Private Cello Goes Public

PRIVATE CELLO GOES PUBLIC Tried-and-True Studio Fundamentals for Your Orchestra Class ASTA National Conference–Albuquerq

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PRIVATE CELLO GOES PUBLIC Tried-and-True Studio Fundamentals for Your Orchestra Class ASTA National Conference–Albuquerque, NM Presented by Cornelia Watkins February 29, 2008

HOLDING THE CELLO o Seating—Student sits on flat-bottomed chair, vertebrae stacked and balanced over pelvis, with a slight tilt forward from the pelvis. Chair height should allow knees to be level with the seat of the chair or slightly lower—knees should not be higher. o Cello Height—Extended endpin should bring the corner of the cello to the inside of the student’s left knee, and right knee brought in to comfortably support cello from the other side. Back of cello should come to the middle of student’s breastbone. o Scroll and fingerboard position—Neck of cello passes over left shoulder, and peg box and scroll should be behind the student’s head. Fingerboard should be straight to body (not angled across body) for ease of left arm movement. o Hug-a-cello—Student should be able to put arms comfortably around cello in this position (like s/he is hugging it)—if the body of the cello is too far away, lower endpin and bring cello in closer to the student. o Finding positioning height for both arms: start with upper arms touching torso, forearms extended with palms up. “Pivot” arms, so that elbows move away from body, and hands move toward center in front of body palms down. When playing, check that elbows do not get higher by doing this positioning check in reverse.

THE BOW BOW HAND—

shape and position

o Be sure to have student support upper half of bow with left hand while setting bow hold. o Positioning of fingers Note that pinky is on side of the stick, not on top of the stick violinstyle.

o Position thumb on bow opposite 2nd finger. of thumb touches the bow at the corner of the nail. Placing thumb flat causes undo tension in hand.

Side thumb bow

o Pronation—Once fingers are positioned on bow, adjust hand angle by gently rotating the forearm so that the outer bone of forearm is “above” the inner bone. The more the arm is turned (pronated) the more potential pressure is moved to the upper parts of the bow. (Be sure students do not change placement of hand or fingers on bow while turning arm.) o Try drawing eyeballs on first two knuckles so they can “watch” what’s going on (the eyeballs won’t be able to “see” the bow on the string if the hand slumps backwards.) o Flicking Water—While maintaining bow hold and continuing to support bow with left hand, have student shake right arm as though flicking water off his hand—student’s finger pads should cling to stick, but joints of hand and wrist should be free enough to move easily. o Push and Pull—While left hand resists, student pushes and pulls bow in up- and down-bow directions—joints of hand and wrist should flex and give, but cling to their spots, and the hand should never fall backwards.

BOW ARM freedom—

the MARIONETTE IMAGE

o First without cello, have student imagine s/he is a marionette, with right arm hanging loosely by side. (Remember: marionettes are made of only pieces of wood and wire for joints—no muscles!) o Imagine there is a string attached to back of your elbow, and have your “puppeteer” raise your elbow about half-way up to shoulder height. Give your forearm a shove with the left hand and see if it will swing loosely like it really is attached by wires. o Now imagine there is a string attached to the top of the wrist, and have your puppeteer raise that almost to elbow height. Swing the forearm again—this is the basic détaché stroke. o Now give this a try holding the cello, placing bow in hand just before the last step (détaché stroke). Be sure arm is pronated before trying stroke on cello. o If during any of this exercise the shoulder lifts up or stiffens, snip that shoulder string (it shouldn’t be there in the first place!) and let the shoulder drop and relax.

STRING LEVELS—

THE ELBOW SHELF—

Imagine four “shelves” by your elbow, one for each string. Each time you change strings, let the elbow rest on the appropriate “shelf.” It helps to “plop” the elbow onto each “shelf” and make it seem like it is really resting there (mime-style) to discover how to use as few muscles as possible to support the elbow.

BASIC ARTICULATIONS & BOW STROKES o Détaché—smooth back-and-forth stroke. Motion is from elbow only, upper half of the bow, straight back and forth stroke on the string. Forearm swings like a door on a hinge, shoulder down and relaxed. (See marionette image, above.) o “Rubber band” stroke—a faster version of the détaché motion. Imagine a large rubber band looped from the fingerboard to the bow (or try using one!). Make the down-bow motion active by pushing against the rubber band, then let the bow arm go passive, allowing the rubber band 2

to bring the bow back to the starting position. o Articulated Strokes (Stop-Stop, “Ta-Ta”)—two-part stroke: 1) catch string firmly with bow, put pressure on bow in an up- or down-bow direction, and 2) let bow release in that direction. Bow moves across the string but not pressing into the string during the “aaah” part of the stroke. o Varying Articulations—Sounds that we use for vocal articulation contributes directly to musical expression. Sing a passage with syllables that seem like a natural choice for the kind of music it is, and notice whether you are using a hard consonant like “T”, softer ones like “D” or “P”, or the softest ones such as “L”, “M” or “Y”. Use that as your choice for articulating with the bow. o Dance strokes (lifted or scooped strokes)—have student “dance” their right hand in the air —this natural lifting motion is the same motion that makes beautiful articulation for most dance pieces like minuets, gavottes, etc. o Legato—steady, consistent sound during each stroke with smooth, connected bow changes. Image of conveyor belt works well: belt moves at one speed, and slips around a little wheel at end of run without changing pressure or speed. Student can make small circular motion at end of each stroke with fingers and wrist. It is not necessary to use entire bow for legato—it’s often better to stay in one part of the bow to practice up-and down-bow changes.

