TIPS For Using This Cello-Method

TIPS for using this Cello-Method
1) Play every piece - or number - at least once through

2) If after playing a piece through you really dislike it, you can
X cross it out (and never play it again).

Each section in the method has several pieces addressing the
same musical or technical issues.
Not every single piece need to practiced.
We learn more and faster by playing what we like and

cutting to a minimum, what we don't like.
3) Once a piece has no mistake, it can be crossed through

(through the number) and doesn't need to be played again.
/ Of course any piece can be kept to play for ever,
but it doesn't need to be played.
That means no time is wasted, the progress is faster.
4) At least one piece in each section should be completed, but best two.
The grouping of the sections is per pdf download item.
5) Mark favourite pieces (with a heart or sticker);
the best suggestion is having a separate book with all favourites.
6) I recommend to start every practice with a "warm up piece" of your choice
and keep it for the term.
This should be a favourite piece.
I learned musically and technically most on pieces I play anyway without

mistake and by memory
Once we know a piece very well, we can focus on tiny details,
which we discover only after we can take for granted playing the notes,
bowings etc. correctly. That's where real music making starts!
How to Practice ? - general good ideas
1) Returning home after the lesson, I recommend strongly to unpack the cello straight
away, ready to play on a stand, in a corner or on the ground, bow with it.
Also the music on a stand or accessible, open on the page to start.
2) If possible I recommend playing after the lesson at home everything once through, or at
least everything what is new or includes new information.
We have two mind sets: the one is the "home mind" set, the old way of playing.
The other is the teachers or "lesson place mind set".
The way to introduce the new way of playing at home is playing everything new at home
on the same day, writing information down after the lesson or record the lesson. -
One day later 50% is lost and the old way just creeps in.
3) Starting every practice with a slow scale (any), 3 or 4 beats per note.
This scale warms us up, including sitting correctly, spike length ideal, tuned well, bow hold,
bow control well, bow level and direction good, sound and intonation good.
This one scale saves us from being shocked by our first piece, which after not warming up
may sound dreadful. These 3 minutes of scales are like a meditation - peace of mind.
4) Following should a warm up piece of choice, a favourite we keep for about a term. This
piece we play until everything is good, no mistake, good sound, good intonation - best also
by memory.
I learned about cello technique most in pieces in which I never make a mistake:
it brings us beyond right and wrong - mind space left for seeing beyond.
5) Now starts our variable practice program.
6) I find it important that every practice has a little goal: after this practice I want to
play this bar / this section safely, much better or perfect.
This daily practice goal setting is also great if we have very little time (because of maybe
children or work). In 5-10 minutes we can achieve something!
7) It is better to slow down the beat of a piece, but play strictly in rhythm than skipping
through irregularly from one hard passage to the next.
By slowing down the whole piece our mind learns to prepare accordingly to the flow of
music. Also we can express already in a slower speed but we can't express without rhythm.
For a fast piece I recommend to play it 2 x slow and then 1 x faster.
8) If it just doesn't sound right on a day, we might put the cello on the ground, walk a circle
through the room and sit down again to play: it will sound differently!
9) If anything hurts - stop, take a break, mention it to the teacher.

The Fourth Position
1st Pos. 2nd Pos Ext. 3rd Pos Ext. 4th Pos.
88 Exercise for 4th Position

From position to position (like in photos)
(c) Georg Mertens, Katoomba - email: [email protected] - website: www.georgcello.com

89 a Study in G major G.M.
* Every bar starts with a down bow:

89 b Study in G major "reverse" (Duo with 91 a)

89 acc Accompaniment to No 91 a & b

90 Jesu meine Freude
Choral - slow J.S.Bach (arr. GM)
90 a Accompaniment to Jesu meine Freude"

91 Study with Harmonics A.Kummer
Cantilena - Andante

91a Accompaniment to Cantilena"

92 A Systematic Exercise for Position 1-4
for each string - with accompaniment G.M.
A - the 4 Positions on A string in C major as in the Study:

1st pos. 2nd pos. 3rd pos. 4th pos.
92 D Systematic Exercise for Position 1-4

D - the 4 Positions on D string in C major as in the Study:

92 G Systematic Exercise for Position 1-4

G - the 4 Positions on G string in C major as in the Study:


92 C Systematic Exercise for Position 1-4
C - the 4 Positions on C string in C major as in the Study:


93 Spiccato Exercise G.M.
Bounce the bow happily at the balance point using not more than 2 cm of bow.
In spiccato the left hand needs to follow the natural bounce of the bow -
like with a ball bouncing we need to learn how the ball or bow bounces, how hard
we have to bounce. We can't force a speed unnatural for the bow - it will stop
bouncing or bounce out of control.
94 a Accompaniment to A Hundred Kisses G.M.

