The ABCs of Cello - Book 2

About this piece

The ABCs of Cello for the Intermediate, Book 2 is the second volume of Janice Tucker Rhoda's ABCs of Cello method and continues directly from Book 1, The ABCs of Cello for the Absolute Beginner. Carl Fischer says it 'focuses on learning second position with melodies, warm-up exercises, study pieces, scales and arpeggios.' It also adds slurred bowings, rhythms and new key and time signatures, with left-hand finger-placement graphs, a note-reading worksheet and a practice chart. The 48-page book mixes folk songs and classical themes with Rhoda's own pieces. The themes include Lehár's Merry Widow waltz, Haydn's Surprise Symphony, a Mozart minuet and a Wohlfahrt study, and Rhoda's pieces include Pin the Tail on the Donkey, Gigue Study and Bobbing for Apples – Jig. Despite the 'Intermediate' title, the pieces are early-grade. The RCM Cello Syllabus (2016) sets the Merry Widow waltz and Pin the Tail on the Donkey for Grade 1 and the Mozart Minuet and Bobbing for Apples for Grade 2. The current edition comes with a download of cello-and-piano performance tracks, piano-only play-along tracks and printable piano accompaniments; earlier printings came with an MP3 CD.

Technical overview

Forty-three numbered pieces, each with warm-ups, followed by major and natural minor scales and arpeggios, a worksheet and practice charts (48 pp.). Lesson 1, 'Slurs (a continuation of Book 1)', has two-note slurs across all four strings from low C to the A string, with tenuto marks, and a warm-up in 2/4 adds slurred staccato (hooked) eighth notes. According to the publisher, the main new left-hand skill is second position.

Technical focus

• 2 Note Slurs
• Legato
• C String Notes
• G String Notes
• D String Notes
• A String Notes