shaping a beautiful legato phrase Fine masonry…Imagine that each bow stroke is a brick, and we try to lay the bricks so close together (smooth bow changes) that it is hard to see where one ends and the next begins. The height of the bricks (consistency of sound with pressure/speed of bow) needs to be exactly the same, so that when we stand back the cumulative affect is of one very long brick. …becomes ART! Now imagine those bricks are malleable, so you can shape them larger and smaller. Make the first block start small and get bigger, then shape the next block to the exact height of the previous and continue the line, and so forth. The idea again is that when you stand back, it creates the illusion of one continuous line rather than several blocks stacked along side one another.

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PRESSURE/SPEED/PLACEMENT—

These are the three variables of the bow that create a palette of sounds and dynamics. Have students describe them using colorful adjectives rather than loud/soft or good/bad. (See chart below for possibilities—there are no right or wrong answers! Let students have fun describing the sounds in their own words.)

Placement: near fingerboard Pressure→ light heavy Cautious, distant Speed ↓ slow Feathery Breezy, silky

medium strained Pushed Rushing

Strangled Choked ripping

medium fast Placement: middle (between fingerboard and bridge) Pressure→ light medium heavy gentle thick dense flowing Warm, generous Strong, proud free Lush, bold striving Speed ↓ slow medium fast Placement: near bridge Pressure→ light heavy Electronic, glassy Speed ↓ slow edgy metallic

medium Sharply focused gritty coarse

intense grating scraping

medium fast • 4

Translating an emotional gesture into a sound—How would you use your hands if you were trying to sooth someone who is upset? If you were being emphatic about a something important?

If you were the king and being regal? Or imagine a scene: How would you gesture to show a grand, expansive scene? Or what low fog on a lake looks like? Transfer that gesture into a bow stroke—it often translates directly into the expressive sound you’re looking for.

THE LEFT HAND BASIC HAND SHAPE o Create an open C shape with left hand. o Place fingers on strings—keep the open shape rather than curling fingers up more—you will be playing your on finger pads rather than finger tips. o Thumb is opposite 2nd finger—touching back of neck lightly or not at all—definitely not squeezing! o Fingers should angle slightly down the string, rather than perpendicular to the stings—it will be easier for students to make measurements.

Coat hanger image—to keep thumb from squeezing. Elbow should be raised, wrist slightly depressed, and weight added to forearm, like the feeling of hanging a heavy coat on your hanger. Careful: If wrist is raised and elbow lowered, weight cannot be applied efficiently, and thumb will start to squeeze again.

The “ dead arm”

exercise to discover how to use only the muscles needed

1. Student hangs arm limply at side like it is dead. 2. Assistant (teacher or fellow student) picks up the dead arm by holding on to one finger, and shakes it to be sure the arm is still limp. (This step may have to be repeated until student can get used to not helping.) 3. A tiny bit of life comes back into the “dead arm,” but only in the one finger being held by the assistant—enough that it can stay hooked on to the assistant’s finger on its own. The rest of the student’s hand and arm should stay heavy, limp, and “spongy.” The assistant should be able to “squish” the student’s hand easily, and should still feel the student’s full arm weight. 4. Assistant tries to shake off the “dead arm” but it stays clinging by the one “live finger.” (This motion is what vibrato will feel like.) 5. This “live finger” attached to the “dead arm” can be hung on the cello fingerboard “coat hanger” style. 5

