CELLISThenics™
The word calisthenics comes from the ancient Greek words kallos (κάλλος), which means 'beauty'/'beautiful' (to emphasize the aesthetic pleasure that derives from the perfection of the human body), and sthenos (σθένος), meaning 'strength' (great mental strength, courage, determination). It is used here meaning CELLO CONDITIONING: for warming up, daily maintenance of technique, clarification of skills, after a practice hiatus, or recovery post-injury... Cellisthenics™ is © 2020 and trademark of Andrei Pricope and CelloBasics.com Question/email
see bottom of the page for MUSIC THEORY and NOTE READING for cello
A Practice Plan inspired by Dorothy DeLay / Simon Fischer and adapted for the cello
RIGHT HAND EXERCISES / DRILLS / WARM-UPS
- Basic Rhythms / Add-a-Beat
- Basic Bow Distribution Exercises
- Sound / Tone Development Exercises (CELLO / VIOLIN / VIOLA)
- Dotzauer Chords
- for more Right Hand material, visit our Cello Library
- for latest materials, follow @CelloBasics on IG
LEFT HAND EXERCISES / DRILLS / WARM-UPS
- POSITION CHART
- Basic Finger Drills
- 'Aldulescu' PLUS Finger Drills
- Finger Taps for Independence
- 'Geminiani Hand' Exercises for Finger Independence
- Cossmann Trill Exercises (Finger Independence)
- 'Crazy Cossmann' (3:4, 3:5, 4:5) Finger Independence
- 'Cossmann PLUS' Agility Exercises
- Flesch 'Basic Studies'
- for more Left Hand material, visit our Cello Library
- for latest materials, follow @CelloBasics on IG
SCALES
- POSITION CHART
- My First Cello Scales
- Easy Bowings for 1-Octave Scales
- Prep for Two-Octave Scales A (C2-A4 range)
- Prep for Two-Octave Scales B (C2-B4 range)
- 24 Two-Octave Scales (in order of difficulty; C2-C5 range)
- 24 Two-Octave Scales (Circle of 5ths, Major/Minor)
- 12 Two-Octave Major Scales (in chromatic order)
- Add-a-Note (scale addition; up to D5)
- 2-Octave Pre-Galamian Major Scales
- 3-Octave Major Scales (Traditional fingerings for slower playing; C2-C6 range)
- 3-Octave Melodic Minor Scales (Traditional fingering; C2-C6 range)
- 95 Rhythm / Bowing Variations for Scales (non-Galamian)
- 3-Octave Progressive Scale Warm-up (non-Galamian; C2-C6 range)
- 3-Octave 'Galamian' Scales (C2-C6 range; Traditional and Universal fingerings)
- 3-Octave 'Galamian' + Scales (C3-G6 range; Universal fingering)
- 46 Bowing / Rhythm Variations for 'Galamian' Scales (CELLO / VIOLIN / VIOLA)
- 2-Octave Scales in 1 Position
- for more technique material, visit our Cello Library
- for latest materials, follow @CelloBasics on IG
SHIFTS / POSITIONS / FLUIDITY
- Basic Shifts
- Introduction to 2nd and 3rd Positions (small shifts)
- 1-Finger Shifts (small shifts)
- Long Shifts
- 1-String Scale / Chromatic Scale
- 1-String Fluidity (diatonic patterns with 2nd and 3rd shifts):
- on A in: C / D / E
- on D in: F / G / A
- on G in: B-flat / C / D
- Kreutzer: No.11 in A, in D, in E (1-string fluidity, finger replacement, long shifts, patterns)
- for more technique material, visit our Cello Library
BROKEN THIRDS
- coming soon...
ARPEGGIOS
- Building Arpeggios (preparation for 3-octave arpeggios)
- 2-Octave Arpeggios (Major and minor)
- 2-Octave Diminished Arpeggios
- 16 Arpeggios in 2 Octaves C / D / Eb / E / F / F# / G
- 3-Octave Arpeggios (Major and minor)
- 3-Octave Diminished Arpeggios
- 16 Arpeggios in 3 Octaves C / D / Eb / E / F / F# / G
- 16 Advanced Arpeggios in 4 Octaves C / D / Eb / E / F / F# / G
- Kreutzer No. 12 (arpeggios)
- for more technique material, visit our Cello Library
- for latest materials, follow @CelloBasics on IG
THUMB POSITION
- Introducing the Thumb Position
- Finger Taps in Thumb Position
- Aldulescu/Pricope: Finger Drills adapted for Thumb Position (Part B)
- Cortot: Dexterity in Thumb Position
- Schradieck: Dexterity in Thumb Position
- Schmitt: Dexterity in Thumb Position
- Hanon: The Virtuoso Cellist 1-12
- Czerny: Études in Thumb Position
- Cossmann: Exercises in Thumb Position
- Finger Independence in Thumb Position (inspired by Cossmann's 'Trill Studies')
- Arpeggios in Thumb Position (one octave)
- Modal Patterns in Thumb Position based on the D string: A / B-flat / B / high C / high D
- Modal Patterns in Thumb Position based on the G string: D / E-flat / F / G / A
- Modal Patterns in Thumb Position based on the C string: G / A / B-flat / C
- Schröder: 13 Études in Thumb Position
- Lee: 40 Études in Thumb Position, Op. 70
- Wohlfahrt: Études in Thumb Position, Op. 45 1-5 6-10
- Kreutzer: No. 10 (some thumb position, arpeggios)
- Kreutzer: No. 12 (more thumb position, arpeggios)
