Category: Cello Teaching

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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7 Ways Duets Can Make Teaching (and Studying) Easier!

4/2/2022

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-Myanna Harvey

My teacher and I never played duets in our lessons when I was growing up. We stuck to hard-core exercise and etude books like Sevcik and Schradieck, Wohlfahrt and Kreutzer, and all the other great books that have been helping people improve at the violin for a hundred years.

As a result, my technique was great, but I could never count at all. Well into high school, rhythm remained a tantalizing mystery reserved for wind players and those who were naturally blessed with having “good rhythm”. I learned all my repertoire rhythm by hearing it, including the ins and outs of orchestral music. Eventually a theory class forced me to actually learn how to make sense of what I saw on the page before I heard it, and the Great Mystery became just a math problem. Thank you Mr. Wilensky!

But when I started teaching, I needed a way to help my students count better that worked in the lessons. I started assigning duets in addition to technical studies, etudes, and solo repertoire and immediately saw my students improve!

Here are some of the benefits I’ve noticed from playing duets in the lessons with my own students over the years:

1. Duets improve rhythm!

Duets are often written in score form, which gives your students a chance to see how the parts fit together and what each note is “worth."
Duets let the teacher establish and insist on a tempo that the student learns to follow. Students can feel pulse and phrasing from the teacher.
Because duets don't work unless the student counts correctly, they can hear why they need to count.
Duets are usually the very first chamber music that students experience. Hearing another part at the same time that they are playing can be initially confusing but it is so important for students to get used to that!

2. Duets help sight-reading.

Sight-reading was another big mystery to me as a kid. Having students sight-read through duets that are a few levels below their current solo repertoire gives them hands-on guided experience in real-time playing. They get weekly chances (with just a little bit of "in-lesson pressure") to tackle the challenges in reading music and making sound from what they see on the page.

3. Duets help tone and overall sound.

When you play with your students, they subconsciously rise to the sound you are creating together. If you use vibrato, they’ll use more. If you are playing with a confident, beautiful tone, they’ll find themselves matching you. If you use longer bows, they will too. Hearing you play alongside them will have a greater effect on their playing than all the explaining, exhorting, and general nagging I usually resort to.

4. Duet-playing improves morale.

When I use duets that are shorter and easier than their concerto or sonata, it’s an easy win; my students can learn an assigned duet in a week or two and feel like they’re really succeeding at something. Solo repertoire takes longer to master and it can be discouraging to be in the middle of learning a long piece without shorter, less-intense music to bring some joy to the lessons.
When we play together, the students sound much better than they do alone; it’s a tangible difference that they and their parents can hear right away.

5. Duet-playing in recitals helps avoid stage fright.

Nervous performers (including some adult learners) can benefit immensely from performing with their teacher in a duet! Duet performances give the student a safety-net and the sense that they aren't alone up on stage!

6. Duets help build a strong student-teacher relationship.

Cassia and I both had awesome and awe-inspiring teachers. We never felt comfortable talking to them as if they were actual human beings. Because of this, I am convinced that lessons were more stressful than they needed to be. Duets help your students realize that it isn’t you against them; you’re in this together!

7. Duets are just plain fun!

Trading rhythms...
Taking turns on melody and harmony...
Feeding off each other’s energy...
Celebrating the social part of music...
Playing music that sounds good, no matter what the level!

I usually play duets with my students either at the end of the lesson, or after exercises and before solo rep, and it always works as a mood booster. When we can achieve joy in a lesson, as well as musical improvement, to me, that’s success!

-Myanna

Browse Violin Duets

Browse Viola Duets

Browse Cello Duets

Check out some of these duet books to
make your teaching easier!

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Free Cello, Viola, or Violin Solo Fantasia on Eleanor Plunkett to Celebrate Flying Solo Book Two!

3/11/2022

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Welcoming Baby Lilya!

Wow, it's been quite a few months since the last blog post! Quite a bit has happened and we are so excited to share it with you all.

We have had an addition to our publishing family! Lilya was born to Myanna and her husband this past January. Lilya was in rehearsals and onstage all fall and winter in the womb and not much has changed with her playlist now; she's already listening in on lessons, rehearsals, and editing sessions! She seems to love music already and especially perks up at hearing her grandmother play the piano.

