Category: Cello Finger Exercises

Free Preparatory Exercises for the Squire Tarantella!

9/17/2022

Exciting New Release for Cello!

The Squire Tarantella for Cello Practice Edition has Preparatory Exercises for each difficult part of the piece. Then, the book continues with study notes: the entire Tarantella with positions, extensions, rhythm, and more marked for you! A performance edition of the piece comes next, then a cello duet that was written specifically for the Tarantella, and the piano accompaniment, and finally Cello Curriculum pages that show you where the Tarantella could fit in a traditional course of study.

Here is an overview of what's in the book:

Sample pages from the book:

Learn More About the Book

To Celebrate the Release of the New Tarantella Book

Cassia has written a set of all-new Free Preparatory Exercises that are not included in the book!
You can use these extra exercises to work on agility and shifting before you start work on the Tarantella and help to make your study easier.

Squire Tarantella - Exercise 1

Free Squire Tarantella Preparatory Exercise No. 1

Squire Tarantella - Exercise 2

Free Squire Tarantella Preparatory Exercise No. 2

Squire Tarantella - Exercise 3

Free Squire Tarantella Preparatory Exercise No. 3

Squire Tarantella - Exercise 4

Free Squire Tarantella Preparatory Exercise No. 4

Squire Tarantella - Exercise 5

Free Squire Tarantella Preparatory Exercise No. 5

Squire Tarantella - Exercise 6

Free Squire Tarantella Preparatory Exercise No. 6

Squire Tarantella - Exercise 7

Free Squire Tarantella Preparatory Exercise No. 7

Squire Tarantella - Exercise 8

Free Squire Tarantella Preparatory Exercise No. 8

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Free Cello Etudes in Closed First Position!

5/3/2022

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Celebrating the release of Book 1A in the Cello Etude System!

The Cello Etude System has been carefully structured to help students who learn at different paces. Here is how it works:

Book 0: Beginning Studies
Book 1A: Closed First Position
Book 2A: Extended First Position and Half Position
Book 3A: First Position and Fourth Position

Two Learning Paths in Every Book

There is a relaxed path and an accelerated path through every Cello Etude System book. The relaxed path takes you through all of the etudes and the accelerated path (for learners who move more quickly through music) takes you through a carefully selected segment of the book that teaches all essential skills but without as much repetition.

Book 0

Book 0 has beginning cello etudes: open string etudes, studies with just open and first finger, etc., progressing to basic etudes on all four strings in first position.

Here is Book 0:

And here is the blog post with free beginning etudes (not included in the book!):

Learn More

Book 1A: Closed First Position

Studies on string crossing, embellishments, hooked bowing, dynamics, double stops, chamber music skills (such as entrances,) and more!

Learn More

Here Are The Free Cello Etudes (in Closed First Position) to Celebrate the Release of Book 1A!

Note: These free etudes are not in the book!

Free Closed First Position Cello Etude No. 1

Free Closed First Position Cello Etude No. 2

Free Closed First Position Cello Etude No. 3

Free Closed First Position Cello Etude No. 4

Free Closed First Position Cello Etude No. 5

Free Closed First Position Cello Etude No. 6

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Free Cello Etudes in Closed First Position!

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Prepare to play the Saint-Saens Cello Concerto in A minor!

2/20/2019

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Preparing for Saint-Saens

The Saint-Saëns Cello Concerto No. 1 in A minor is a work for cello and orchestra (or piano), written at an advanced level. Studying this Concerto often takes a year or more; it's a major work!

While there are no clearly marked or numbered movements, the Concerto does have three fairly distinct sections that might correlate with our idea of typical concerto movements.

Some techniques used in the first two movements are octave shifts, fast shifting (sometimes called "runs") into the high positions, double stop fifths and sixths, spiccato, and thumb position.

Free Saint-Saens Preparatory Exercises

These free preparatory exercises can help you get ready to start studying the Saint-Saëns Cello Concerto. They work on some of the basic techniques needed to play the first few pages of the Concerto: bowing, octave shifts, chromatic scales, and more.

Free Preparatory Cello Exercise: Bowing I

Saint-Saens Cello Concerto Preparatory Study

Free Preparatory Cello Exercise: Bowing II

Free Preparatory Cello Exercise: Scale Shifting Exercise

Free Preparatory Cello Exercise: Rhythm & Staccato

Note: These free exercises are not a substitute for a full study of the Concerto like the one in The Saint-Saens Cello Concerto No. 1 Study Book. Instead, they help prepare you for the study book and show exercises can make learning more efficient.

