Nan Kemberling, Atlanta Cello Lessons and Performance
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Cellist, Teacher, and Coach

Practice, probability, and the zombie apolcalypse

3/16/2018

3 Comments

 
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I might have a thing for zombies.

"Practice until you get it right" couldn’t be more wrong!

Watch my new video below to be sure you aren’t inadvertently bringing about your own doom with this crazy idea about practice...

Perhaps what I say in this video will seem like common sense to you.  If so, you're one of the lucky ones. All I know is that I wasted an entire decade of my cello life playing instead of practicing--and I don't want you to make the same mistake!


Want more guidance on this topic?  Check out my previous blog post: Practice: A Gift to Your Future Self

Let me know how your practice is going in the comments section below.  Happy practicing!
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Attacking Chicken Attack

6/6/2017

4 Comments

 

by Erica Vacare

Erica is a student of Nan's who rediscovered the cello as an adult.  She enjoys biting off music in small chunks, like a turtle eating a piece of fruit.

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“Have you seen Chicken Attack?” asked my friend Chris.
“I don’t think so,” I replied.
 
I opened the YouTube link he sent. “Looks like a kung fu movie,” I thought. “Wait, did that chicken just turn into a ninja?! Oh my god. Now he’s fighting that guy. And this music is awesome.”
I informed Chris that this was the best thing I’d ever seen, and listened again. And again. I was hooked. After the fourth play in a row, I glanced across the room. Surprisingly, my cat did not look perturbed in the slightest, despite the continuous stream of yodeling coming from my laptop. I clicked the video a fifth time, and pictured how it would sound on the cello. I had to try it. A couple of Google searches later, I was the happy downloader of a straightforward-looking transcription. I printed it out and set it on my music stand.


The first thing I noticed was that the notes on the staff looked higher than Snoop Dogg. No problem, I could just move things down an octave or three. My mind wandered to my cello lesson, which happened to be the following day. I hadn’t played much this week. I pictured Nan, with her usual smile, asking me how my practicing had gone. “Well, I didn’t work on anything except for Chicken Attack,” I would have to confess. How embarrassing. I racked my brain for a way I could make Chicken Attack educational, more respectable. Then I noticed that playing it as written would put it in thumb position, which Nan had conveniently just gone over with me. “Perfect! I’m going to use Chicken Attack as a thumb position exercise!” I declared. My cat seemed unimpressed.


I sat down with my cello (which caused my cat to flee), and set my thumb on the A and D harmonics. I found I could play the beginning of the verse in the hand position Nan had showed me, without having to shift. Sweet. This was going to work well.
​


I was congratulating myself on my brilliance when my eyes fell on this high E:
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​Not too scary, though. I knew where that note was, after all: a whole step above my third finger on the A-string. But how to get from point A to point B? (Or, more accurately, point E to point higher E?). I wasn’t sure. “I’ll I just skip all those high Es for now,” I thought to myself. This allowed me to continue for a hot two seconds, until a wild F appeared:

Son of a monkey. If I wanted to play this, I would have to learn how to shift in thumb position. It was inevitable.

I brought the music to my lesson the next day. As Nan and I went over it, it became clear that Chicken Attack would be no mere exercise. It would involve a range of techniques, from basic to advanced! It was the perfect way for a thumb position newbie such as myself to dive right in.

Are you new to thumb position, too? Want to join me? Here are a handful of exercises plucked (sorry) from my practice pad! (Note: the version of Chicken Attack I’m using has been transposed down a fifth from the original, to be a bit more cello-friendly).

Finding thumb position on the harmonics:
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Bringing the thumb around in measure 4:
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Learning how to move the left hand in an octave structure:
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Utilizing technical shifts:
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Employing a sneaky pinky move in measure 11:
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Chicken Attack used as thumb position training is such a breath of fresh air in the studio!  ​Thanks so much to Erica for sharing it with me and the rest of our cello family. -Nan
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Vibrato, an annotated guide 

7/13/2016

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​After several years, I have finally finished the sequel to Always Room 4 Cello!  

I wanted to make use of a different genre for the next big video project, so when I found myself singing about vibrato to the tune of "Desperado," it just seemed right.  Besides, I have found that vibrato tends to be one of the most mysterious and frustrating topics for beginning cellists.  It needs attention.
A silly teaser trailer I made for it...

