Cello, Bow and You: Putting it All Together

Contents

• Table of Contents
• Prelude
• Forward
• Acknowledgements
• Introduction
• Part I: Sound Image, Cello, Bow and You
• Chapter 1: The Sound Image
• The sound image, or what you hear in your head
• Playing by ear or reading music
• Shaping the sound image
• Becoming your own conductor
• Becoming your own teacher
• Elements of the sound image
• Non- negotiable elements of a musical image
• Negotiable elements decided by the artist
• The cellist's objective
• Part II: Cello, Bow . . .
• Chapter 2: The Cello and The String
• Observation, the approach to the cello and bow
• The beauty of the instrument
• The bridge and the sound post
• The strings
• The nut, tailpiece and fingerboard
• The role of the bow
• Chapter 3: Stringing
• The intersection where the bow meets the string
• Stringing: the quintessence of string playing
• Chain reaction of vibrating the string
• Newton's laws in cello playing
• A sound: beginning, middle and end
• Articulations
• Volume of sound
• The varying amplitude makes the phrase
• Analogy to a triangle
• An exploration of placement
• Amount of hair touching the string
• The shape of the string
• Optimal placement of hair on the string
• Using placement for dynamic changes
• Placement on the four strings
• Chapter 4: The Fingerboard
• The fingerboard grid: an image-based approach
• The blueprint
• Harmonics
• Playing the grid
• Notes in one location
• Changing locations
• In support of intonation
• Learning the fingerboard: positions versus the grid
• Chapter 5: Tools of the Trade: The Left Hand and The Bow
• The left hand
• The left hand tool
• The bow
• Introduction to the bow
• Characteristics of the bow
• The hair
• The screw
• The length of the bow
• Gravity, natural balancing point and center of gravity
• Chapter 6: A Gravity Based Technique for Bowing
• The natural laws and how they affect bowing
• Gravity
• Weight
• Balance: the CG is the NBP
• Gravity-centered approach to the whole bow
• Differences in approach to learning: gravity based compared to traditional learning
• Changing the vocabulary for bowing instruction
• Legato, the soul of the cello
• The neutral whole bow
• Equalizing the weight of the two ends of the bow
• The shape of the bow guides the movement
• Changing directions respecting Newton
• Imbalance as an ally
• String crossings or changes, using the unbalancing factor
• Chapter 7: Short Notes as Part of the Whole Bow Stroke
• Short Notes: on and off the string
• On the string: detache, martele and accented notes
• Off the string: the bouncing bow
• Some things all bounced bows have in common
• Bounced bowing techniques
• The scoop spiccato
• The ball bounce spiccato
• Bowing techniques with more than one note in each direction
• Up or down-bow staccato/spiccato
• Ricochet or jete
• Arpeggiated richochet
• Coda
• Part III: . . . and You: Putting it all Together
• Chapter 8: An Overview of You
• Coordination and the Alexander Technique
• Whole body playing
• Opposition as cooperation: co-handedness
• Chapter 9: Sitting and Holding the Cello: Anatomy and Application
• Anatomical vocabulary
• Sitting: the first technique
• The overview of the spine, torso, pelvic basin, legs and feet in playing
• Details of the pelvis
• The legs and feet as part of cello playing
• The coccyx, sacrum, lumbar spine and thoracic spine
• The anatomy of the head and cervical spine
• The role of the brain and spinal chord in playing
• How to sit: moving from standing to sitting
• The squat-sit process
• How to squat
• How to squat-sit
• Holding the cello: the relationship of the cello and the cellist
• Holding the cello: the perspective from a biomechanical engineer
• The weight of the cello
• The neck and the scroll
• The length of the endpin
• The size of the person
• Bring the cello to meet your body. Do not take your body to the cello
• Chapter 10: Breathing: Anatomy and Application
• Breathing
• The anatomy of the dorsal spine, ribcage, and breathing
• The function of breathing
• The cycle of breath
• The role of breathing when playing
• Breathing naturally
• Breathing for a purpose
• Chapter 11: Hands: Anatomy and Application
• Anatomy of the hands
• Functions of the hands
• Function of the metacarpals
• Function of the thumb
• Rotational function of the forearm and humerus
• Function of the fingertips
• Function applied to cello playing
• The left hand
• The three grips applied to the left hand
• Rotation of the left hand when playing
• Anatomy of the shape of the end of the finger and its role in playing
• Thumb position
• The right hand
• Rotation of the right hand when playing
• Chapter 12: The Arm Moves the Hand: Anatomy and Application
• The shoulder girdle and the shoulder joint
• The anatomy of the shoulder girdle versus the shoulder joint
• The movement of the shoulder girdle
• The movement of the shoulder joint
• The role of the shoulder joints when playing
• The anatomy of the wrist and elbow joints
• The elbow
• The wrist
• The anatomy and function is over
• Chapter 13: Playing the Cello: Anatomy and Application
• Bowing
• The whole bow
• Detache
• Martele
• Bounced bow strokes
• Shifting
• Shifting when using thumb position
• Timing of the shifts
• Vibrato
• The finger on the string
• The sound of vibrato
• The speed and width of vibrato
• Energetic force for playing
• Direction of force to the strings with both hands
• Equalizing the energy used by both hands
• Part IV: Practice
• Chapter 14: Practice as Process
• Creative practice as experiment
• Creative practice as research
• Progress is never a straight line and it takes time
• Two paths of learning
• Creating your practice space
• Creating concentration and consciousness
• Setting an agenda
• Assessments
• Pitfalls
• Embrace what is right
• Chapter 15: Rhythm, Melody and Harmony
• Rhythm
• Rhythm as coordinator: the time-space relationship
• Location of the beat within the body
• The intellectual beat
• The sensory beat
• The emotional
• The all inclusive beat
• Illustration of the inclusive beat
• Scales and Harmony in Music
• Scales and melody
• Scales and harmony
• Chapter 16: Auralization and Visualization as Learning Techniques
• Using auralization
• Using visualization
• Learning the skill
• Visualization as looking inward
• Chapter 17: Warming Up
• A practice warm up routine
• Warm-ups before playing
• A rhythmic routine away from the instrument
• Warming up at the Instrument
• Putting it all together
• Chapter 18: Practice Techniques
• Preserving our energy through no-energy practice
• Just the beginning of the note
• Correcting wrong notes
• Changing learned habits
• Reversing
• Postlude: Putting it All Together
• About the Author
• References
• Index