Skip to content

Scale Studies for the Third Octave for the Cello, Book Two

by Cassia Harvey

Instrumentation
Cello
Publisher
C. Harvey Publications

Purchase or download

Cover of Scale Studies for the Third Octave for the Cello, Book Two
Cover courtesy of C. Harvey Publications

About this piece

Scale Studies for the Third Octave, Book Two presents shifting exercises for the notes in the third octave of the G, A-flat, A, B-flat, and B major scales, as well as for the fourth octave of the C major scale, on the cello. Written to address common problems that cellists face with playing in the upper registers of the cello, these exercises help clarify the finger positions and spacing peculiar to the major scale. This book works well with Three-Octave Scales for the Cello, Book One and Arpeggio Studies in Three Octaves for the Cello.

Technical overview

This cello technique book gives you exercises that will help you shift bettter in the upper registers of the cello.

Level rubric

Advanced

Left Hand

  • Unrestricted fingerboard operation.
  • Effortless high‑register passages with thumb position.
  • Execute large leaps, rapid shifts & fast runs with precise intonation.
  • Render double stops with clarity and even vibrato.
  • Crisp, stylistically appropriate ornamentation (trills, turns, mordents).
  • Instinctive micro‑adjustments in intonation for expressiveness.
  • False harmonics in low positions

Right Hand

  • Complete command of all bow strokes at any tempo/dynamic.
  • Comfortable execution of virtuoso passages (sautillé, intricate ricochet).
  • Tone projection from whisper‑quiet to fortissimo.
  • Integrate advanced bow patterns with expressive phrasing.
  • Demonstrate technical precision with a broad dynamic range.

Rhythm & Musicality

  • Interpret large‑scale structures with nuanced pacing and rhythmic freedom.
  • Highly refined phrasing with subtle note grouping & expressive rubato.
  • Convey emotional depth and stylistic authenticity.
  • Incorporate personal interpretive choices while meeting stylistic demands.

Levels are approximate guides, not strict requirements.