Here's the actual video. I hope you like it!
In an effort to help you "get experimental" with your cello vibrato, the following is a breakdown of the techniques suggested in the song. 

The Lyrics

The Explanation

Oh, vibrato, why can’t we get you to happen?
Been doin’ so much tappin’
for so long now.
You’re a hard one
but you’re supposed to be easy,
there’s tension that’s squeezin’ you
but I don’t know how.

I’ll have to try some mini-shifting
or just sliding on a table
or it might be good to move with the opposite hand

You can karate chop your cello
just be sure it’s really stable
or enlist the help of a pretty pushy friend

Oh, vibrato, make sure you start from the elbow
soon you’ll shout out HELL….O
to a nice warm sound
You just shake it, oh shake it
like a polaroid picture
There ain’t no set scripture
except to set your bow down

If you try all this and still use the bow
it’ll change the motion and you won’t know
plus it can cause your whole right arm to want to shake,
But if you tap your cello with your left
and practice the feel of a bow that is kept straight


Oh,vibrato, it could be so super simple
gotta get experimental to find your command
May seem crazy, but it will sneak up and get you
and you’ll never forget--
It’ll feel like shaking your hand.
  • tappin’:  This refers to exercises called "taps" and "sticky taps" explained by Gerald Fischbach in the Art of Vibrato DVD and the Viva Vibrato book series.
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  •  mini-shifting: Sometimes it helps to start out with a big shifting motion in the left arm and then slowly narrow the motion until your finger stays in place while your hand and arm still move
  • sliding on a table: Taking the cello out of the equation can have incredible results!
  • opposite hand: Sometimes the motion is easier in the right hand--and then you may be able to recreate it more easily in the left.
  • karate chop: Much like mini-shifts, a chopping motion onto the top cello ribs can be an easy way to get used to the proper arm movement 
  • set your bow down: Practice vibrato motions without the bow at first.  
  • tap your cello with your left
    and practice the feel of a bow that is kept straight: When you are ready to try to add the bow, just bow open strings while you move your left arm to tap the cello ribs. This way you can get used to the two arms acting independently and you will be able to eliminate "shaky bow" (when your right arm is inspired by the left's motion to move in conjunction with it). 

Get experimental!

What method has worked best for you?  Is there some technique you like that I completely left out?  

Lets' talk!   Leave a comment below--I would love to hear from you.

In the meantime, here are a few videos I really like that deal with cello vibrato in a helpful way.  If you don't have much time, watch the first one (top left).  The adult amateur cellist in the video speaks very candidly about her frustrations--and offers a logical and fresh approach!
Don't forget to leave a comment--and happy practicing (yes, karate chopping counts)!
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Love thyself...by practicing effectively

2/12/2016

1 Comment

 
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Thanks for this picture, Nancy!
Frigid temperatures can bring lethargy and winter blues along with a lull in motivation to practice, so I wanted to post some articles and videos that may rekindle your cello flame!  
  • Ideas for the best ways to deal with repetitive practice
  • A thought from Alban Gerhardt about open string work
  • Suggestions regarding slow practice
  • A short video on the helpfulness of scales
  • Itzhak Perlman's opinion on maximum practice time
  • My post about practice (from 2013, in case you missed it!)

Do you have any thoughts to share about your successes or struggles with practice?  Let me know in the comments section below!
Happy
Cello
​ Practicing!
cold cello
I was too young to know better.
1 Comment

Finding practice time 

7/23/2015

0 Comments

 
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I like to climb trees.  

Wow, that is definitely  a Nan Sequitur!  I thought this blog is about cello...

I'm just saying, that's probably something you didn't know about me. I like to work out, but mostly by doing things that are fun for me:  gardening, home improvement projects, dancing...tree climbing.  

PictureBack in my San Fran days
Because it takes the right tree and the right clothing at the right time, that last activity is a rare treat for me (although this spring, a pruning project in the yard did provide a brief foray up into some branches!).   

So sometimes, when the urge strikes, I will settle for doing something like a tripod headstand.  (I know those two things are not related, but they are related in my mind. They both put my body in a novel situation, using my own strength). 

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Another good reason for pants under skirts (besides cello!)
That's nice, Nan, but what does this have to do with cello? 

Hang on, I'm getting there!

Lately, I have wanted to do more than a headstand, so I signed up for Chris Salvato's FREE 28-day HANDstand Challenge.  

Are you trying to get us to buy something?