Late-Night Creativity

Myanna is up all through the night with Lilya and has taken this time to finish editing Flying Solo Violin Book Two, Flying Solo Viola Book Two, and Flying Solo Cello Book Two. Over the past 2 months, Myanna has gotten quite good at writing with one hand and holding the baby with the other. Practicing presents even more challenges (and some funny pictures) but she is managing. We are so grateful to live 5 minutes from each other and 5 minutes from our parents; a triangle of music and art - plus the ability to help each other - that is quite a blessing!

Here are the new releases!

And to celebrate, here's an all-new Fantasia that
Myanna wrote on the Irish tune Eleanor Plunkett!

Fantasia on Eleanor Plunkett for Cello Solo, arr. Myanna Harvey

Fantasia on Eleanor Plunkett for Violin Solo, arr. Myanna Harvey

Fantasia on Eleanor Plunkett for Viola Solo, arr. Myanna Harvey

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Free Beginning Cello Etudes!

10/3/2021

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I am in love with cello etudes.

There are very few things in life that make me more excited than finding new cello etudes. I've been searching for etudes since I was in junior high, working on the Werner cello method by myself (my teacher at the time didn't assign etudes or exercises) and found myself puzzled over the rests at the beginning of some of the studies. Was there (gasp) a piano accompaniment? This was before widespread internet access but I searched library catalogs, obsessively looked at the back covers of cello music looking for any mention of a piano part, and asked everyone I came across. Nobody had any idea...

A few years later, we had our first computer (good old dial-up internet access) and I found Ebay. I searched for old cello music late into the night, every night.

One night, I found a large collection of cello music on Ebay and in it, there was a copy of the Werner Cello Method Piano Accompaniment - all volumes. I was so excited to find out that yes, Werner had written a piano part; the book actually did exist! Now all I had to do was win the auction.

I put in a low bid and waited while the bids rose that week. I waited until a few hours before the auction closed and then I sat, staring at the page, refreshing it every few seconds.

Dial-up internet was slow and unreliable and I was shaking as I waited for the minutes to tick by. One minute before the auction ended, I started bidding again. I bid higher (hands shaking,) bid higher, oh no - I'm outbid, bid higher, move faster Cassia! And then it was over. I couldn't believe it but I had won. The Werner was going to be mine!

There have been numerous moments of great etude-finding joy since: The store in Italy that actually answered my email about a huge number of rare etude books they'd gotten from an old estate and sent the package with Zacchini, Moja, and so much more. The library in Switzerland that didn't answer the first five emails I sent but answered the sixth; with the file of the Nolck book I was looking for actually attached! The used book stores and internet sites and WorldCat continue to have treasures and yes, there's still Ebay.

But through it all, the greatest joy has been playing and teaching with these amazing etudes. I knew there had to be a way to make them available in a practical way. It has taken a long time but we finally have a practical, graded system of rare and classic cello etudes that works for my students.

There will be a number of volumes in The Cello Etude System:
Part 0: Beginning Level
Parts 1A and 1B: First Position, Closed
Parts 2A and 2B: First Position, Extended, and Half Position
Part 3A: First and Fourth Position
and many more!

The First Volume of Cello Etudes is Released!

This is the solo book. The student etude part is written on its own, without accompaniment. This can help with note-reading and making it easier to find and work on skills.

LEARN MORE

Etudes are the bridge between technical exercises and repertoire. The best etudes teach one or more specific cello skills, often combined with opportunities to develop musicality.

Etudes are an essential part of any cello curriculum and now, finally, there is a book that gives beginning cellists a system of etudes they can play from the very start of their cello journey!

Duet accompaniments provide another layer of teaching. With the duet accompaniments in this book, there is a focus on rhythm that will prepare the student for later chamber and orchestral music-making!

LEARN MORE

There were too many beginning etudes to fit in The Cello Etude System, Part 0 so we decided to offer some of the extra beginning cello etudes for free in this blog!
Happy Etude Playing!

-Cassia

Free Beginning Cello Etude No. 1

Free Beginning Cello Etude No. 2

Free Beginning Cello Etude No. 3

No. 3, cont.

Free Beginning Cello Etude No. 4

Free Beginning Cello Etude No. 5

Free Beginning Cello Etude No. 6

Free Beginning Cello Etude No. 7

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Better Bowing Articulation: Free Mini Open-String Workouts for Cello, Book Two!

