Practice page
Introduction
I created this page for my students, but it may be helpful for other cellists as well. It contains information and ideas to help you structure your practice.
Although there has been some progress in the research about practicing in recent years, it is still difficult to find practical guidelines that contain enough information for everyday use.
For a general introduction to structured practicing, check out this booklet by Susan Williams. It is grounded in the most recent research and is very practical. It is basic and general; the idea is that you fill in all the details yourself.
Warming up routine
Here is an example of a structure, with demonstration videos and PDFs with exercises.
Step 1: technical exercises (15-30 minutes, take small breaks)
WARNING: these exercises were designed with professional cellists or (supervised) conservatory students in mind. Some of them may be painful or even harmful when performed with an unsuitable technique. When doing these exercises without supervision, stop at the first sign of pain or discomfort. Consult your teacher before trying them.
Repository with exercises as PDF
Step 2: etudes or short pieces that you already master (15-20 minutes).
Play them with all your passion and creativity, even if the material is simple. Use rubato, interesting dynamics, improvisation. The goal is to warm up and train the connection between your imagination and your technical apparatus. Don’t stop to correct simple mistakes. If you are making too many mistakes and they are distracting you (and your imaginary audience), take a step back and do some technical exercises, and then play another piece. It’s normal that your level varies per day, so don’t worry about that. If a piece turns out to be too challenging after all, you can move it (temporarily) to step 3.
Step 3: etudes or short pieces that you don’t master yet (take regular breaks!).
While learning them, you are simultaneously developing your technique. This is always work in progress, no pressure, no deadlines. Much of this material you will never play in public, though some of these etudes may eventually be added to the ones you master and play in the previous step; but again, no pressure. You don’t need to practice the whole etude - you can come back the next day.
During this phase, you make extensive use of Practice Techniques (see below, videos will follow later).
Practice Techniques
Scheduling
This is somewhat debated. The only thing we know for sure is that humans can’t keep their concentration for much longer than 20 minutes. So, never practice longer than 20 minutes without a substantial break, but it’s probably a good idea to take short breaks in between, depending on what you are practicing and how it strains your body.
I created this page for my students, but it may be helpful for other cellists as well. It contains information and ideas to help you structure your practice.
Although there has been some progress in the research about practicing in recent years, it is still difficult to find practical guidelines that contain enough information for everyday use.
For a general introduction to structured practicing, check out this booklet by Susan Williams. It is grounded in the most recent research and is very practical. It is basic and general; the idea is that you fill in all the details yourself.
Warming up routine
- Warm up and train all basic techniques every day.
- Warm up your body, your heart, and your brain. Awaken your imagination.
- Structure your practice, but in a flexible and creative way. Boredom is the end of quality practice.
Here is an example of a structure, with demonstration videos and PDFs with exercises.
Step 1: technical exercises (15-30 minutes, take small breaks)
WARNING: these exercises were designed with professional cellists or (supervised) conservatory students in mind. Some of them may be painful or even harmful when performed with an unsuitable technique. When doing these exercises without supervision, stop at the first sign of pain or discomfort. Consult your teacher before trying them.
- Scales (video 1)
- Scales with bowing exercises (video 2)
- Left hand exercises (video 3)
- Open string exercises (video 4)
- Staccato exercises (video 5)
Repository with exercises as PDF
Step 2: etudes or short pieces that you already master (15-20 minutes).
Play them with all your passion and creativity, even if the material is simple. Use rubato, interesting dynamics, improvisation. The goal is to warm up and train the connection between your imagination and your technical apparatus. Don’t stop to correct simple mistakes. If you are making too many mistakes and they are distracting you (and your imaginary audience), take a step back and do some technical exercises, and then play another piece. It’s normal that your level varies per day, so don’t worry about that. If a piece turns out to be too challenging after all, you can move it (temporarily) to step 3.
Step 3: etudes or short pieces that you don’t master yet (take regular breaks!).
While learning them, you are simultaneously developing your technique. This is always work in progress, no pressure, no deadlines. Much of this material you will never play in public, though some of these etudes may eventually be added to the ones you master and play in the previous step; but again, no pressure. You don’t need to practice the whole etude - you can come back the next day.
During this phase, you make extensive use of Practice Techniques (see below, videos will follow later).
Practice Techniques
- Slow practice
- Altering the rhythm or other aspects
- Forward chaining
- Backward chaining
- Loops
- Improvisation
- Fluency training
- Training with the metronome:
Scheduling
This is somewhat debated. The only thing we know for sure is that humans can’t keep their concentration for much longer than 20 minutes. So, never practice longer than 20 minutes without a substantial break, but it’s probably a good idea to take short breaks in between, depending on what you are practicing and how it strains your body.
