Cello and String Pedagogy Links

Here is a collection of sites I think are worthy of a look. Let me know of other good sites I should list.

Cello teacher Training with Andrea Yun: Flexible, Affordable, Accessible Cello Teacher Training
Andrea Yun is a well respected studio teacher and string educator right in my home state of Michigan. Her site includes video modules, online lesson observations, file downloads, online and live courses.

Alban Gerhardt Patreon Videos
Here is a great opportunity! Alban Gerhardt is one of the top performing cellists in the world and he has started a Petreon page of video tutorials. He has been uploading a wealth of informational videos. Please take a look!

MusiciansWay.com
While not specifically a cello site, MusiciansWay.com is authored by guitarist Gerald Klickstein to help all musicians achieve their goals. The site is a wonderful resource for all musicians, including cellists. Klickstein, a recognized authority on musician's wellness, also has a book The Musician's Way: A Guide to Practice, Performance, and Wellness. It contains a wealth of information and is a must read.

Cello Talks by David Finckel
This YouTube channel includes fascinating video lessons by well-known cellist and teacher, David Finckel, who is former cellist of the Emerson String Quartet.

CelloBello
CelloBello is a website by well-known cellist and teacher Paul Katz. It includes cello video lessons and other outstanding resources. The well-known Internet Cello Society, after more than 20 years, is shutting down and gifting its rich content to CelloBello.

Paul Rolland: The Teaching of Action in String Playing
Although Rolland was a violinist, I recommend every teacher of strings to watch the DVD series The Teaching of Action in String Playing by Paul Rolland. A Hungarian violinist and teacher, Rolland taught at the University of Illinois and began a research project in the late 1960s on string pedagogy funded by a government grant. His book and DVD set by the same name were the result. All the students in the video took lessons for only two years in group settings. The results were quite amazing. Personally, Rolland's approach has been a large influence on my own teaching and approach to string pedagogy. This is a wonderful investment.

Paul Rolland String Pedagogy Workshop
Learn the Rolland method in depth at the University of Illinois. The sessions are taught by Peter Rolland (Paul Rolland's son) and former students of Paul Rolland. Other eminent string pedagogues present sessions as well.

Foundation for the Advancement of String Education (FASE)
FASE was founded by String Pedagogue George Bornoff who fashioned a string method around Gestalt theory. His books orbit around finger patterns that are applied to the entire fingerboard. This pedagogy has been overshadowed by the Suzuki and Rolland methods but is now gaining more attention. It deserves serious attention from string pedagogues.

Stringskills.com
Gabriel Villasurda, a well-known public school teacher in Michigan, has put together a helpful sight of pedagogical materials designed for violin, viola, cello, and bass.

Bob and Pam Phillips, String education
After teaching 28 years in the public schools, Bob Phillips is Director of String Publications for Alfred Music and an award-winning composer and arranger. Pam recently retired as an Editor for Strings and Suzuki publications for Alfred Music. Both speak regularly at music conferences and in-services. On this site you will have access to the many handouts from presentations they have given over the years.

Violinmasterclass.com
This isn't a cello website but still worthwhile for cellists to study. Violinmasterclass.com is underwritten by the Dorothy Richard Starling Foundation in support of the teaching and performance of the classical violin. The site includes a great deal of teaching by Kurt Sassmannshaus, one of today's preeminent violin pedagogues and chairman of the String Department at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music.

The Art of String Teaching by Michael Hopkins
Michael Hopkins is Associate Professor of Music Education at the University of Michigan whose book, The Art of String Teaching, was recently publish by GIA. His YouTube channel, String Technique has a whopping 100 string pedagogy and technique videos that are designed to accompany his book.

Teaching Strings in Today's Classroom by Rebecca MacLeod
Rebecca MacLeod is a well-respected string pedagogue and Associate Professor of Music Education at the University of North Carolina Greensboro where she directs the string education program. In addition to her helpful book, Teaching strings in Today's Classroom published by Routledge, her personal website is full of accompanying tutorials and videos.

Cello Quartet Drone CD
Cello drones are a fantastic way to practice intonation while playing scales, arpeggios, and repertoire. This drone CD was a project of mine for free at Soundcloud. You need to be signed into SoundCloud to access this play list!

Here are some intonation exercises for cello that are designed to go with a drone CD.

Cello Drones CD by Marcia Sloane
This CD by Navarro River Music is unique in that it has three octaves of the fundamental pitch plus two octaves of the fifth.