1/12/2021

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About a month after I wrote Open String Bow Workouts, Book One, back at the end of 2019, I got the first email asking for Book Two. As more and more people started asking for Book Two, I realized that I'd like a Book Two as well and I started mapping out what a second volume would look like.

It's taken a little bit longer than I'd planned (apologies to everyone who got a January 2020 estimated release date!) but Open String Workouts for the Cello, Book Two is finally here!

To celebrate, here is a second volume of free Mini Open String Bowing Workouts for Cello! The mini cello bowing workouts below are all-new and aren't included in the book.

Free Mini Cello Bowing Workout No. 1

Better Bowing Articulation: Free Mini Open-String Workouts for Cello, Book Two!

Free Mini Cello Bowing Workout No. 2

Because Open String Bow Workouts for Cello, Book Two focuses on articulation and bow control, these free studies work on some of the same skills that the book does: staccato, dynamics, double stop staccato, and spiccato.

Free Mini Cello Bowing Workout No. 3

Free Mini Cello Bowing Workout No. 4

Double stop staccato is a great way to get the strings ringing right away - which leads to better tone overall!

Free Mini Cello Bowing Workout No. 5

Free Mini Cello Bowing Workout No. 6

Free Mini Cello Bowing Workout No. 7

Free Mini Cello Bowing Workout No. 8

And finally, here are a couple of open string cello exercises on spiccato:

Free Mini Cello Bowing Workout No. 9

Free Mini Cello Bowing Workout No. 10

Did you miss the blog post with mini free exercises to celebrate Book One?

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Forked Deer: Free Mini Fiddle Tune Booklet for Violin, Viola, Cello, and String Bass!

10/4/2020

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All of the music was ready. The snacks, the chairs, the stands; we were ready for anything. Myanna and I had spent hours arranging music, making chamber groups out of names (level often unknown), answering emails, cleaning, and so much more. Summer string camp was about to begin!

Harvey String Teaching Summer Chamber Camp

The doorbell rang and the first student came in, always looking a little uncertain. It's hard to be first! But then the deluge would happen and soon our front porch would be covered with violin, viola, cello, and bass cases and no matter how prepared we had planned to be, chaos would reign for that entire first session.

We have always had students at a range of ages and levels sign up for Summer Chamber Camp, from first year players to high schoolers in advanced string quartets. But by far, the most challenging issue has been finding music for our "Blackberry Blossom" groups: first and second year students in larger groups who want to play with their friends (even if levels aren't compatible) and have fun playing!

The level range inside of these groups has been astonishing. Some students only know a few notes while others can play fluently in first position (but aren't quite ready for the early-intermediate trios and quartets at the next level.)

Problem-solving is pretty much our favorite thing. So Myanna wrote some easy, flexible tune arrangements for these groups.

First, there's a Regular Exercise and a Basic Exercise that can both be played together at the same time (and with all the instruments.)

Then, for each tune, there's an Advanced Melody, a Stress-Free Melody, a Basic Harmony, and a Teacher Harmony (plus, a piano accompaniment and full score, available separately.)

Here's a concert photo of one of our Summer Fiddle groups playing a tune from the Blackberry Blossom Fiddle Books!

We weren't able to have a summer camp this year due to Covid. But now, we're using these books both with in-person and remote string classes and lessons. And we're excited about how flexible the books are, both with level and instrumentation.

And now for the free booklets!

To give you an idea of how the books work, Myanna and I have put together a free set of exercises and tune arrangement of Forked Deer in exactly the same format as the Blackberry Blossom Fiddle Books.

This is an all-new tune that isn't in the books! Feel free to copy and hand out to students or fellow musicians.

Forked Deer: A Free Fiddle Tune Booklet for Violin

Forked Deer: A Free Fiddle Tune Booklet for Viola

Forked Deer: A Free Fiddle Tune Booklet for Cello

Forked Deer: A Free Fiddle Tune Booklet for String Bass

Forked Deer: A Free Fiddle Tune Booklet for String Class

Here are Free Play-Along Tracks for Forked Deer:

C. Harvey Publications · Forked Deer First Exercise

C. Harvey Publications · Forked Deer Second Exercise

C. Harvey Publications · Forked Deer Tune

Learn More

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Free Christmas Duets to Celebrate New Book Releases!