Hand shape/intonation o Natural finger spacing won’t be big enough for first position, so students need to find ways to expand hand shape without tensing hand—the spacing will be strained and difficult if muscles are too tight. o Find spacing, then relax as many muscles as possible while retaining the basic shape. Students can experiment with finger spacing away from the cello to discover ways to open the spacing of the fingers without worrying about also pushing down strings. o Consider using only one tape for the first finger, rather than one at every half-step. Fourth finger pitch is easy to test with half-harmonics. Show students how to use 1 st, 2nd, and 3rd partials and sympathetic vibrations to test notes for the best intonation—let those cellos ring! o Internalize finger spacing—Have students define for themselves how big the spacing is between their fingers (i.e., “As wide as I can stretch my fingers,” or “Big, but not quite as far apart as I can stretch them.”) Students should be asked to feel measurements first before looking. o Measurements—Teach students to measure wherever they go in one position—no handhopping. . Measurements across the strings will always be larger because of the added distance from one string to another. o Tendency Intonation: 2nd and 3rd fingers tend to drift toward each other, resulting in intonation problems such as a sharp 2nd finger C natural or a flat 3rd finger F #. Have students practice fingering combinations of 1↔34 and 12↔4, keeping the half-step small, and making an extra wide stretch between the fingers for the whole step. o Fourth Position: An easy and comfortable way for students to expand range on cello. Be sure student drops thumb as far as it will go (to the crook of the neck) and then finds first finger in relation to the thumb (usually slightly “flat” to the thumb, though sometimes directly opposite it—this varies from cello to cello). The spacing of the fingers to reach the other notes are generally well in tune if the student can slip a finger on his right hand sideways in the spaces. o Target practice—an excellent and easy way for students to practice their intonation. Pick one note that is repeated several times over a short phrase. Find the exact pitch you want to hear for this note, and play it for a long time, strong and clear. Play the passage with a generally soft dynamic, except for this note which is played strong, long, and clear exactly pitch every time.

Extensions—

Be sure students understand that an extension affects the spacing between first and second fingers only. Draw it on the board—be sure they really can see it! o Can you point? For “downwards” or “backwards” extensions (to reach Bb’s, Eb’s etc.), point first finger, and be sure thumb stays with second finger. o For “upwards” extensions (to reach F#’s, C#’s, etc.) pivot on first finger and drop the rest of

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the hand. Try the exercise pictured here to get comfortable with the “drop” feeling of an easy extension. o Try it on the cello, at first with the first finger touching the side of the neck, then on the A string. When hand drops, finger can lay straight against neck (a helpful exaggeration of the motion!) o Hand should end up in the same shape, whether motion came from the “point” or the “drop.” o Extensions are easier to learn starting from the A and gradually working across to the lower strings, since the on the lower string side the fingerboard slopes away from the hand, making it more awkward to reach.

Shifts o Know where you’re going! Student should first familiarize him/her self with the note or position by spending time hearing the note, singing the pitch, getting familiar with the feel of the position, hand shape, etc. o Short shifts should happen in one quick motion—a light snap or click in the hand.

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o Longer shifts should be thought of as a curved line, with a hand or finger gliding lightly along the string, then arriving firmly on the note. Try using the image of an airline flight map, with curved lines to precise destinations. o Practice shifts with confidence, even if the shift is missed—simply re-evaluate how far the hand needs to move and try again. o Hand preparation. Have student play current note while making sure the hand is ready to move to new position: shift finger is as close to arrival spot as possible, thumb is free, energy is toward the new position—then release hand!

Vibrato—

Motion for cello vibrato is from the elbow, like the motion that you use to shake a can of spray paint or a bottle of salad dressing. 1. Shake—Student practices the shaking (vibrato) motion without the cello 2. Slide—motion is placed on the cello; hand should slide lightly from first to fourth position, very fast but as freely as possible. 3. Choose finger—Student chooses one finger (usually easiest with 2 nd or 3rd) and begins to add arm weight to that finger, using the coat hanger image. 4. Add full weight—When finger pad starts to burn, let it stick down to the fingerboard, but be sure not to change the speed and width in the arm motion. To continue freest motion, be sure thumb doesn’t start to grab. Finger pad should squish, not roll, on string/fingerboard. 5. Stay wide and free! Be sure student realizes that the finger stays put because it is stuck down on the fingerboard, not because the motion of the arm gets smaller. This vibrato will be wild-and-wooly sounding, but that is okay—it’s much easier to tame this vibrato than to open up a tight vibrato. 6. Monkey Vibrato—for low-position vibrating that tends to feel awkward: Put fingertips on shoulder, and folded-up arm even with your back. Rock the forearm and hand forward, then back to starting position, as if it were rotating on a rod through the upper arm. Elbow can be braced against wall if it moves too much. Vibrato one of the most directly expressive techniques a student learns—and they usually can’t wait to do it! Introduce it as early as possible since it’s one of the best reasons for students not to squeeze thumbs. o The Elbow Switch—As students get more familiar with vibrato, be sure to remind them that the motion is coming from the elbow and arm, not the fingers, so it is not necessary to stop vibrato from finger to finger. Turn on the “elbow switch” and keep it running while fingers change. o Also good to install a “dimmer switch” for varied vibrato! SPEED and WIDTH are the 2 variable dimensions of vibrato—cultivate each aspect separately and together. To begin, try wide/slow and wide/fast, narrow/slow and narrow/fast without the bow. Then explore each with a loud, medium and soft dynamics. Discover what combinations work the best, and the amazing variety of sounds that are possible when you combine colorful vibrato with your palette of sounds with the bow! Clinic presented by Cornelia Watkins 9734 Railton Houston, TX 77080 713-895-7758 [email protected] www.rosindust.com

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NOTES

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