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Cello Repertoire Initiative

Broken Thirds (One String) for the Cello, Book Two

by Cassia Harvey

Instrumentation
Cello
Publisher
C. Harvey Publications
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Cover of Broken Thirds (One String) for the Cello, Book Two
Cover courtesy of C. Harvey Publications

About this piece

Are you an advanced cellist looking for more intensive warm-ups? Are you looking for technical studies that take you beyond scales? This book can help! With studies on broken thirds up a single string, this book can help you shift better, develop muscle memory, and build a mental map of the entire fingerboard. While scales are the basis of cello technique, they only teach shifts of notes in order (for instance, A to B, or D to F). This book helps you study the slightly larger shifts that are found in such pieces as the Haydn Concerto in D Major.

Technical overview

This advanced cello technique book gives you exercises that teach your hand better shifting, speed, and intonation using broken thirds.

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.

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