12/10/2019

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How three new duet books made it to press in the middle of a super busy fall...

In the middle of way too many scheduled performances and tons of teaching, Myanna was writing the books in the Dancing Into Bethlehem series.

Now, I just have to say that Myanna is wonderfully secretive. She never reveals what books she'll write next; no group-think or input from anyone ever inspires what will be written.

However, I can tell something new is coming when I hear strains of her duets wafting up from the studio below mine. Myanna's music is just so inventive, evoking film scores and folk dances, that I always know when I'm hearing her arrangements.

Writing is just the first part. After that she figures out bowings, edits the books, plays through the books many times, tries the duets out with her many students, and finally sends the books to me. Yay.

Although I've figured out that new books are coming, I can only prepare so much. Most of the work I do can't start until I actually have the manuscripts.

I pick the titles, design the covers, set up the layouts, do more proofreading, register the ISBNs, send the books to our various printers, make book cover and sample page images for the website, write the book descriptions, design the webpages, order the books, and finally start letting everyone know.

Let's just say that Black Friday shopping didn't happen. I didn't even have time to do Cyber Monday shopping! Instead, I caught a few of those "Cyber Monday Extended" sales. Yep, those extended sales are just about perfect for us.

As an aside, I'd like to thank our wonderful UPS, USPS, and Fedex, and AmazonFresh delivery people, without whom this company (and these hungry musicians) would not be able to run!

Here's a little bit about the new books:

All duets are compatible between instruments (violin and viola, violin and cello, and viola and cello can play together!)
All duets are intermediate. The violin and viola books are all in first position but are musically and technically challenging. The cello book uses first through fourth positions (but no tenor clef.)
Myanna picked a really neat selection of carols and Christmas music! I love her other Christmas duet book, Sailing Into Bethlehem, and I'm excited to have new music to play with my students this year.
These duets can be played for gigs, in lessons, or just for fun. They bring an enchanting, lively warmth to the Christmas season!

And to Celebrate the Release,

Here Are Some Free Mini Books of Carols!

These free violin, viola, and cello duets are compatible between instruments, just like the duets in Sailing Into Bethlehem and Dancing Into Bethlehem.
These duets are not included in either of the two Christmas duet books; they're only available here!

Christmas Duets for Two Violins - A Mini Ebook

Christmas Duets for Two Violins -Free Sheet Music

Manger Lullaby - a Free Violin Christmas Duet

Masters In This Hall - a Free Violin Christmas Duet

Masters in the Hall - a Free Violin Christmas Duet by Myanna Harvey

O Tannenbaum - a Free Violin Christmas Duet

Christmas Duets for Two Violas - A Mini Ebook

Christmas Duets for Two Violas -Free Sheet Music

Manger Lullaby - a Free Viola Christmas Duet

Masters In This Hall - a Free Viola Christmas Duet

Masters in the Hall - a Free Viola Christmas Duet by Myanna Harvey

O Tannenbaum - a Free Viola Christmas Duet

Christmas Duets for Two Cellos - A Mini Ebook

Christmas Duets for Two Cellos -Free Sheet Music

Manger Lullaby - a Free Cello Christmas Duet

Masters In This Hall - a Free Cello Christmas Duet

Masters in the Hall - a Free Cello Christmas Duet by Myanna Harvey

O Tannenbaum - a Free Cello Christmas Duet

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Learning Three-Octave Arpeggios - Free Preparatory Studies!

11/1/2019

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Figuring Out How to Teach Cello Arpeggios

As long as I have been studying or teaching cello, learning arpeggios consisted of seeing an arpeggio and trying to play it. This was fine; even workable, but as I came to discover, not the best way to learn or teach cello arpeggios that would be consistently in tune.

Three-Octave Arpeggios on the Cello: Preparatory Studies

Some students struggled mightily with the larger spaces. Other students didn't understand the concepts behind the fingerings. All in all, even the most talented and advanced students only played a perfect arpeggio about 1/3 of the time, which wasn't great for auditions!

I became acutely aware of the lack of an actual cello method for teaching arpeggios when Theresa Villani (a wonderful cellist and teacher) reached out to ask if I had one. Since I had no idea where to start, I did quite a bit of brain-storming... and wrote a scale method instead!

