CELLO-AN INTRODUCTION
The cello is a large stringed instrument that is in the violin family. It is played by sitting down and holding the instrument between your knees and played with a bow. It creates a very deep full sound when played correctly.
Because the cello is a large instrument, it requires the student to feel comfortable positioning or holding the instrument. Your cello lessons will include learning to play pieces, but time will also be spent on posture. If the instrument and your body are not held correctly, you will never be able to create the full range of sound all students are capable of.
Our cello teachers will teach you that the cello follows the natural body, in other words, you use the entire body to play it and you cannot twist your body out of the correct posture. You must use the full range of arm motion, extending both arms when needed to produce the proper sound with the bow and it must be done in a smooth swiping motion. So as much as posture includes how to sit in the chair correctly, it also encompasses so many other areas that are essential in order to play the cello well.
CELLO LESSONS SUMMARY
The cello lessons will also include how to hold the bow correctly and how to shape the right hand. Our cello teachers will show you that techniques used in playing the cello such as staccato, legato as well as dynamics (loud and soft i.e. forte and piano) are controlled by the right hand. Finding the correct balance of holding the bow is necessary to play the cello well. Once the student feels comfortable enough to play, they will start by playing the open strings at different speeds with the bow. It is all about feeling the most comfortable. If a student is not comfortable in the manner in which they play, they will not feel at ease and may lose focus. Our trained cello teachers show their students from the beginning, how to feel comfortable and at ease with their choice of instrument, which allows their students to have more confidence and create the kind of music they had wished for.
In lessons in cello, scales and arpeggios are essential to develop the cello student’s technique. Our cello teachers will often include the study of Etudes as well so that the student may develop a fine technique. Cello lessons also include correcting the student’s intonation (pitch). A basic knowledge of the piano is helpful in order to develop the cello intonation more easily.
Our cello teachers also include the topic of correct phrasing in the cello lessons. The teachers make sure the student learns and is comfortable in all areas of their instrument. They must take the time to learn posture, technique and terms. If all is achieved, there is no telling how creative any student can be with the correct tools!
Cello lessons in Manhattan, Queens, Brooklyn, Nassau County & Suffolk County from Kathryn Brickell Music.