Lesson 56 - The effects of Feuillard

Teacher: How's it going?
Adult learner: Alright, I guess. Why am I not a virtuoso yet?
Teacher: Because effort.

The above scenario happens more often than most of us will admit to. I've pretty much given up on the idea of playing even remotely anywhere near virtuoso level before partaking in this cello journey. Well, not so much given up but rather, it didn't occur to me that it could possibly happen so why think about it at all?! Except it seems to be the case with adult learners, at least from Deryn's experience. Do you secretly want to play the cello like Jacqueline Du Pre?

I remember reading a youtube comment (the horror!) somewhen ago regarding a video of a rather young but ambitious cellist. You could see the child was gifted but lacked discipline in terms of intonation, amongst other things but this did not deter him from playing pieces that were probably way too advanced where he was allowed to interpret and be as expressive with his vibratos (and that he did!). This was more apparent as the issue didn't seem to be corrected or lessened as he grew much older in the newer videos. The comment remarked that the young cellist needed to eat more of his vegetables before he deserved his desserts; ie. more practising boring studies and exercises before tackling actual pieces and repertoires.

Now I fully agree with this comment especially when it applies so very personally with my cello experience. When I play older pieces that seemed difficult then, the techniques and methods (the vegetables) that I have practised so hard on have made them seem so much easier to tackle which in turn, make things like dynamics and interpretation (the desserts) more of a focus that can actually be attained. Of course, all the effort of techniques and method practises can be made redundant when bad habits form - bad habits that can lead to much pain and agony.

When I told Deryn about my concerns regarding the reoccurring pain I experienced particularly on the area between my left shoulder blade and the left side of my waist, her diagnosis suggested that I was probably making exaggerated lateral movements to compensate the extra length of the middle finger on my left hand; raising the arm, shoulder and elbow each time the finger was in use and dropping it back when it wasn't.

Such minute movements add up throughout a session and the soreness felt is possibly the resulting effect. And so, the cello doctor has prescribed the following routines to hopefully alleviate this discomfort. Slow and meticulous finger percussion exercises from Feuillard's 60 Etudes for the young cellist Exercise 1. A purely left hand only exercise to not only strengthen the fingers but to establish efficient movements so as not to engage superfluous lifting of the arms whilst keeping the shoulder not raised and 'squared'.

This proved to be easy in theory but relatively tricky in practise. Discipline being the vital virtue of the routine, along with an overtly analytical approach - something I have yet to really grasp.

This then branched off into Feuillards's Daily Exercises Chapter 2 Exercises 1 to 9 and to be played on all 4 strings, the aim being proper weight distribution of each note from the back muscles and letting the fingers fall on to the notes (attack from above not from the wrist), making sure not to engage the shoulder or arms to rise.