94 A Hundred Kisses I steal from You
Traditional Hungarian Gypsy Song, arr. GM
Feel quavers (1/8) in the "molto sostenuto" (listen to accompaniment).

In the "Allegretto" the quaver tempo becomes the crotchet (1/4) tempo.

95 Autumn Leaves (Les Feuilles de Mortes) J. Kosma

95 a Accompaniment to Autumn Leaves" arr. G.M.

96 Introduction into the Tenor Clef
In the Baroque times an instrument called the "Tenor" was played, held like a cello,
but smaller; the strings were E A D G, tuned one string higher than the cello.
To make it easy to switch from the cello to the Tenor, they chose a clef so the cello
player would read like playing the cello, but sounding a fifth higher. Playing the top
string E looked the same like playing an A on the cello. - This "tenor" clef is used until
today for the cello in higher positions. It also saved writing leger lines!
In the following 2 Exercises both lines are exactly the same notes.
The 12/8 bar (measure)

Example A is written in 4/4 (C) and triplets. Example B is written in 12/8, one beat
being 3/8.
There is NO difference in playing both options.
97 Giga Domenico D'alla Bella

(Giga cont. - page 2)
2006 Georg Mertens, Katoomba - email: [email protected] - website: www.georgcello.com

Accompaniment to Giga" D'alla Bella arr. G.M.
2006 Georg Mertens, Katoomba - email: [email protected] - website: www.georgcello.com

TIPS For Using This Cello-Method

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TIPS For Using This Cello-Method

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What tips are provided for practicing cello?

What tips are provided for practicing cello?

What is the purpose of warming up before practicing?

What is the purpose of warming up before practicing?

TIPS for using this Cello-Method

1) Play every piece - or number - at least once through

X cross it out (and never play it again).

We learn more and faster by playing what we like and

3) Once a piece has no mistake, it can be crossed through

I learned musically and technically most on pieces I play anyway without

9) If anything hurts - stop, take a break, mention it to the teacher.

88 Exercise for 4th Position

(c) Georg Mertens, Katoomba - email: [email protected] - website: www.georgcello.com

* Every bar starts with a down bow:

(c) Georg Mertens, Katoomba - email: [email protected] - website: www.georgcello.com

(c) Georg Mertens, Katoomba - email: [email protected] - website: www.georgcello.com

(c) Georg Mertens, Katoomba - email: [email protected] - website: www.georgcello.com

90 a Accompaniment to Jesu meine Freude"

(c) Georg Mertens, Katoomba - email: [email protected] - website: www.georgcello.com

(c) Georg Mertens, Katoomba - email: [email protected] - website: www.georgcello.com

(c) Georg Mertens, Katoomba - email: [email protected] - website: www.georgcello.com

A - the 4 Positions on A string in C major as in the Study:

92 D Systematic Exercise for Position 1-4

D - the 4 Positions on D string in C major as in the Study:

92 G Systematic Exercise for Position 1-4

G - the 4 Positions on G string in C major as in the Study:

(c) Georg Mertens, Katoomba - email: [email protected] - website: www.georgcello.com

C - the 4 Positions on C string in C major as in the Study:

(c) Georg Mertens, Katoomba - email: [email protected] - website: www.georgcello.com

94 a Accompaniment to A Hundred Kisses G.M.

Feel quavers (1/8) in the "molto sostenuto" (listen to accompaniment).

(c) Georg Mertens, Katoomba - email: [email protected] - website: www.georgcello.com

(c) Georg Mertens, Katoomba - email: [email protected] - website: www.georgcello.com

(c) Georg Mertens, Katoomba - email: [email protected] - website: www.georgcello.com

The 12/8 bar (measure)

(c) Georg Mertens, Katoomba - email: [email protected] - website: www.georgcello.com

2006 Georg Mertens, Katoomba - email: [email protected] - website: www.georgcello.com

2006 Georg Mertens, Katoomba - email: [email protected] - website: www.georgcello.com

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