After Learning Three-Octave Scales on the Cello was published at the end of August 2019, I still didn't quite know which arpeggio fingerings to pick for the book but at least I had a blueprint for how to teach notes and spaces.

I finally settled on three distinct fingerings for Learning Three-Octave Arpeggios on the Cello. The first fingering, used in the Galamian Scale System for Cello (among other books) is a little like a staircase; you go up the C string, then over to the G, then up the G, then over to the D, then up the D, then over to the A.

The second fingering is very straightforward: you go across to the A string and shift up the A string.

The third fingering, used in Klengel Technical Studies for Cello, Volume One, shifts up to the thumb on the D string and then has you play the top octave of the arpeggio in thumb position.

Each of these three fingerings has something to teach cellists. A study of all three fingerings will give you a comprehensive knowledge of fingerboard geography and larger shifts on the cello.

Free Cello Arpeggio Preparatory Studies!

To celebrate the release of this new book, we are offering free preparatory studies for Three Octave Arpeggios on the Cello. Click on each picture to see the image enlarged. If you would like the file as a free PDF, fill out the form below and your download will be on the next page.

Cello Arpeggios
Shifting Study

Cello Arpeggios
Fifth Position Study

Cello Arpeggios
Spacing Across Strings

Three-Octave Arpeggios on the Cello: Preparatory StudiesPicture

Fingering No. 1
Putting the Arpeggio Together

Cello Arpeggios
Note Spaces
for Fingering No. 2

Cello Arpeggios
Playing Across Strings
for Fingering No. 2

Cello Arpeggios
Putting the Notes Together for Fingering No. 2

Cello Arpeggios
Shifting to the Thumb for Fingering No. 3

Cello Arpeggios
Learning More Thumb Position Notes for Fingering No. 3

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Learn Cello Scale Spaces - Free Sheet Music!

9/2/2019

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One of the best ways to map the fingerboard for your mind and fingers is by learning scales. Three-octave scales, in particular, can be used to teach nearly all of the notes on the cello.

Learn Cello Scale Spaces - Free Sheet Music!

As I watched over the years while some of my students struggled with knowing how far to shift in three-octave scales, I knew that there had to be a solution.

Surprisingly, the answer came while I was writing a scale book for the violin!

Because violinists typically play with four fingers in each position (1-2-3-4), instead of three (1-2-4 or 1-3-4), I was able to write exercises that used notes they already knew to teach notes in the next position.

When I saw how well the exercises worked, I just knew that I had to find a way to use that same concept to teach cello scales.

I started writing studies for a three-octave G major cello scale and tried them with several students who had never played a three-octave scale before.

I wasn't surprised when they figured out the exercises; it was a pretty easy concept. But I was absolutely shocked when, at the end of playing the 4 pages of G scale exercises, those same students were able to play the scale straight through, without stopping, and in tune!

New Release!

Before this, I had wheedled and cajoled and talked my students through their initial 3-octave scales. And, after they finally learned the scales, some of them played scales in tune but some just didn't.

This book was a game-changer for me and my students, cutting out months and years of frustration, and helping them master entire three-octave scales in all of the major and minor keys.

If we take time to think about the steps in scales and teach them to our fingers, it is possible to truly learn scales, play more in tune, and play in tune more consistently.

To celebrate the release of Learning Three-Octave Scales on the Cello, this post gives you the major scales written out with all of the whole and half steps so you can think about and remember each space.

And if this whets your appetite for scale mastery, check out the new cello scale book!

Tips for Playing Cello Three-Octave Scale Steps

Play these exercises slowly.
Think about each space as you play it.
As your mind sees the words "half step" or "whole step", try to remember how that space feels in your fingers.
Roman numerals refer to strings, not positions.

I = A string
II = D string
III = G string
IV = C string

If you have trouble playing scales in tune, or just want to improve your scale intonation, study the scale exercises in Learning Three-Octave Scales on the Cello.

C Major
Cello Scale Spaces

D-flat Major
Cello Scale Spaces

D Major
Cello Scale Spaces

E-flat Major
Cello Scale Spaces

E Major
Cello Scale Spaces

F Major
Cello Scale Spaces

F-sharp Major
Cello Scale Spaces

G Major
Cello Scale Spaces

A-flat Major
Cello Scale Spaces

A Major
Cello Scale Spaces

B-flat Major
Cello Scale Spaces

B Major
Cello Scale Spaces

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Cello Positions: Free Cello Note Charts and Shifting Exercises

2/28/2019

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Starting to play in positions on the cello can be daunting!

