In this episode, I address the question I get a lot: How long do I practice for? This definitely varies based on the level you are at and the music you are trying to play. Ultimately make sure you are clear on what goals you are trying to achieve each time you sit down to play. Are you in charge of a kid and making them practice? Then make it more into a challenge or a game. They will be…
Do you ever hear a song and you feel like you just connect to it? I've been a fan of the band Tim Be Told for awhile and they just came out with a new album called Love and Happiness: https://bit.ly/timbetold . This album has so many great songs but one that caught my ear(?) is To See the Light. It seems appropriate for the times, but perhaps it can also be an ode to the struggles in life, faith,…
Playing music with other people is often a fun project that lots of people love to do. Especially when you are learning your solo music, unless the piece is unaccompanied, it can often be far more satisfying to be collaborating with someone else. I chatted with my good friend, collaborator, and pianist Patryce King in this recent video. Here we talked about the helpful things EVERYONE can do to help make collaborations easier. Remember it is not all about YOU…
It has been a bit of time but I have been working on getting more Youtube videos out to you on tips and tools to help you learn how to play your favorite songs on the cello. This week I just released a video with tips on how to play the song A Million Dreams from the movie The Greatest Showman. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jTW6vdl8K6c I just love movie music, it really adds to the mood and feeling of what you are watching.…
Are you learning the Franchomme Caprice No 3? (I refer to it as an etude, but I suppose the official term is caprice :) ) My latest Youtube video covers all the tips you need to help you master this etude. This would be really helpful to those who are opting to take the All-Region or All-State audition since this is one of the etudes on the list. (The other one is Popper 16, which I also have a video on). If…
Vibrato is an important skill to learn and to start using in your music making process. But it is important to also know when NOT to use vibrato. Remember that vibrato is used to enhance the music and not as a crutch for things such as finding your intonation or as a default addition to everything. You eventually want to expand your musical "toolbox" to be able to use vibrato at different speeds, intensities, and basically increase your control. In…
In this new video I give you practice tips on how to play Popper Etude #16 successfully. Popper etudes can be a challenge but with the right mindset and paying attention to details you can master this Popper etude. Remember it is often the little things that will set you apart from other cello players playing the same thing. There is a reason Popper is such a standard in the cello repertoire, but just keep practicing and you will get…
This post contains an affiliate link. Click here for the full disclosure Here is my newest video on how to play Delicate by Taylor Swift on the cello. You can grab the sheet music here:http://bit.ly/2v7Y0vW There are a few skills that are good to know to play this song. However, if you don't you can easily learn them and then get going on this song! Last week I shot the cover video for the song to show "how does it go"…
This post contains an affiliate link. Click here for full disclosure Hey Swifties! Here is my latest cover on the song Delicate by Taylor Swift. I am getting into transcribing popular music so that I can teach it to you guys! I wanted to make this video so you could hear and see what the sheet music would look like. You can get the sheet music to the song right here: http://bit.ly/2v7Y0vW Be on the lookout for the tutorial video with tips on…
Here is my newest video in the Cello 101 series! I cover the first position on the cello talking about all the notes on the d string. This post contains an affiliate link. Click here for full disclosure The technique I use to teach beginner cello players is one that I learned from Dr. Laurie Scott when I took her music education class. (Thanks Dr. Scott!) I use her book that she co-wrote with William Dick called Mastery for Strings…