No, I promise I am not advertising for this guy!  (Even if I were, the Handstand Challenge materials are free.) I was just looking around on the internet for some fun bodyweight exercises to do and was instantly taken in by Chris's positive attitude and helpful advice on consistent practicing and its role in developing a new and challenging skill...

And of course I had to draw connections to the wonderful world of cello and the difficulties we all face with finding the time and motivation to practice. 

Consistency is key

The limiting factor for handstands, as with cello playing , is consistent practice of the skill.  

In other words, what holds us back from making progress with either of these activities is NOT how old we are, how talented we are, or how passionate we are. 

It's usually all about not "finding" the time to practice.  

Now, we all know that despite how busy our lives can be, there is Always Room 4 Cello!   The hardest part is getting the cello out of the case... and then keeping a regular schedule of practice.
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So, store your cello between sessions in a stand (I like this one, pictured left, because you can keep your endpin out and waste less time getting your cello posture set) so when you find your practice time you can just grab it and go for it!

(It's sad but true: I have to keep my cello in the case and am unable to use one of those cool stands because my cat, Bean, likes to chew on the corners of my circa 1780 cello's C-bouts!)
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Bean and her own tiny (less tasty?) cello

Just A.C.T.

Now for the real challenge: CONSISTENCY!   There are three things you can do to help you keep up with your practice, and I have organized them with this mnemonic acronymn to help us all remember: 
Anchor. 
Chart.  
Two-rule.


A is for Anchor

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This is something that I already encourage my students to do, but could never express clearly! (Thanks to Chris for clarity on this subject!)

In order to remember to practice, it is helpful to attach your cello time to another required daily event, such as enjoying your morning coffee, arriving home from school or work, getting out of bed in the morning, or going to bed at night. 

This is called anchoring.

You can place a reminder near the place where that event occurs to help motivate you.

Soon it will become a habit and you will simply associate that activity with your cello work!

C is for Chart

PictureChris Salvato's "Did you practice?" chart
If you study with me, you are probably already familiar with practice charts.  We use these for helping us stay organized with our weekly goals for our cello work (see right).

But the 28-Day Handstand Challenge requires a simpler "Did you practice?" chart, like the one at left.   
It's nothing fancy, just put a checkmark on the days you get any practice done.

Yes. Even if it is only 5 minutes!  It's not about time spent.  It's about making handstand practice--and cello practice--a daily part of life!

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Too complicated for right now

T is for Two-rule

Life happens.  

There will be days when it is impossible for you to have any time with your cello.  When that occurs, you should try 5 minutes of mental practice, which includes activities like marking your music, listening to recordings of the piece you are working on, singing your piece, or going through the bowings, fingerings, or dynamics of that piece in your mind. 

That stuff counts!  Mark a big check for that day if you get some mental practice done!

But what if I have such a messed up day that I can't manage any mental practice either? What then?

If and when that happens,  just mark an O for the day and remember the Two-rule:

Make sure you don't miss two days in a row!

This is so important because it gives you an action to take when this unavoidable problem arises.  Instead of wasting time beating yourself up and identifying yourself as a failure, you can think of what you will do tomorrow. 

This way one missed day isn't a big deal!

So many times in my life, a glitch in perfection like this has been so demoralizing.  At these times, I try to remember: 

Perfect is the enemy of good. 

So, you must A.C.T...

PictureBean is ever-helpful

Anchor. 

Chart.  

Two-rule.



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...and you will be well on your way to making your cello practice (if not handstands!) a consistent part of your life!

Happy practicing!
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Warm up, shwarm up? Think again.

3/9/2015

4 Comments

 
"But I SHOULD be able to play without warming up!" 
 
One of my students was disappointed in a recent performance that she had given cold turkey.

"No way," I found myself shaking my head. " You must always warm up first. You can't expect your hands to be able to go from zero to concerto like that!"
PictureMartha's warm up book
I couldn't believe these words were coming out of my mouth.  I have never been a big proponent of warming up. 

When I was a young person, Martha constantly reminded me that I needed to warm up.  She even wrote an entire book about it (which I highly recommend!). But, as with many wisdoms she shared with me back in the day, I had to learn it on my own (I have some kind of problem with doing what people tell me to do sometimes. Even if they are exactly right! See my previous blog post: Saying Nay to the Naysayers and you'll get a better idea of what I am talking about).

So on my best warm up days, I would hastily wade through a D major left hand pizzicato scale (see below).  