However, after you have played in first position for awhile, the other notes on the cello are begging to be learned! So many great cello repertoire pieces use positions and learning shifting can help you reach more notes, make playing across strings easier, and even avoid open strings if you want to.

1. Learn Cello Fourth Position

This method was written for adult learners and includes pictures and diagrams that help explain where fourth position is. Exercises and short pieces on each page work together to teach a skill. This book is available as a PDF ebook on www.learnstrings.com and as a print book on www.amazon.com.

2. Learn Cello Positions in Depth

A great way to learn cello positions is by studying each position. Here are a few position method books:

Are your shifting books too hard?

Try the Preparatory Study Books

(great for fearful shifters)

These books have very easy studies that can make shifting an easier, more gradual process. Each study focuses on a single shift and the exercises progress slowly to allow you to get comfortable with shifting.

3. Free Preparatory Exercises for Pattern Shifting and Serial Shifting for the Cello

Half and Whole Steps

Free Note Chart:
Cello Positions
on the A String

Free Cello Position Exercises
on the
A String

Free Note Chart:
Cello Positions
on the D String

Free Cello Position Exercises
on the
D String

Free Note Chart:
Cello Positions
on the G String

Free Cello Position Exercises
on the
G String

Free Note Chart:
Cello Positions
on the C String

Free Cello Position Exercises
on the
C String

Free Cello Position Exercise
for Muscle Memory

Free Cello Position Exercise: Cello Positions Across Strings

4. Study the Position Exercise Books

Ever-so-slightly easier than Serial Shifting, Pattern Shifting for Cello has exercises in rows and patterns. The exercises progress more slowly than those in Serial Shifting and this book could be studied along with other position methods.

The first half of the book has studies in 1st through 4th positions while the second half of the book has studies in 1st through 8th positions.

All of the exercises are in C major to allow you to fully learn the basic cello positions and spacing.

Pattern Shifting for the Cello is available as a PDF ebook on www.learnstrings.com.

A little bit more difficult than Pattern Shifting, Serial Shifting for the Cello has similar exercises in rows and patterns. The exercises progress more quickly than those in Pattern Shifting and having a prior knowledge of positions is advised.

The first half of the book has studies in 1st through 4th positions while the second half of the book has studies in 1st through 8th positions.

All of the exercises are in C major to allow you to fully learn the basic cello positions and spacing.

Serial Shifting for the Cello is available as a print book here on www.charveypublications.com and on Amazon.com and Sheet Music Plus.

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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!

​-Myanna Harvey

1. Duets improve rhythm!

2. Duets help sight-reading.

3. Duets help tone and overall sound.

4. Duet-playing improves morale.

5. Duet-playing in recitals helps avoid stage fright.

6. Duets help build a strong student-teacher relationship.

7. Duets are just plain fun!

Check out some of these duet books to​make your teaching easier!

Welcoming Baby Lilya!

Late-Night Creativity

Here are the new releases!

And to celebrate, here's an all-new Fantasia thatMyanna wrote on the Irish tune Eleanor Plunkett!

Want to print these?​Sign Up Here to Get Your PDF copy ofEleanor Plunkett for Solo Violin, Viola, or Cello!

I am in love with cello etudes.

The First Volume of Cello Etudes is Released!

Free Beginning Cello Etude No. 1

Free Beginning Cello Etude No. 2

Free Beginning Cello Etude No. 3

No. 3, cont.

Free Beginning Cello Etude No. 4

Free Beginning Cello Etude No. 5

Free Beginning Cello Etude No. 6

Free Beginning Cello Etude No. 7

Sign Up to Get Your PDF copy ofFree Beginning Cello Etudes!

Free Mini Cello Bowing Workout No. 1

Free Mini Cello Bowing Workout No. 2

Free Mini Cello Bowing Workout No. 3

Free Mini Cello Bowing Workout No. 4

Free Mini Cello Bowing Workout No. 5

Free Mini Cello Bowing Workout No. 6

Free Mini Cello Bowing Workout No. 7

Free Mini Cello Bowing Workout No. 8

Free Mini Cello Bowing Workout No. 9

Free Mini Cello Bowing Workout No. 10

Sign Up to Get Free PDFs of these Mini Open String Bow Workouts for Cello!

