USC CELLO REPERTOIRE FULL

On the brink of advanced cello repertoire, students will be introduced to thumb position, allowing them to execute passagework in the upper range of their instrument. Additional technical explorations will include developing a variety of vibrato speeds, an understanding of harmonics, and double-stop studies. Students will now encounter multi-movement works that utilize longer musical forms, extensive shifting, difficult string crossings, chords, and complex passagework. 2 in D Minor for Unaccompanied Cello: J.S. Students will become familiar with minor keys and scales, note reading in tenor clef, preparatory double-stops, sustained bow strokes, and uneven bow divisions. 2 in E Minor: Benedetto Marcelloīy this point, repertoire will start to require fluent shifting up through fourth position and introduce transitional positions.

To foster musical maturity, students will also start to refine melodic phrases by thinking beyond the beat, learning to express a musical shape over larger impulses. Bach (Suzuki Book 3)Īs students begin their intermediate studies, they will be introduced to ornamentation, vibrato, trills, and more advanced rhythms. Intermediate Cello RepertoireĪllegro Moderato, Sonata No. As beginning cellists become more comfortable with basic technique, teachers will also start encouraging students to develop their tone quality. Also, repertoire will begin to incorporate brush stroke. In the final stages of introductory cello, students will begin exploring outside of first position with finger extensions and shifts. Minuet in G: Ludwig van Beethoven (Suzuki Book 3) Students will also start to see accidentals (non-diatonic pitches) and dotted rhythms in their music. In addition to quick string crossings, this next level of cello repertoire will include both slurs and hooked bowings. Solidifying their skills, students will begin to encounter extended fingerings within first position and more demanding bow technique. Theme From Witches Dance: Paganini (Suzuki Book 2) Pieces at this level will still remain in first position but will include more arpeggiated melodies with faster rhythms and occasional slurs in a variety of major keys. staccato, legato, tenuto), expand their range to include lower strings, and be introduced to dynamics. For this reason, introductory songs are simple yet memorable, composed of melodic material that uses open strings, scalar motion, and simple rhythms in first position.Īfter a solid foundation is established, students will begin to learn different bowing patterns and articulations (i.e. In the beginning, the primary instructional focus revolves around building a proper set-up and bow hold, learning the mechanics of string crossings, and establishing basic intonation. Twinkle, Twinkle Variations (Suzuki Book 1) This collection of works can also serve as a listening guide to spark the interest of young cellists, demonstrating how their hard work will pay off in the future. Keep in mind that this is by no means a comprehensive list, but rather, a snapshot of key pieces that virtually every cellist will play. The following section is a condensed catalogue of beginning, intermediate, and advanced pieces from the cello repertoire that students will likely encounter. For this reason, finding a knowledgeable teacher who is able to inspire and guide students along each step of the way is an invaluable part of the process. It is both effective and more rewarding to study pieces with objectives that can be fully mastered, an approach that will solidify new technical skills, encourage a sense of accomplishment, and pave the way for future success in more challenging aspects of the cello repertoire. It is important that any course of musical study is guided by a pedagogically informed progression of repertoire.

Do not despair! Step by step, piece by piece, and lesson by lesson, students equipped with a little perseverance will transform from enthusiastic beginners to promising young professionals: it is only a matter of time and a little bit of stubbornness. However, the road from Twinkle, Twinkle to mammoth works like the Dvorak Concerto is a considerable trek, requiring years of disciplined study and dedication.

USC CELLO REPERTOIRE FULL

From unaccompanied dance suites to concertos backed by a full symphonic orchestra, aspiring cellists have much to look forward to as they begin their studies. Rich, warm, and vibrant-the cello repertoire we know today is compiled from centuries of compositions written by some of the most beloved composers in the history of western classical music.

Usc cello repertoire