Lesson 119 & 120 - Pecking in thumb position

Lesson 119

We started with one string arpeggios from Feuillard pg 22. The huge shifts were not as scary as anticipated but instead felt comfortable and familiar thanks to the daily scales regime and the Popper piece that I have yet to overcome.

Playing through the arpeggios on all strings, it was noticeable that the lower strings needed a lot more coaxing to sing and Gracie sounded just like a double bass in those registers.

The new bow has elevated cello playing to a level I previously thought was impossible - practise is a more pleasant affair and my relationship with the cello and bow feels closer to a partnership than merely playing on an instrument with a stick. I'm not sure what it is but it seems I am able to control the bow to draw out a certain sound which seems an unlikely thing to do with my previous one. Gracie, especially seems very happy with this new arrangement with the sounds she is producing though I fear somehow that this is all in my head. Possibly a recording is eminent soon for comparison!


Lesson 120

Today we went through 2 octave scales on one string from Feuillard pg 20. There are two different fingering notations; the usual common fingering and the other for fast passages using your most dependable and strongest fingers - the first and second finger.

The lesson here is to find the right vibrato style (speed and range) on the higher registers and the different timbre and texture that would make on the lower strings since the notes are closer together here than on the fingerboard. In fact, playing a similar vibrato in the higher register will resonate between 2 semitones!

Deryn notices that my fingers were collapsing during thumb positions, a sign that weight distribution may not be from the power source which may encourage bad habits with applying too much pressure on the strings from the wrist. I am aware of this but I assumed it was the awkward length of my fingers compensating again. It may be hard but Deryn suggests that I try to ensure that my fingers are falling "from the top" as there isn't a need for much force to stop a string if I'm in the right position. It took a while but after a few tweaks, I was able to mimic the position of a cellist that is comfortable with thumb positions - it feels like I'm pecking on the fingerboard, completely different from what I'm used to!


During the explanation of the triplets section in Elegie, I couldn't help but associate the audible note measures Deryn was sounding as dub step - triplets alternating with the common measure of the time signature, hee hee :}

And now, a little tune by Ophélie Gaillard and friends.