Early Start on the Cello, Volume 1
by Egon Sassmannshaus and Kurt Sassmannshaus
- Instrumentation
- Cello
- Composed
- 2008
- Publisher
- Bärenreiter (BA 8996; ISMN 979-0-006-53856-0). German edition: Früher Anfang auf dem Cello 1, BA 9691
Purchase or download
About this piece
Early Start on the Cello, Volume 1 is the English edition of Früher Anfang auf dem Cello, the cello tutor by the German teacher Egon Sassmannshaus. It was translated and expanded by his son, the violinist and teacher Kurt Sassmannshaus. The book is written for children from about four years old, with large print, colour illustrations and short songs with words under the notes. Children start on open strings and simple note values, then learn a minor third 'cuckoo call' with the third finger before adding the first and fourth fingers, sharps and new bowings. Bärenreiter also sells an edition with Chinese translations of the text, and later volumes continue the series.
Technical overview
Bass clef throughout, with whole, half, quarter and eighth notes. The first songs use pairs of open strings (A and D, D and G, G and C). The third finger on the D string then plays a minor third against open A, and the first and fourth fingers follow. Later songs are in D and G major and add two-note portato bowings.
Technical focus
- A String Notes
- Accidentals
- C String Notes
- D String Notes
- Detaché
- G String Notes
- Portato
- Rhythm
- String Crossings
- Theory