Free Preparatory Cello Exercise: Rhythm I

Free Preparatory Cello Exercise: Rhythm II

Free Preparatory Cello Exercise: Octave Shifts I

Free Preparatory Cello Exercise: Octave Shifts II

Free Preparatory Cello Exercise: Chromatic Scale

Free Preparatory Cello Exercise: Shifting and Bowing Study

Books to study in preparation

The Saint-Saëns Cello Concerto is much easier to learn if you have acquired a solid grasp intermediate and advanced cello technique. You should be able to read bass, tenor, and treble clef and play in thumb position. You should have learned three-octave scales and it would be helpful if you have also studied octave shifts, double stop sixths, and double stop octaves.

Three-Octave Scales for the Cello, Book One: The Basics

Like these exercises? Now, you can learn the rest of the Saint-Saens Cello Concerto using a Study Book!

We are very excited to present this new release:
The Saint-Saëns Cello Concerto No. 1 Study Book for Cello, Volume One!

Live outside the US? All of our books are on Amazon around the world and many of our books are available as PDF downloads on Learnstrings:

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Developing Strong, Curved Fingers for Better Cello Tone

1/30/2019

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Strong, curved left-hand fingers are essential for good cello technique and for developing a beautiful tone.

By curving your fingers and playing on the very tips of the fingers, you can stop the string completely, which in turn allows the string to vibrate fully when you play it.

Some of the cello exercises in Finger Exercises for the Cello, Book One were written specifically to help cellists develop well-curved fingers through double stops.

Exercise No. 14 is the first study in the book that works on developing curved fingers. Here's an excerpt:

Finger Exercises for the Cello, Book One Page 14 Excerpt

Although my cello students have almost universally decried these studies as "evil", the Finger Exercises have done SO much to help them play clearly and in tune!

Here is an excerpt from Exercise No. 20:

Finger Exercises for the Cello, Book One Page 20 Excerpt

I have also found that some students benefit from preparatory studies that allow them to focus on the fingers with easier notes.

Check out these free preparatory finger exercises that help you curve your fingers, stop the string completely, and get ready to play the essential cello double stop studies in Finger Exercises for the Cello, Book One.

Free Cello Finger Exercise No. 1

Free Cello Finger Exercise No. 2

Free Cello Finger Exercise No. 3

Free Cello Finger Exercise No. 4

Free Cello Finger Exercise No. 5

Free Cello Finger Exercise No. 6

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Mastering a Romberg Cello Sonata -Free Preparatory Exercises!

12/11/2018

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I fell in love with the Romberg Cello Sonatas when I started using them regularly as teaching pieces. It took me awhile to fully the understand the breadth of cello technique that Romberg teaches in his Sonatas but when I did, I was entranced.

From shifting and positions to rhythm patterns and bowing challenges, the Sonatas gave my students a music experience that prepared them for much of what is to come in cello study.

Students would finish studying a Romberg Sonata and be playing at an entire level or two above their original level when they started the Sonata. They would be much more competent than when they had started, easily playing exercises, etudes, and pieces that would have given them pause before Romberg.

Other teaching pieces didn't give cellists that same skills that Romberg's Sonatas did. As I saw the effect that playing Romberg's music had on my students, I came to deeply respect this music that so wonderfully transformed my students.

Two of Romberg's Sonatas became my favorites: the Sonata in E Minor and the Sonata in C Major. I use the Sonata in E minor as the first Sonata after a student has started shifting and has learned fourth position (plus a little second and third positions). I might use one or two other pieces after that, depending on the student, and then we are ready to start the Sonata in C Major.

Over the past 20+ years, I've taught a lot of Romberg to students. It's gotten to the point where I can predict mistakes before they make them. It was getting boring hearing the same mistakes over and over. I really wanted to expand the influence of Romberg on my students and teach all of the skills that he required in his Sonatas.

So I wrote The Romberg Sonata in C Major Study Book for Cello and now, teaching that Sonata is much more exciting! Where I used to sit and drone corrections over and over, I can now have my students play the exercises and improve in front of me. We can spend the lessons working on phrasing and expression instead of rhythm, shifting, and bowing.

