Cello, Bow and You: Putting it All Together

Evangeline Benedetti has been a member of the New York Philharmonic for more than 40 years. She is also a cello teacher and practitioner of the Alexander Technique.

Table of Contents

Prelude
Forward
Acknowledgements
Introduction

Part I: Sound Image, Cello, Bow and You
Chapter 1: The Sound Image

The sound image, or what you hear in your head
Playing by ear or reading music
Shaping the sound image
Becoming your own conductor
Becoming your own teacher
Elements of the sound image
Non- negotiable elements of a musical image
Negotiable elements decided by the artist
The cellist's objective

Part II: Cello, Bow . . .
Chapter 2: The Cello and The String

Observation, the approach to the cello and bow
The beauty of the instrument
The bridge and the sound post
The strings
The nut, tailpiece and fingerboard
The role of the bow

Chapter 3: Stringing

The intersection where the bow meets the string
Stringing: the quintessence of string playing
Chain reaction of vibrating the string
Newton's laws in cello playing
A sound: beginning, middle and end
Articulations
Volume of sound
The varying amplitude makes the phrase
Analogy to a triangle
An exploration of placement
Amount of hair touching the string
The shape of the string
Optimal placement of hair on the string
Using placement for dynamic changes
Placement on the four strings

Chapter 4: The Fingerboard

The fingerboard grid: an image-based approach
The blueprint
Harmonics
Playing the grid
Notes in one location
Changing locations
In support of intonation
Learning the fingerboard: positions versus the grid

Chapter 5: Tools of the Trade: The Left Hand and The Bow

The left hand
The left hand tool
The bow
Introduction to the bow
Characteristics of the bow
The hair
The screw
The length of the bow
Gravity, natural balancing point and center of gravity

Chapter 6: A Gravity Based Technique for Bowing

The natural laws and how they affect bowing
Gravity
Weight
Balance: the CG is the NBP
Gravity-centered approach to the whole bow
Differences in approach to learning: gravity based compared to traditional learning
Changing the vocabulary for bowing instruction
Legato, the soul of the cello
The neutral whole bow
Equalizing the weight of the two ends of the bow
The shape of the bow guides the movement
Changing directions respecting Newton
Imbalance as an ally
String crossings or changes, using the unbalancing factor

Chapter 7: Short Notes as Part of the Whole Bow Stroke

Short Notes: on and off the string
On the string: détaché, martelé and accented notes
Off the string: the bouncing bow
Some things all bounced bows have in common
Bounced bowing techniques
The "scoop" spiccato
The "ball bounce" spiccato
Bowing techniques with more than one note in each direction
Up or down-bow staccato/spiccato
Ricochet or jeté
Arpeggiated richochet
Coda

Part III: . . . and You: Putting it all Together
Chapter 8: An Overview of You

Coordination and the Alexander Technique
Whole body playing
Opposition as cooperation: co-handedness

Chapter 9: Sitting and Holding the Cello: Anatomy and Application

Anatomical vocabulary
Sitting: the first technique
The overview of the spine, torso, pelvic basin, legs and feet in playing
Details of the pelvis
The legs and feet as part of cello playing
The coccyx, sacrum, lumbar spine and thoracic spine
The anatomy of the head and cervical spine
The role of the brain and spinal chord in playing
How to sit: moving from standing to sitting
The squat-sit process
How to squat
How to squat-sit
Holding the cello: the relationship of the cello and the cellist
Holding the cello: the perspective from a biomechanical engineer
The weight of the cello
The neck and the scroll
The length of the endpin
The size of the person
Bring the cello to meet your body. Do not take your body to the cello

Chapter 10: Breathing: Anatomy and Application

Breathing
The anatomy of the dorsal spine, ribcage, and breathing
The function of breathing
The cycle of breath
The role of breathing when playing
Breathing naturally
Breathing for a purpose

Chapter 11: Hands: Anatomy and Application

Anatomy of the hands
Functions of the hands
Function of the metacarpals
Function of the thumb
Rotational function of the forearm and humerus
Function of the fingertips
Function applied to cello playing
The left hand
The three grips applied to the left hand
Rotation of the left hand when playing
Anatomy of the shape of the end of the finger and its role in playing
Thumb position
The right hand
Rotation of the right hand when playing

Chapter 12: The Arm Moves the Hand: Anatomy and Application

The shoulder girdle and the shoulder joint
The anatomy of the shoulder girdle versus the shoulder joint
The movement of the shoulder girdle
The movement of the shoulder joint
The role of the shoulder joints when playing
The anatomy of the wrist and elbow joints
The elbow
The wrist
The anatomy and function is over

Chapter 13: Playing the Cello: Anatomy and Application

Bowing
The whole bow
Détaché
Martelé
Bounced bow strokes
Shifting
Shifting when using thumb position
Timing of the shifts
Vibrato
The finger on the string
The sound of vibrato
The speed and width of vibrato
Energetic force for playing
Direction of force to the strings with both hands
Equalizing the energy used by both hands

Part IV: Practice
Chapter 14: Practice as Process

Creative practice as experiment
Creative practice as research
Progress is never a straight line and it takes time
Two paths of learning
Creating your practice space
Creating concentration and consciousness
Setting an agenda
Assessments
Pitfalls
Embrace what is right

Chapter 15: Rhythm, Melody and Harmony

Rhythm
Rhythm as coordinator: the time-space relationship
Location of the beat within the body
The intellectual beat
The sensory beat
The emotional
The all inclusive beat
Illustration of the inclusive beat
Scales and Harmony in Music
Scales and melody
Scales and harmony

Chapter 16: Auralization and Visualization as Learning Techniques

Using auralization
Using visualization
Learning the skill
Visualization as looking inward

Chapter 17: Warming Up

A practice warm up routine
Warm-ups before playing
A rhythmic routine away from the instrument
Warming up at the Instrument
Putting it all together

Chapter 18: Practice Techniques

Preserving our energy through no-energy practice
Just the beginning of the note
Correcting wrong notes
Changing learned habits
Reversing
Postlude: Putting it All Together

About the Author
References
Index