open strings Archives

100 Cello Warm-Ups and Exercises Blog 7: Open String Warm-Ups Part 1 — by Robert Jesselson

On most days I like to warm up with open strings. I love the sound of the open strings, and the feeling of the natural vibrations against my chest. I like to listen to the fundamental pitch, and then try to hear some of the overtones that make the tone color – a pure sound which connects me back to the earliest sounds of music, the aural “ur-sound” of the first stringed instrument played by a human being. […]

By Robert Jesselson|2023-12-13T02:21:01-05:00October 5th, 2015|Categories: 100 Cello Warm-ups and Exercises, In the Practice Room, Playing Healthy, Teaching, Videos|Tags: right hand, Warming Up, cellobello, open strings, CelloBlog, Robert Jesselson, bow, Cello Exercises|

Working With the Infinite Onion — by Thomas Rosenberg

Here’s a riddle for you: I am like an infinite onion. There is always another layer of me for you to peel back and you might feel like crying the entire time. I am also like doing the dishes. There is always another meal to eat and that means there will always be more dirty dishes for you to clean….forever! What am I? The answer is: INTONATION! Great intonation in a chamber music ensemble is one of the most difficult technical aspects to achieve for any group striving for excellence. It often requires a lot of rehearsal time, can test anyone’s patience, and all your hard work can seemingly disappear on stage, even for professional ensembles. I would like to explore the reasons it can be so tricky and complicated, [...]

By Thomas Rosenberg|2022-09-07T23:44:58-04:00January 27th, 2014|Categories: Chamber Music, In the Practice Room|Tags: intonation exercises, Listening, left hand position, chamber music, onion, patience, open strings, rehearsing, Rosenberg, expressive intonation, string groups, fuzzy sound, student ensembles, good instrument tuning, Thomas, great intonation, time management, intonation, group intonation, working, tuning, hand position, Adjustments|