Lesson Description

about a private lesson

Private lessons are the most effective way to learn the basics of cello, best practices, music history, standard cello repertoire and music theory but I cleverly disguised these into a fun and engaging class. I teach to the student and invite all cellists at any age and level to join. So in each session, I will keep with a concept until the student fully understands before moving on the next. We will do a lot of playing at the same time and with recordings then play solo to present the understanding of the material. All cellists should come with their own cello in good working condition.

Taking private lessons is a great extension to any classes you are already taking at school, classes on outschool or your local youth orchestra. I allow time to go over challenges in those areas in our lessons. Each lesson is structured in a similar way to manage expectations and for quick transitions to maximize time in the class. I will always guide the cellist with tuning their instrument. For total beginner cellists, we start with basic bow and right hand exercises to prepare for making the best sound possible. Next, we will start with left hand exercises, total beginners will be pizzacato (pluck the strings with right hand) and cellists with some experience will be arco (use the bow).

First 10-12 minutes of class is tuning and left hand exercises. This could vary depending on the cellist's previous experience. But my goal here is to teach the cellist to confidently play without tapes.

Next section is sightreading: practicing the ability to read and perform music fluently and with confidence. I use the Dotzauer etude books that I handout or you can find for free online.

Following that we work on our pieces for performance. This part of the lesson will vary cellist to cellist and possibly class to class (depending on outside, independent practice). This is the space to work pieces for school, youth orchestra or other outschool classes; for auditions, competitions or recitals; or just the students' personal growth and development. I usually encourage cellists to simultaneously work on at least two pieces in contrasting styles. I start with Suzuki materials, but I encourage cellist to research their own materials to potentially perform. I believe cellists should learn the standard repertoire of the cello but I also believe that cellist should love what they are playing first. So I enjoy assisting cellists to find material that works best for them to cultivate their love of cello and desire to make a great sound constantly. I always cover the basic theory, performance practice and history of their pieces to get a multilevel understanding of what they are playing. I encourage memorization for performances but it is not required.

Finally, we'll have a time to wrap up and ask questions about what and how to practice until the next lesson. So bring a question for me on anything and everything. I know that I will always be asking lots of questions throughout our lesson. I love teaching and sharing cello but even more, I love to laugh and have fun! So expect to learn and laugh during your cello lesson. Don't believe me? Try a lesson for yourself! What date and time works best for you? See you in the classroom!!