And that's it. 

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The first octave of Martha's warm up scale. I still use it!
It was better than nothing.  But it wasn't enough. And there were many rough performances back then that I can see now were at least partially due to having cold arms and hands.   

If only I had made sure that warming up was a part of my practice and performance routine.  Like Brian Magnus who says, 

"A daily warm-up routine is important at the start of a practice session. Jumping right in to difficult music can cause tension, and frustration when your hands don't seem to be working right."

(See Brian's excellent post on practicing, which includes a section on warm ups.)

It has become even more clear as I have gotten older.  Nowadays, I know I can't play well until I have a little slow and easy time with my cello.  I have finally learned!

But it didn't really hit me that I needed to teach my students how to warm up until very recently. I have been watching my older students suffer. Arthritis and bursitis wreak havoc on their joints and I desperately want to help ease the pain.  

Stretching

Emily Wright herself has a post entitled "Yoga for your hands"  which is a detailed description with pictures of stretches you can do that are specifically designed for cellists.

A massage therapist and cellist named Linda Hickey wrote an excellent article on the hows and whys of stretching before playing.

Martha devoted an entire page of her warm up book to stretching (see right).

Violin teacher, Ronald Mutchnik, created his own list of stretches for all string players.  (If violinists need to stretch, well...  we better do more!).

As you will read in the above links, stretching is good for your body. But it also just feels good!
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Don't forget the bow

The bow hand needs attention as well, of course.  

I love to begin each day with slow bows on my open strings at the bridge.  It wakes up your bow hand gradually and doesn't ask too much of it at the start.   It can also help your cello sound better!

When I first experimented with warming up (in college, of course), I would be in the practice room at 7 am droning on my open strings.  This was in the era before my tour of Brazil when I was introduced to coffee for the first time, so there  I was  trying to warm up at the crack of dawn without any kind of caffeine to help. 


Needless to say, a few times I jolted awake to find I had fallen asleep playing my open strings!

Check out this really fun bow warm up page : http://www.stringedtech.com/2013/02/02/bow-warm-up-exercises/

With these invigorating bow games, I guarantee you won't fall asleep during your warm up!

Preventing injury

Besides helping ease your body into cello mode in a gentle way, warming up can also prevent playing injuries due to repetitive strain such as tendonitis, and carpal tunnel syndrome.  ( I even got something called cubital tunnel syndrome!  Luckily, it went away pretty easily, but I still stretch my arms diligently to keep it at bay.)

Cellist Emily Wright knows a thing or two about the injuries one can incur by playing cello. A recent blog post of hers about her injuries that prevent her from playing was so moving and sad. In this post there was a basic plea to all of us:

"So if your teacher tells you your hand is too tense, that the way you’re using your body will cause injury, is only a short term fix, or is unsustainable: please take it seriously, while you still have the option to play without pain. I would give anything to go back and do it all differently if I could."

I am passionate about ergonomic technique as well, but the most important thing we can do to prevent injury is develop a warm up routine and stick to it.   

The bottom line

You're going to need some stretching, some bow exercises, some left hand finger motions...  All of these must be a part of your warm up routine. 

But you don't want to spend all of your valuable practice time just waking up your muscles and joints!  

So, to fill the need for a short but effective recipe for warm ups, I have devised an exercise sheet that will take only about 10 minutes of your time.  The best part is that any cellist at any age and any level can use it!  

Feel free to modify it to fit your needs! 
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If you want this warm up sheet but can't print it from here, just contact me and I'll be glad to email you a PDF of it!

Learn from a pro

Watch Johnannes Moser and his approach to warming up before playing his cello: 
 http://musaic.nws.edu/videos/warm-up-routine-on-the-cello


And leave a comment to let me know how you like to warm up!
4 Comments

Are bow bugs real?

11/19/2014

1 Comment

 
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You better practice, or else!
Back in the day when anyone would mention bow bugs, I would laugh. 

Yeah, right!  There are bugs that eat your bow hair if you don't open the case often enough? 

Sounded like some boogie-man story used by frustrated string teachers to scare students into practicing everyday.
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Picturebow bug and larva
Well, I'm alot older and a bit wiser now and have learned the truth about bow bugs.

They are REAL!

Have you ever pulled a bow out of a case (that maybe hasn't been opened for a while, ahem) only to find the bow hair is totally falling out?

