Cello Lesson Number 7

Yesterday, June 26, 2026, I had my seventh cello lesson with Ana Ospina at New School of Music.

Last week I practiced an average of ninety minutes per day in focused sessions averaging forty-five minutes each. I spent most of my time struggling to play notes in first position with good intonation (I sound pretty bad), and I devoted nearly all of my practice time to this. I worked hard on Exercises 1–6 from Practical Method for Violoncello by Carl Schröder. Exercise 6 is actually musical, and I increased the tempo of Exercise 1, an open string bowing exercise, from 60 bpm to 70 bpm.

My left hand is growing stronger, and I am experimenting with its position to reduce tension and pain from what I believe to be mild arthritis in both hands. I am doing much better at keeping my right elbow up while bowing the A and D strings, but my bow wanders when I try to read music instead of watching my bow.

Lesson Notes

We played Schröder Exercise 6 several times, stopping to correct my form. My bow wanders up and down the strings while I’m trying to read music, and I stretch my third and fourth fingers too far on the fingerboard, playing sharp (I think this is a guitar habit).

We played a one-octave D major scale beginning on the D string; this is the simplest of scales for the cello.

Ana introduced me to Suzuki Cello School Volume I, and we began working on “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star Variations” and “French Folk Song.” Ana says I can find YouTube videos demonstrating how to play these pieces with some providing the piano accompaniment.

Assignments

• Continue to review Schröder Exercises 1–6
• Practice “Jazz for the Open Strings” at 90 bpm, working up to 120 bpm with the backing track
• Practice “Mississippi Mud” and other tunes from Blue Book of Tunes
• Begin working on Schröder Exercises 7–12
• Work on the early pieces from Suzuki Cello School Volume I, continuing as far as I want

Additional Notes

Ana says I should not make faces when I play notes incorrectly or out of tune. Yes, it will take me a long time to develop a professional demeanor when I play.

As always, the hour passed very quickly, I enjoyed the lesson, and I’m inspired to practice. Because of the federal holiday on July 3, my next lesson is in two weeks on July 10. Ana has given me plenty to work on.