I love hearing them play the Sonata excerpts after they've played the exercises. Where students used to stop or struggle, my exercise-powered students sail through. They play confidently and they enjoy the music they're making instead of wallowing in frustration.

Here are some pages of free cello exercises; Preparatory Studies that have a few bits of technique that you will use in the Romberg Sonata in C Major:

Free Romberg Cello Prep
Shifting and Positions

Romberg Cello Sonata Preparatory Studies by Cassia Harvey page 1

Free Romberg Cello Prep
Cello Bowing

Romberg Cello Sonata Preparatory Studies by Cassia Harvey page 2

Free Romberg Cello Prep
Faster Fingers

Romberg Cello Sonata Preparatory Studies by Cassia Harvey page 3

Free Romberg Cello Prep
String Crossing

Romberg Cello Sonata Preparatory Studies by Cassia Harvey page 4

Free Romberg Cello Prep
Little Scales and Arpeggios

Romberg Cello Sonata Preparatory Studies by Cassia Harvey page 5

And when you've tried those studies, move on to the much more comprehensive Romberg Study Book available in print here and as a download here.

Why play an entire book devoted to a Romberg Sonata? Because teaching students to be both solid and creative musicians is fun! Because playing well brings joy. And because mastering this wonderful Sonata might be the most satisfying thing you've done all year!

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Devil's Dream Lesson: Free Exercises for Cello

12/6/2018

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So, Devil's Dream has some tricky string crossings! Both the bow and the fingers have to change strings with efficient, agile movements in order to play this piece at a fast "fiddle" tempo.

Here's the version of Devil's Dream that we'll work on:

Devil's Dream for Cello

Here's a Warm-Up Exercise for String Crossings:

Devil's Dream: Warm-Up Exercise for Cello

Devil's Dream - Free Cello Exercise No. 1 Harvey

Focusing on just the bow can help you identify underlying string crossing issues. Here are the open strings that your bow is playing under the actual fiddle tune:

Devil's Dream: Open String Exercise for Cello

Now, one of the main difficulties with this piece is crossing strings with the left hand. Here is an exercise to work on crossing strings with the fingers:

Devil's Dream: Left Hand String Crossing for Cello

And another exercise for the left hand:

Devil's Dream: Faster Left Hand String Crossing for Cello

And finally, three exercises for speed. Start slow and when you've learned them, play them as fast as possible. Keep your bow smooth and close to the strings. "Bar" your first finger across the strings in measures 3&4 and 11&12 to help make your motions as efficient as possible.

Devil's Dream: Speed and Agility Study No. 1 for Cello

Devil's Dream: Speed and Agility Study No. 2 for Cello

Devil's Dream: Speed and Agility Study No. 3 for Cello

Happy cello fiddling!

Other String Crossing Books

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Free Cello Technique Lesson: Lee Etude No. 2, Op. 31

3/5/2018

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Etudes bridge the gap between exercises and pieces.

Etudes can be more melodic than pure technical exercises and this helps you get closer to what you’d actually play in a piece.

Etudes can also be called "Studies" and they are important for helping you practice technical exercises in the context of something a little more like music. Some Etudes are even performed in concerts!

Today, let's focus on Etude No. 2 "Exercise on the Legato" from 40 Melodic and Progressive Etudes, Op. 31, by the cellist Sebastian Lee. Legato refers to notes that are smooth and connected. Lee helps teach legato by using slurs of eight notes at a time.

Etude No. 2: Exercise on the Legato

Here's a sneak peek of Lee's Etude No. 2, Op. 31. The exercises that follow will help you learn and master this etude. The entire etude is after the exercises (See Step Seven.)

Step One: Learn the Positions that Lee Uses

You can get to know the notes Lee used in this etude by playing the short exercises below. For more work, or to learn 2nd, 3rd, and 4th positions from the beginning, see the “Recommended Position Methods” below. Cello shifting isn't hard! It's just a matter of learning where to put your hand and remembering how to get there.

Free Lee Cello Etude Studies
Cello Positions Used

Cello Shifting Exercise for Lee Etude No. 2

Free Lee Cello Etude Studies
Positions Across Strings

Free Lee Cello Etude Studies
Learning More Positions

Step Two: Work on the shifts one at a time

By playing the shifts in a variety of ways, including changing slur patterns and rhythms, and using shorter sections of the measure, you can learn the shift more thoroughly.