You might think that the dynamic duo, Two Cellos, has been sneaking into your house and secretly using your bow (IT COULD HAPPEN!  Those guys seem to be in need of so many backup bows--and who knows how they get them? I'm just saying). 
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Hmmm. Whose bow can we borrow next?
But the real story is that bow bugs have been munching on that delicious horse hair in the liberating darkness inside your velvet-lined cello case.
mmmmwahahaKeep that case closed and I'll be sure to swing by for dinner...
To get more info on bow bugs and what to do if they have already infested your case, read this article on the Johnson String Instrument site: 
http://www.johnsonstring.com/Bitten%20By%20Bug.htm

But, now that I am a teacher myself, I just can't help saying:

Practice every day and the bugs will stay away!

That's by far the best insurance.

Also, be sure to clean any cases you happen to purchase on CRAIGSLIST.  Probably a good policy anyway...


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Sight-reading: A Skill You Can (and Should!) Build

9/22/2014

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Huh?What sight-reading feels like sometimes.

For many of us, sight-reading can be such a daunting task.  No matter how easy the piece is, it seems like we are having to wade through the farcical insanity notated above.  

I know that this skill can be beefed up, especially by simply reading unfamiliar music everyday.  After all, that's how I got better at it!  But sometimes I find it hard to explain the EXACT methods that work for me.  Perhaps they were built unconsciously, driven only by my desire to avoid a musical train-wreck!

Thanks to Nancy Mack, one of my most thoughtful and studious adult cello students, for alerting me to this incredibly helpful article: http://jazzadvice.com/5-steps-to-mastering-sight-reading/  It demystifies the sight-reading process by outlining the tried-and-true techniques in a shockingly clear way.  I urge you to read it-- especially those of you with All-State auditions on the horizon!  

Want to test some of these techniques on your own?  Visit https://sightreadingfactory.com/ for unlimited on-line sight-reading examples.  

Prefer sight-reading from a book?  Try one of the many collections of short examples for cello, like this one by Doreen Smith.

Feel free to share your sight-reading stories or helpful techniques in the comments section below. I love learning about what works for different cellists!
Happy sight-reading!  
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Scales?  In THIS Economy?

9/11/2014

8 Comments

 

Scales are a waste of time for advanced cellists!

up and down
There.  I said it.  

It's been weighing on me, and I just had to get it out there. 

Wait!  Hear me out!



Unlike wind instrumentalists who use the same fingering for a scalar passage no matter what the context, string players must choose from a myriad of different finger patterns for the same passage based on many variables:

  • Which notes come after the scalar passage?
  • Which notes come before?
  • What part of the scale am I playing?
  • Will the passage be fast or slow?
  • Should I use open strings?
  • Do I want to incorporate string crossings?
  • Do I want to maintain the timbre of a single string?
  • What dynamic do I want to eventually achieve?
  • Does the passage grow into the next notes or shrink away from them (or neither)?

...and I'm sure the list could be longer. 

Scales do not present you with any of these contextual challenges.  They can help you drill a certain fingering for scales that you MIGHT use for a passage once in a while,  But that isn't enough for me.  Why must my student work for hours and hours on learning all her scales for an audition while her solo pieces and etudes suffer? She can't spend 7 hours each day getting through all that mess.  

I am asking the string world (please pardon the pun): Why are we forced to spend time on something that doesn't benefit us in a MAJOR way?   

Defenders of scales say you need them because:

"That's what we've been practicing all along!"  

Sorry. I don't give a flying flip about tradition.  I will take efficiency over tradition any day.  

"They get you out of the neck positions"

I could understand this if you just want an adventure "up high" without really working to understand the upper registers.  Easy scales. Whole-steps and half-steps.  If that's what it takes to get you out of neck positions, go for it!  But if your goal is just to get your hand into the stratosphere of the cello, also give Daredevil Shifts a try:
daredevil shifts!
Or how about working on some pieces or etudes that take you up, up, and away!  Try Rick Mooney's Position Pieces for Cello Vol. 2 or his Thumb Position for Cello Vol. 1 or Vol.2 "Thumbs of Steel."

"They help you learn finger patterns"

TRUE.  If you are a beginner, sure, scales can help.  If you need to devote all of your mind to the proper execution of these patterns, scales might be a nice and easy way to do this.  

BUT playing simple tunes in the key you want to target can provide the same results with the added benefit of contextualizing the patterns.
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On the other hand, let's say you want to get really good at improvising in different keys.  

