, recording, arpeggios, scheduling, student, school, career, success, Summer, Growth, challenges, Performing, focus, cello, motivation, cellobello, practicing|

Thirds, Thirds, Thirds… — by Lev Mamuya

Practice your thirds. As well as improving your technique, it can be…sigh…well, even a little bit fun. Many people give thirds an unfair label: they’re boring, they’re tedious, and they’re hard… Thirds are hard at first, and require daily repetition to maintain to the fullest, but never fear! A good daily method can change you from someone who hates thirds, to someone who can look forward to practicing thirds every day. Scales are always good. Thirds scales are even better. Practicing thirds scales slowly and repetitively is an important way to improve technique such as left hand finger rounding and intonation. Plus, a slow tempo can give you more time to focus on right hand/arm technique. This may not be the most fun part of practicing thirds, but JUST DO [...]

By Lev Mamuya|2017-06-24T03:42:45-04:00December 14th, 2010|Categories: High School Blogs, In the Practice Room|Tags: practice habits, intonation, practicing, success, repertoire, challenges, scales, consistency, Technique, focus, thumb position, Lev, Mamuya, control, Martha, Awareness, motivation|