Free Lee Cello Etude Studies
Cello Shifting Technique

Free Lee Cello Etude Studies
More Cello Shifting

Step Three: Work on the bowing

Cello shifting is only part of learning this etude. Next, start to work on the slurs by playing Measures 1-16 with only 4 notes to a bow. Then, use staccato (stopping the bow sharply on the string for each note) to help you divide the bow up into 8 even sections. This helps you fit all 8 notes in a bow that Lee has you learning. Staccato is a great way to learn to play long slurs.

Free Lee Cello Etude Studies
Cello Bowing Technique

Step Four: More Shifting Practice

These shifts have you going back and forth from fourth position to harmonic A on the A string. While this is awkward, make sure you use 3rd finger, as it is generally agreed that this is the easiest finger to use when going back and forth from harmonic A. Watch out for the rhythm in the last measure of each exercise below; make sure you play the quarter note so that it is twice as long as the eighth notes!

Free Lee Cello Etude Studies
Cello Shifting

Step Five: The Challenging Part!

These exercises help you learn the most complicated part of the etude. Start in fourth position on the D string, play the easy pattern (1414), and then practice shifting back and forth one half step before continuing with the pattern in each new position.

Free Lee Cello Etude Studies
Cello Positions

In measures 25-32, Lee has you start in fourth position, play a pattern across strings, move back one half step, and play a similar pattern. You can shift back or extend back for the half-step changes, however it might help to extend first so you can learn how far back to move (it's harder to go too far if your hand is stretching!).

Free Lee Cello Etude Studies
Across Strings & Extending

Free Lee Cello Etude Studies
More Cello Extensions

The cello exercise below still simplifies Lee's etude but helps you get closer to what he wrote. By the end of practicing the "Putting it Back Together" exercise below, you should be ready to tackle measures 25-32 in the Lee Etude.

Free Lee Cello Etude Studies
Fluency

Step Six: Final Shifts and String Crossing Practice

These exercises help you work on the cello positions and string crossing patterns at the end of the etude. Using open strings to learn string crossing can take away the distraction of the left hand and let you focus on balancing your bow across the strings. Feel for a relaxed right hand and arm as you cross strings and work toward getting the smoothest sound possible when you play.

Free Lee Cello Etude Studies
Shifting & String Crossing

Free Lee Cello Etude Studies
Smoother Bowing

Step Seven: Play the entire etude.

As you play, focus on shifting correctly, playing even notes inside each slur, and keeping your bow hand relaxed for the smoothest sound possible.

Tip: If you still find yourself running out of bow, try moving the bow on the string down toward the bridge, about 1/2-1 inch. The string has more tension closer to the bridge and your bow will naturally go a little slower as it plays closer to the bridge.

Free Lee Cello Etude Studies
Etude Op. 40, No. 2

Lee Etude No. 2, Op. 31, with exercises by Cassia Harvey

Step Eight: Take the technique you've learned and use it to help you play pieces and repertoire!

Exercises and etudes can help you master the entire cello. I love how efficient exercises and etudes are; they have a huge impact on the rest of my practice. If you have any questions, send me an email at info@charveypublications.com.

Have fun playing!

-Cassia Harvey

Check out other Early-Intermediate Cello Books that can help you improve!

Recommended Position Methods for this Etude

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Categories

Archives

To Celebrate the Release of the New Tarantella Book

Squire Tarantella - Exercise 1

Squire Tarantella - Exercise 2

Squire Tarantella - Exercise 3

Squire Tarantella - Exercise 4

Squire Tarantella - Exercise 5

Squire Tarantella - Exercise 6

Squire Tarantella - Exercise 7

Squire Tarantella - Exercise 8

Sign up to get a Free PDF of these studies!

Celebrating the release of Book 1A in the Cello Etude System!

Two Learning Paths in Every Book

Book 0

Book 1A: Closed First Position

Here Are The Free Cello Etudes (in Closed First Position) ​to Celebrate the Release of Book 1A!

Free Closed First Position Cello Etude No. 1

Free Closed First Position Cello Etude No. 2

Free Closed First Position Cello Etude No. 3

Free Closed First Position Cello Etude No. 4

Free Closed First Position Cello Etude No. 5

Free Closed First Position Cello Etude No. 6

Sign Up to Get Your PDF copy of theseFree Cello Etudes in Closed First Position!

