Suzuki Cello School, Volume 1 (Cello Part, International Edition)
- Instrumentation
- Cello
- Composed
- 1978
- Publisher
- Summy-Birchard / Alfred Music (00-0479S; ISBN 978-0-87487-479-2). Book & CD kit 40697, ISBN 978-0-7390-9709-0
Purchase or download
About this piece
Suzuki Cello School, Volume 1 is the first cello book of the Suzuki Method, the approach developed by the Japanese violinist and teacher Shinichi Suzuki. Pupils learn each piece by ear from the recording before reading it, much as a child learns to speak, and a parent usually takes part in lessons and home practice. The book has 17 pieces, starting with Suzuki's Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star Variations and moving through folk songs and Suzuki's own short pieces to Purcell's Rigadoon, Schumann's The Happy Farmer and two Bach minuets. The book-and-CD edition has a performance of each piece plus piano accompaniment tracks, and a separate piano accompaniment book is available.
Technical overview
Mostly D and G major on the A, D and G strings, with Perpetual Motion played in both D and G and a Minuet in C to bring in the C string. May Song brings in dotted quarter and eighth rhythms with hairpins, and Suzuki's Allegro works on short stopped strokes, breaths between phrases, a dolce middle section and a ritardando.
Technical focus
- A String Notes
- Bow Retakes
- D String Notes
- Dotted Rhythms
- Dynamics
- Hairpin Dynamics
- Staccato
- Tempo Changes