Here's a concert photo of one of our Summer Fiddle groups playing a tune from the Blackberry Blossom Fiddle Books!

And now for the free booklets!

Here are Free Play-Along Tracks for Forked Deer:

Sign Up to Get Free PDFs of the Forked Deer Fiddle Booklets!

How three new duet books made it to press in the middle of a super busy fall...

Here's a little bit about the new books:

And to Celebrate the Release,​​Here Are Some Free Mini Books of Carols!

Christmas Duets for Two Violins - A Mini Ebook

Manger Lullaby - a Free Violin Christmas Duet

Masters In This Hall - a Free Violin Christmas Duet

O Tannenbaum - a Free Violin Christmas Duet

Christmas Duets for Two Violas - A Mini Ebook

Manger Lullaby - a Free Viola Christmas Duet

Masters In This Hall - a Free Viola Christmas Duet

O Tannenbaum - a Free Viola Christmas Duet

​Christmas Duets for Two Cellos - A Mini Ebook

Manger Lullaby - a Free Cello Christmas Duet

Masters In This Hall - a Free Cello Christmas Duet

O Tannenbaum - a Free Cello Christmas Duet

Would You Like Free Printable PDFs of These Duet Books?

Figuring Out How to Teach Cello Arpeggios

Free Cello Arpeggio Preparatory Studies!

Cello ArpeggiosShifting Study

Cello ArpeggiosFifth Position Study

Cello ArpeggiosSpacing Across Strings

Fingering No. 1Putting the Arpeggio Together

Cello ArpeggiosNote Spaces​for Fingering No. 2

Cello ArpeggiosPlaying Across Strings​for Fingering No. 2

Cello ArpeggiosPutting the Notes Together for Fingering No. 2

Cello ArpeggiosShifting to the Thumb for Fingering No. 3

Cello ArpeggiosLearning More Thumb Position Notes for Fingering No. 3

Would you like a free PDF of these studies?

-Myanna Harvey

Check out some of these duet books to
make your teaching easier!

And to celebrate, here's an all-new Fantasia that
Myanna wrote on the Irish tune Eleanor Plunkett!

Want to print these?

Sign Up Here to Get Your PDF copy of
Eleanor Plunkett for Solo Violin, Viola, or Cello!

Sign Up to Get Your PDF copy of
Free Beginning Cello Etudes!

And to Celebrate the Release,

Here Are Some Free Mini Books of Carols!

Christmas Duets for Two Cellos - A Mini Ebook

Cello Arpeggios
Shifting Study

Cello Arpeggios
Fifth Position Study

Cello Arpeggios
Spacing Across Strings

Fingering No. 1
Putting the Arpeggio Together

Cello Arpeggios
Note Spaces
for Fingering No. 2

Cello Arpeggios
Playing Across Strings
for Fingering No. 2

Cello Arpeggios
Putting the Notes Together for Fingering No. 2

Cello Arpeggios
Shifting to the Thumb for Fingering No. 3

Cello Arpeggios
Learning More Thumb Position Notes for Fingering No. 3

Tips for Playing Cello Three-Octave Scale Steps

C Major
Cello Scale Spaces

D-flat Major
Cello Scale Spaces

D Major
Cello Scale Spaces

E-flat Major
Cello Scale Spaces

E Major
Cello Scale Spaces

F Major
Cello Scale Spaces

F-sharp Major
Cello Scale Spaces

G Major
Cello Scale Spaces

A-flat Major
Cello Scale Spaces

A Major
Cello Scale Spaces

B-flat Major
Cello Scale Spaces

B Major
Cello Scale Spaces

Are your shifting books too hard?

Try the Preparatory Study Books

(great for fearful shifters)

Free Note Chart:
Cello Positions
on the A String

Free Cello Position Exercises
on the
A String

Free Note Chart:
Cello Positions
on the D String

Free Cello Position Exercises
on the
D String

Free Note Chart:
Cello Positions
on the G String

Free Cello Position Exercises
on the
G String

Free Note Chart:
Cello Positions
on the C String

Free Cello Position Exercises
on the
C String

Free Cello Position Exercise
for Muscle Memory

Free Cello Position Exercise
for Muscle Memory