Scales and arpeggios can help you internalize common finger patterns that you can then call upon when you launch into your blazingly amazing cello solo.  

See, I'm not TOTALLY against scales.  

"They ask for them at most auditions and juries"

I think this practice is dated, but we do need to exist in the real world.  With that in mind, we DO have to practice scales for this purpose. But that doesn't mean we need to get into scales as a way to learn finger patterns. In fact, we are able to use the SAME fingering for every single major scale and arpeggio that exists on the cello (except C major).  
This will save you so much time when preparing for your All-State audition!  The secret of this wonderful fingering is outlined in the excellent scale book my cello guru, Martha Gerschefski, wrote.  In it she reveals the universal fingering for scales that makes D-flat major just as easy as D major.  You can order The Road to Four Octave Scales and Arpeggios HERE.

"They give you time to work on technicalities without the distractions of music"

That's the answer I got from Heinrich Schiff's short article on the benefits of scale study: 
http://thestrad.com/latest/editorschoice/scales-and-exercises-are-essential-for-all-string-players-says-heinrich-schiff

I'm still not convinced. 

Working out the technical stuff is called PRACTICE.  If you are emoting constantly and being "distracted by the music" when you practice, you are doing it wrong!  Much of your practice time must be devoted to training the motions of right and left arms/hands.  

However the other time should be used to make decisions about the direction of the music. Considering this musical direction can actually inform your decisions about how you want to go about "programming" the motions.  So, the drills of practice and musical expression are essentially always linked to each other, but not in a way that "distracts."

An exception to my disdain

Scales are not evil.  They DO have a few uses.  

Besides beefing up your improv chops, scales can help you train your ear.  If you have difficulty hearing if you are in tune, playing scales with a tonic drone is a wonderful way to work on this problem without becoming distracted by what you are trying to say with the music.  

Scales are nice and dry and boring,  perfect fodder for focusing your mind on something else. Like your intonation. 

"What should I be doing instead of playing scales?"

Play a wide variety of music!  Different keys, different styles. Force yourself to sightread each day.  Join a group in which you get a bit outside your tonal comfort zone (playing musicals is the best way to learn how to navigate D-flat major!).   Practice coming up with fingerings on the fly. 

Also, there is no substitute for making deliberate fingering choices as you practice pieces and etudes.  Choosing a fingering for a passage in a thoughtful way, taking into consideration all those contextual variables listed above, is what you have to do as a professional cellist.  Why not get used to this job now?  

If we did this each day, being very mindful about our fingering choices, I think we would become better cellists more rapidly than playing scales over and over without a real objective. 

One last thought on the danger of scales

I don't know of one student of cello who gets fired up about practicing scales.  And for me, motivation is as important as technique.  If cellists don't practice, they won't get better!   

I know a child who loved the cello so much that extremely lengthy and in-depth practice sessions were like play time. Then this little cellist started studying with a teacher who spent the majority of the weekly lessons drilling scales. The little cellist soon stopped practicing.  Stopped loving the cello.  

Such a tragedy!  

That brings us back to DO!

You get the idea! And I think I have ranted long enough... But I feel better getting that off my chest!  And I look forward to receiving my letter of excommunication.   Until then, happy practicing without scales!  
8 Comments

Effective Practice: A Gift to your Future Self

11/15/2013

3 Comments

 
Imagine my frustration.  

There I am, a teenager, preparing for a solo performance, and my piece sounds horrible.  Each time I play it, a new thing goes wrong.  It seems to be falling apart the more I play it. I can't understand why.  I am "practicing" it how i was taught--it should get better.  But it's not.

I start thinking that I must just suck at cello.  That's not a helpful feeling to experience while getting ready to play for judges.

Many of my students are gearing up for a recital this Sunday, and I have been working hard to ensure that they are not experiencing the gut-wrenching helplessness that I described above.  

After 8 years of spinning my wheels with my practice techniques, I started studying with Martha Gerschefski.  She slowly and patiently showed me the way to empower myself with effective practice.

Here's what I learned and what I try to instill in my students with broken-record-like repetition:

FIGHT THE URGE TO PLAY THROUGH YOUR PIECE OVER AND OVER!

When a concert looms in your future, you will be tempted to run through your piece constantly.  It seems to be a natural instinct.  I had it. You have it. Everyone, when left to their own devices, wants to do that. 