- Kreutzer: No. 5 in A, in D, in G (all in thumb position; incl. bowing variations)
- Kreutzer: No. 32 (lots of thumb position double stops)
- for more technique material, visit our Cello Library
- for latest materials, follow @CelloBasics on IG
FREE ÉTUDES / STUDIES
- Schröder: Op. 31, Nos. 1-13
- "NEW" LEE: 40 Easy Études in 1st Position, Op. 70 (rev. 9/23)
- Lee: 40 Études in Thumb Position, Op. 70
- Schröder: 13 Études in Thumb Position
- Bukinik: Concert Étude No. 4
- Duport: Étude No. 7 (incl. bowing and rhythm variations)
- Kreutzer: No. 2 (incl. bowing and rhythm variations)
- Kreutzer: No. 11 in A, in D, in E (1-string fluidity, finger replacement, long shifts, patterns)
- Kreutzer: No. 6 in F (some thumb position, arpeggios, scales up the A string)
- Kreutzer: No. 10 (some thumb position, arpeggios)
- Kreutzer: No. 12 (more thumb position, arpeggios)
- Kreutzer: No. 5 in A, in D, in G (all in thumb position; incl. bowing variations)
- Kreutzer: No. 32 (lots of thumb position double stops)
- No. 1 (old 3), No. 2 (old 11), No. 3 (old 1), No. 4 (old 2),
- No. 5 (old 5), No. 6 (old 10), No. 7 (old 6), No. 8 (old 27),
- No. 9 (old 38), No. 10 (old 16), No. 11 (old 19), No. 12 (old (36)
- No. 35 (old 13)
- Popper: 15 Easy Études, Op. 76a 1-7 8-15 (Cello I part for now...)
- Popper: 10 Grand Études of Moderate Difficulty, Op. 76b 1-5 6-10
- see also: COMPLETE "NEW" Popper "High School" of Cello Playing, Op. 73
- to keep up with our latest FREE cello downloads, follow us on IG at @CelloBasics and @Cellisthenics Thank you!
- for more technique material, visit our Cello Library
NOTE READING (on cello)
- BASS CLEF: Spaces / Lines / Lines & Spaces / Open Strings / Above staff / Lines above staff / Spaces above staff / Below staff / Lines below staff
- 1st position on D and G (easiest notes)
- 1st position on D and G (chromatic)
- 1st position on A and C (chromatic)
- 4th position on A and D (chromatic)
- 4th position on G and C (chromatic)
- 3rd position on A and D (chromatic)
- 3rd position on G and C (chromatic)
- 2nd position on A and D (chromatic)
- 2nd position on G and C (chromatic)
- low 2nd position on A and D (chromatic)
- low 2nd position on G and C (chromatic)
- high 3rd position on A and D (chromatic)
- high 3rd position on G and C (chromatic)
- low 4th position on A and D (chromatic)
- low 4th position on G and C (chromatic)
- 1/2 position on A and D (chromatic)
- 1/2 position on G and C (chromatic)
- POSITION CHART
- 1st Position on D / A / G / C
- 4th Position on D / A / G / C
- 1/2 Position on D / A / G / C
- 2nd Position on D / A / G / C
- 3rd Position on D / A / G / C
- On A: 5th Position bass / 5th tenor / 5th treble
- On A: 6th Position bass / 6th tenor / 6th treble
- On A: 7th Position tenor / 7th treble
- On D: 5th Position bass / 5th tenor
- On D: 6th Position bass / 6th tenor
- On D: 7th Position bass / 7th tenor / 7th treble
- On G: 5th Position / 6th / 7th
- On C: 5th Position / 6th / 7th
- Basic Thumb Position: on D tenor clef / D treble clef / A tenor clef / A treble clef / G / C
- TENOR CLEF: Spaces / Lines / Lines & Spaces / Open strings (CE) / Above staff / Lines above staff / Spaces above staff / Below staff
- TREBLE CLEF: Spaces / Lines / Lines & Spaces / Above staff / Lines above staff / Spaces above staff / Below staff
- THUMB POSITION in TENOR: Spaces / Lines / Lines & Spaces / Above staff
- THUMB POSITION in TREBLE CLEF: Spaces / Lines / Lines & Spaces / Above staff / Below staff
MUSIC THEORY
- Basic Music Symbols study sheet: English / Español / Français / Deutsch / Italiano / Português / Pусский
- Basic Music Symbols worksheet
- Rhythm Drills / Cross Rhythms / Complete the measure
- Circle of 5ths (F clef): English / German / Solfège / worksheet
- Circle of 5ths (G clef): English / German / Solfège / worksheet
- Circle of 5ths (C clef): English / German / Solfège / worksheet
- What's the KEY? Bass (F) / Tenor (C) / Treble (G) / Alto (C)
- What's the KEY SIGNATURE? / RELATIVE? / DOMINANT? / SUBDOMINANT? / LEADING NOTE? / ENHARMONIC?
- IDENTIFY the interval - unison to octave (bass / tenor / treble / alto)
- BUILD intervals: 3rds (bass / treble) / 4ths (bass / treble) / 5ths (bass / treble) / 6ths (bass / treble) / 7ths (bass / treble) / Octaves (bass / treble)
- Manuscript paper: blank / treble (G) / alto (C) / bass (F) / piano
- Glossary of music terminology
- Italian terms used in music
- Music dictionary
- Music theory and history
- Ornamentation / Embellishments
- Basic music terms for string players: English to Spanish and Spanish to English
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