Thumb Position for Cello, Book 1
by Rick Mooney
- Instrumentation
- Cello, Cello
- Publisher
- Summy-Birchard Music / Alfred Music (00-0763; ISBN 978-0-87487-763-2).
Purchase or download
About this piece
Rick Mooney's introduction to thumb position, written as cello duets. The book is built around four thumb-position finger patterns, each with daily warm-ups followed by pieces in that pattern, and a final section mixes the patterns. The music includes easy classical pieces, chorales, folk songs and fiddle tunes such as 'Oh Susannah', 'Soldier's Joy' and 'The Irish Washerwoman', and Mooney's own pieces written for particular technical points, such as 'Eat My Dust'. A second cello part runs throughout so that a teacher or another student can play along, which helps the student hear and play in tune. Mooney (d. 2023) was an American cellist and Suzuki teacher; this book follows his Position Pieces for Cello, Books 1 and 2.
Technical overview
The student part is written in treble clef with the thumb-position sign and fingerings marked. Pattern I has a half step between the second and third fingers, and its warm-ups are short D major exercises. Pieces range from a G minor tune in 6/8 with slurred and hooked bowings to a quick E major piece in 2/4 in continuous sixteenth notes. The second cello part, in bass clef, accompanies with double stops and chords.
Technical focus
- Accidentals
- Double Stops
- Ensemble Skills
- Hooked Bowings
- Thumb Position
- Treble Clef