Cello Life - Jonathan Simmons

              Developing as a musician requires learning from the greatest pedagogues and performers on your instrument, often taking place through public masterclasses and private lessons. Sometimes these events can be quite pricey as sought-after teachers can charge hundreds of dollars for a lesson. Below are five nuggets of advice that I have gleaned from some immediately recognizable cellists from whom I have had the privilege of learning. I will share their words followed by how I applied them to my own playing. You will notice that a few of these quotes are not original to the teachers from which I first heard the quotes. Where possible, I have attributed the quotes to those believed to be the original author. I do trust that I am not revealing any trade secrets that were meant to be kept for a select few. Enjoy learning from greats!     “It’s not the thing; it’s the thing before the thing.” Dr. Melissa Kraut ...

  Shifting   Following on an earlier post about the left hand, today’s blog will explore some of the mechanics of shifting. How do we shift while maintaining an effective hand position throughout not only the neck positions, but also in thumb position. Let’s get started. The Shifting Mechanics The Shortest Distance Between Two Points or Lines and Circles The left elbow’s position is not static as we play, but rather the elbow moves based on the needs of the music. The elbow moves to allow us to play in tune, to extend, and to shift seamlessly to wherever we need to go across the fingerboard. Today let us consider the action of shifting specifically, building on the concept mentioned in the last blog that extraneous motions should be eliminated, especially in fast passages. That the elbow “leads the shift” is one point of technique about which many cellists agree in terminology, but in application this maxim can ...