You must fight this impulse because it is the worst thing you can do!  You will find that, instead of getting better, your piece starts slowly disintegrating. Mistakes and problem areas do not get the attention they need to be "fixed," and they just perpetuate themselves.  

You can allow yourself a run-through once per day for assessment purposes and to practice performing, but that's it. No more than that.  

PRACTICE AS IF YOU HAVE NEVER SEEN THE PIECE BEFORE!
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My first year of college--before I had really gotten a handle on how to practice--Andres Diaz came to play a concerto with our school orchestra.   He was practicing in one of the music studios there and I decided to hang out outside the door to eavesdrop and hear some beautiful cello playing.  

What I heard shocked me so much that I still remember it an embarrassingly-large number of years later.

There were no phrases being sculpted and imbued with passion.  There was no playing of phrases at all.   What I heard was a set of two notes being repeated over and over again.  Then another snippet repeated slowly. 

Over and over again. 

It was so annoying to listen to that I didn't stick around long.  I went home, confused.  This was the day before the performance, so I just couldn't believe he was practicing like that. 

What about test driving your piece?!

If any of you have heard Andres Diaz play, you know this man knows what he is doing with the cello. It turns out he was doing exactly what should be done in the practice room--at any stage of learning a piece!  I just didn't know it yet.
This is how you should deal with a piece to ensure your own comfort no matter if you are playing it this weekend of four months from now:

  1. FIND THE SCARY SPOTS: Maybe you know where they are already--but in case you haven't pinpointed them, start a run-through and stop immediately when there is something that doesn't go how you would like. Don't play to the end or you will forget where it was (or at least i always did!).  Repeat this step all the way through the piece until you have identified all the problem areas. (Beware the mistakes that "have never happened before." Do not dismiss them as one-time mistakes.  Any time you miss something, think of that "flub" as the only way your body can tell you that it doesn't understand how to execute something and you need to train it a little more).
  2. DIAGNOSE EXACTLY WHAT THE PROBLEM IS:  Play the measure or small set of notes slowly. Examine them. Play them slowly as many times as you need to figure it out. Ask yourself, why is this not working right?  Figure out the problem.  Is the bow missing a string crossing?  Is the left hand not comfortable with a shift? Keep in mind that if you do not diagnose the EXACT problem, it will not ever get better.  Just playing it again and again does nothing. You must figure out what the problem is.  In my practice, I do this by asking questions. What is going on here?  What does my body not understand? (I find it really helps to personify your physical self as a different thing you are trying to communicate with and train.  Do not expect that just because you know something in your mind it will translate to the correct action.)
  3. IMPLEMENT A RETRAINING STRATEGY:  Once you get the problem figured out, develop a gameplan for fixing the problem. An uncomfortable shift needs mindful repetition, slurring from bottom to top note and back, always while you are listening for good intonation--possibly with a drone on one of the notes to keep you in tune as you move back and forth. Repeat until the shift feels easy. Try with the regular bowing then.  If it isn't easy, it needs MORE repetition.  If your bow is acting up, mindful, slow open string work will help.  Try to play a small area with no left hand--just the bow, so that you are training it by itself with no left hand stealing your attention.  Get it to feel comfortable with the open strings (remember this should be just a small set of notes)  then try with left hand slowly. Repeat many times--again, until it feels comfortable.  Then you can start putting it into context.  Add more notes before the area. Then after the area.  If it ever gets difficult again, go back to slow easy treatment. Remember: if you "flub" or things don't feel easy, your body is communicating to you that it needs more training.  You must listen to it and go back and train the motion even more. Figure out what your body needs from you, its only coach.
  4. MAINTAIN THE TRAINING:  All through the time you are practicing a piece (no matter how many months), most of your time needs to be devoted to this type of training.  If a section has EVER been a problem, it will be again--unless you preemptively practice it as a possible trouble spot every day.  So, address all the technical problems with this mindful training everyday.  With each day's play-through, you can find more areas of concern--add them to your list of areas to work on the next time. 


If you practice this way, you will find that your worries are relieved bit by bit.  Difficult passages get easier!  But this takes discipline--the repetition can be extremely tedious.  However, if you are always approaching practice with an idea of how to make your performance easier, it can become something that is incredibly meaningful and relaxing--like you are constructing a wonderful gift of confidence and ease to give to your future self.  
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    Nan sequiturs

    I live and breathe cello everyday, and I want to share thoughts about it with you!

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