2013-10-24 03:58:49
Today's cello lesson started with exciting news about dueting with another student. It seems there were more people enthusiastic about the prospects of playing with others than was originally thought!
Jody is one of Deryn's more advanced student and has been playing for 5 years so I'm really looking forward to getting stuck in with the challenges ahead.
Deryn has chosen one of Marcello's 6 Cello Sonatas (6 Sonaten für 2 Violoncelli (Viole da gamba) und Basso continuo Opus 2) for us to play. Both the bass and melody are similar in a way that it contains a fair mix of solo and rhythm parts. This will also officially be my first foray into the tenor clef and the higher registers so despite being understatedly intimidated, I am really looking forward to this.
Fortunately, I have about a month to familiarise myself with the piece before the duet session. Hopefully this will allow me more time to understand the piece on a more intimate level. I can't seem to find any youtube videos of anyone performing this piece so I'm a little wary about approaching it. I suppose the modern cellist is pampered in this aspect!
We then continued where we left off from the last lesson, the fifth position, and proceeded to stretch positions where my left hand and fingers got up to all sorts of acrobatic poses on the fingerboard. Most of the time I was trying to find a good, comfortable nook for my thumb to rest on but really, it was almost always hanging in the air, crooked.
Later I was asked to sightread the new duet piece. This is such a routine with Deryn that sightreading doesn't fill me with dread anymore; it becomes fun and even something to look forward to. Of course, my mind tends to wander and I forget what the first finger on the second position on the G string is when Deryn asks :)
We went through a few passages of the second cello parts together before Deryn starts playing the melodic first cello parts; about the time I start squeeing internally when the piece sounds "whole". I have a rough idea of what those passages should sound like now but I'll still need to figure out the rest of the bits and the other movements on my own. Deryn said she will be recording this piece as it was too lovely not to so that should help loads!
Lesson notes from Deryn:
1. Fifth Position
- Practise all exercises from 40c - 40f
- Before playing 40c in its entirety, practise sliding exercises as follows:
3rd finger 5th position - 4th finger 2nd position
2nd finger 5th posion - 4th finger 2nd position
1st finger 5th position - 4th finger 2nd position
- Be sure to play the exact notes that appear under those fingers in the exercises
- Slide very slowly at first, then make a point of speeding up significantly so that you practise each slide at the same tempo you'd play it in the exercise
- Also use Feuillard Daily Exercises:
Pg.6 - any variation from 2nd to 5th position, 3rd to 5th position or 4th to 5th position
info
Learning the cello as an adult started as a dare but has now turned into an ongoing love affair; I hope to one day make her sing to her full potential. In the meantime, all spare time and moments are dedicated to this wonderful instrument as I am unable to think about anything else, much to the dismay of my other half :}
This is an attempt to remember the classes I have taken so that I don't forget.
My wonderful teacher, Deryn ~ http://cellostudio.info/
This is an attempt to remember the classes I have taken so that I don't forget.
My wonderful teacher, Deryn ~ http://cellostudio.info/