Preparing for Saint-Saens

Free Saint-Saens Preparatory Exercises

Free Preparatory Cello Exercise: Bowing I

Free Preparatory Cello Exercise: Bowing II

Free Preparatory Cello Exercise: Scale Shifting Exercise

Free Preparatory Cello Exercise: Rhythm & Staccato

Free Preparatory Cello Exercise: Rhythm I

Free Preparatory Cello Exercise: Rhythm II

Free Preparatory Cello Exercise: Octave Shifts I

Free Preparatory Cello Exercise: Octave Shifts II

Free Preparatory Cello Exercise: Chromatic Scale

Free Preparatory Cello Exercise: Shifting and Bowing Study

Books to study in preparation

Want to own/print a PDF download of the free Saint-Saëns Concerto Preparatory exercises listed above?

Like these exercises? Now, you can learn the rest of the Saint-Saens Cello Concerto using a Study Book!

Free Cello Finger Exercise No. 1

Free Cello Finger Exercise No. 2

Free Cello Finger Exercise No. 3

Free Cello Finger Exercise No. 4

Free Cello Finger Exercise No. 5

Free Cello Finger Exercise No. 6

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Free Romberg Cello PrepShifting and Positions

Free Romberg Cello PrepCello Bowing

Free Romberg Cello PrepFaster Fingers

Free Romberg Cello PrepString Crossing

Free Romberg Cello PrepLittle Scales and Arpeggios

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Devil's Dream for Cello

Devil's Dream: Warm-Up Exercise for Cello

Devil's Dream: Open String Exercise for Cello

Devil's Dream: Left Hand String Crossing for Cello

Devil's Dream: Faster Left Hand String Crossing for Cello

Devil's Dream: Speed and Agility Study No. 1 for Cello

Devil's Dream: Speed and Agility Study No. 2 for Cello

Devil's Dream: Speed and Agility Study No. 3 for Cello

Other String Crossing Books

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Etudes bridge the gap between exercises and pieces.

Etude No. 2: Exercise on the Legato

Step One: Learn the Positions that Lee Uses

Free Lee Cello Etude StudiesCello Positions Used

Free Lee Cello Etude StudiesPositions Across Strings

Free Lee Cello Etude StudiesLearning More Positions

Step Two: Work on the shifts one at a time

Free Lee Cello Etude StudiesCello Shifting Technique

Free Lee Cello Etude StudiesMore Cello Shifting

Step Three: Work on the bowing

Free Lee Cello Etude StudiesCello Bowing Technique

Step Four: More Shifting Practice

Free Lee Cello Etude StudiesCello Shifting

Step Five: The Challenging Part!

Free Lee Cello Etude StudiesCello Positions

Free Lee Cello Etude StudiesAcross Strings & Extending

Free Lee Cello Etude StudiesMore Cello Extensions

Free Lee Cello Etude StudiesFluency

Here Are The Free Cello Etudes (in Closed First Position) to Celebrate the Release of Book 1A!

Sign Up to Get Your PDF copy of these
Free Cello Etudes in Closed First Position!

Want to print these exercises out and play them?

Sign up to get a free PDF of this cello music in ebook form and learn about sales, discounts, and free book offers through our newsletter!

Free Romberg Cello Prep
Shifting and Positions

Free Romberg Cello Prep
Cello Bowing

Free Romberg Cello Prep
Faster Fingers

Free Romberg Cello Prep
String Crossing

Free Romberg Cello Prep
Little Scales and Arpeggios

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Free Material, and New Releases!

Free Lee Cello Etude Studies
Cello Positions Used

Free Lee Cello Etude Studies
Positions Across Strings

Free Lee Cello Etude Studies
Learning More Positions

Free Lee Cello Etude Studies
Cello Shifting Technique

Free Lee Cello Etude Studies
More Cello Shifting

Free Lee Cello Etude Studies
Cello Bowing Technique

Free Lee Cello Etude Studies
Cello Shifting

Free Lee Cello Etude Studies
Cello Positions

Free Lee Cello Etude Studies
Across Strings & Extending

Free Lee Cello Etude Studies
More Cello Extensions

Free Lee Cello Etude Studies
Fluency

Free Lee Cello Etude Studies
Shifting & String Crossing

Free Lee Cello Etude Studies
Smoother Bowing

Free Lee Cello Etude Studies
Etude Op. 40, No. 2

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Sign up to get a free PDF of these exercises in Ebook form and learn about sales, discounts, and free book offers!