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Cello Repertoire Initiative

Fourth Position Pieces for the Cello

by Cassia Harvey

Instrumentation
Cello
Publisher
C. Harvey Publications
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Cover of Fourth Position Pieces for the Cello
Cover courtesy of C. Harvey Publications

About this piece

This book supplements Fourth Position for the Cello (CHP131) with very basic songs that shift to and from the fourth position. These pieces are a great way to put a beginning knowledge of fourth position into practice.

Technical overview

This cello repertoire book gives you easy short pieces that use only first and fourth position.

Level rubric

Early Intermediate

Left Hand

  • Regular shifting among 1st–4th positions.
  • Frequent shifts with target notes & prepared approaches.
  • Introduce ornamentation (grace notes, slow trills, turns).
  • Begin basic double stops (often with one open note).
  • Combine extensions with shifting.
  • Consistent vibrato on sustained notes with speed variations.

Right Hand

  • Bow arm gains finesse and speed.
  • Introduce controlled spiccato.
  • Sautillé appears in rapid passages.
  • Expand legato into longer, sustained lines.
  • Practice advanced articulations (martelé, refined string crossings).
  • Add complex strokes for double stops/chords.

Bow Strokes

  • Use context‑appropriate strokes: legato, spiccato, martelé.
  • Subtle bow changes during string crossings.

Rhythm & Musicality

  • Increased challenges: sixteenths, dotted rhythms, syncopation, contrasting subdivisions.
  • Emphasize expression with crescendos/decrescendos & vibrato.
  • Balance technical precision with emotional delivery.

Levels are approximate guides, not strict requirements.

Music

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