Prakticello:The Practice and Travel Cello
Now here is a unique product. The Prakticello is a practice cello that actually folds up into a portable travel case that fits in the overhead compartment of an airplane. It has a pleasant yet quiet tone so it will not disturb your neighbors. Ernest Nussbaum made these for 30 years and has passed the craft onto Jerry deGroot in Maryland.

Cello Seat Cushions by Judy Johnson Henderson
Proper sitting position is absolutely essential when playing the cello. A wedge shape cushion helps put our pelvis in the optimal position to maintain our lumbar curve in the lower back. The problem is most orthopedic cushions are too soft for playing the cello. These cushions are made of firmer foam, so you do not lose your balanced playing position.

MyMusicTheory.com
MyMusicTheory.com is an excellent resource to aid you in teaching music theory to your students. It follows the Syllabus for the ABRSM - The Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music. The ABRSM is dived into 8 grades or levels. MyMusicTheory.com has lessons with accompanying worksheets that cover grades 1-5 and half of grade 6. These lessons can easily be incorporated into your private teaching.

Gideon Freudmann - CelloBop
One word, fun! Gideon Freudmann has some fabulous arrangements for cello choir and solo that merge classical, jazz, folk, rock, blues and funk.

Opus Cello
Opus Cello is the website of Blaise Déjardin, cellist in the Boston Symphony and member of the Boston Cello Quartet. On his site you will find his original arrangements for 2-12 celli. He also has interviews with famous cellists of our time. This is a fantastic resource for cellists.

PlayMooreCello.com
PlayMooreCello.com is the website of Douglas B. Moore. Dr. Moore was Professor of Music at Williams College from 1970 to 2007, and cellist with the Williams Chamber Players and the Williams Trio. On his site you can find wonderful arrangements for cello choir for players of all levels. He also has cello choir arrangements of the orchestral parts for many of the cello concerti. Another excellent resource.

Johnstone Music
Johnstone Music is founded by principal cellist of the Navarre Symphony Orchestra in Spain, David Johnstone. On his website you can find hundreds of his compositions and arrangements in downloads, especially for cellists, for very reasonable fees. This link leads to his cello choir offerings.

Takeshi Abo Sheet Music
My friend and esteemed colleague, violinist, Takeshi Abo, has many string arrangements available at reasonable fees. Take a look!

Virtual Sheet Music - Classical Sheet Music Downloads
At virtualsheetmusic.com you can download unlimited amounts of sheet music in pdf for $37.75 a year. It is $25.99 to renew from thereafter. This is a very cost effective way to get many of the cello concertos and string quartets.

The Frustrated Accompanist
Years ago I met Carol Leybourn at the Michigan Music Conference. She directed the chamber music program at the Lawrence University Academy of Music in Appleton, Wisconsin. Ms. Leybourn has done a great service by simplifying the orchestral reductions of the standard string concerti and making them more pianistic. Let's face it; what busy pianist wants to spend huge amounts of time practicing an orchestral reduction that has large amounts of unnecessary passage work? Your busy accompanist will thank you for providing him or her with these piano scores.

Cello Expressions Sheet Music Library
You'll find some nice cello choir arrangments for free at this site.

International Music Score Library Project
Another fantastic resource. The IMSLP is a virtual library of public domain music scores and scores from composers who are willing to share their music without charge. It is a Wiki site so anyone can upload scores that are public domain. The link above takes you to the "List of Compositions Featuring the Cello" page.

The Masterclass Media Foundation
This non-profit organization is creating an archive of masterclasses by leading musicians. Masterclasses of cellists include Steven Isserlis and Frans Helmerson. These masterclasses are available on DVD.

Cello Music Collections at The University of North Carolina at Greensboro
There are six collections: the Luigi Silva Collection, the Elizabeth Cowling Collection, the Rudolf Matz Collection, the Maurice Eisenberg Collection, János Scholz Collection, and the Fritz Magg Collection. What is great about this site is the comparison of bowings available online for the Bach Suites. You can view the actual manuscripts of Pablo Casals, Luigi Silva, Maurice Eisenberg, Rudolf Matz, János Scholz, and Elizabeth Cowling. NOTE: These images of the manuscripts are HUGE files. Even with a fast internet connection it takes a minute or so to view them.

The Anna Magdalena manuscripts of the Bach Cello Suites
Anna Magdalena was Bach's wife and she copied much of his music. This web site is by Harry Wimmer and you can view the manuscripts of Anna Magdalena online. Anner Bylsma argued that the Magdalena manuscripts are the most authoritative.