Comments on: Rethinking traditional scale practice on the cello

By: Gregory

Gregory — Tue, 08 Mar 2016 00:57:28 +0000

I love what you say about bottom heavy exercises and about being too focused on tonality. A lot to think about there. Thanks for this post!

By: Kari Clifton

Kari Clifton — Wed, 03 Feb 2016 07:19:24 +0000

This is something I’ve been looking for but had no idea where to find until a friend pointed me in the right direction. I’m a little late to the party too, but am ecstatic about this! I’d had similar ideas when it comes to gaining the necessary tools to become a good improviser, yet was never really sure how to actually go about practicing. Cello has always proven difficult for me to improvise on in the jazz realm because of the traditional way we’ve been taught practice. After reading through you can see that the traditional methods for practicing scales are very limiting. I’m sooooo so glad for this! Definitely changes the way I will practice scales and opens another door to how I view the possibilities of cello.

By: Kit Eakle

Kit Eakle — Wed, 24 Dec 2014 14:26:07 +0000

Great article, Adam! VERY applicable to the violin, obviously… Thinking in terms of fingering patterns for various sections of each mode and scales and moving them around the fingerboard to different key centers can also be helpful – and playing such patterns in a non-linear ‘improvised’ patterns that make musical sense, rather than slavishly following a pattern, like broken thirds, or whatever can also be helpful.

By: Stephen Katz

Stephen Katz — Tue, 23 Dec 2014 10:50:25 +0000

Thanks Adam. This is really helpful to me!

By: Leta Davis

Leta Davis — Mon, 22 Dec 2014 16:08:51 +0000

This is really great…. I’m passing it on to my students right now. I have been having my violin students play 12 keys starting the scale on all finger 1 then all 2 etc. I have also used Christian Howes’ idea of extended range. I like changing up the fingering and start note. Also playing across chordal voicings 1,3,5,7,9,11. A thing fiddle players can shamelessly exploit because of the easy fingering. In reality when the solo starts I want to use some war horse ideas to get started and then break out… And be able to return to the stable if I need it. I’m not gifted with the talent or the practice schedule of many of you great players plus I work with mostly beginners so these help. Thanks so much.

By: Cordula

Cordula — Sun, 21 Dec 2014 11:52:31 +0000

thank you! some ideas i already know, but some certainly not!
this will give my brain a nice workout too.
Cordula