Customer Reviews

CELLO TECHNIQUE: Principles and Forms of Movement

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This book has many insights into the affect of one side of the body on the other. Many interesting physical principals regarding all aspects of playing are discussed thoroughly (sometimes a little too thoroughly). It gets pretty technical about physics and hard to understand in some chapters, and some ideas expressed in the book completely contradict some of the conclusions I've found through my own experimentation. But, the book does a great job of making you think and analyze more aspects of your playing than you never thought of before. Even though some of the book only deserves 3, or 2 stars, much of it is 5 star material, and I think that the good stuff has more leverage than the bad: I say it probably deserves 4 well earned stars.

I'm a complete beginner on the 'cello. This book answered a lot of my questions about the mysteries of basic bow movement, finger placement, etc. Most importantly, it has a very substantial discussion of the physical mechanics of one's body when playing. Obviously, reading is no substitute for the experience of actual playing, but the book provides a very solid conceptual framework for understanding what is going on. I have a much better understanding of why certain movements produce good sound and others don't. The book doesn't quite get the full five-star rating because the language (from the German author in translation) is sometimes a little stilted for modern American readers. With only a second reading, though, it is much more clear. Highly recommended.

I found this book difficult to read. It seems that to me the difficulty is because the translation into the English language is not always smooth. I found that I had to read and reread some of the paragraphs because it was technical in it's thinking. Physics is interesting, but since I do not think about physics everyday, many times I felt like "what did it say"? I feel this is more of a textbook than a How To Book.

This book has many insights into the affect of one side of the body on the other. Many interesting physical principals regarding all aspects of playing are discussed thoroughly (sometimes a little too thoroughly). It gets pretty technical about physics and hard to understand in some chapters, and some ideas expressed in the book completely contradict some of the conclusions I've found through my own experimentation. Although, the book has many valuable exercises explained well enough to perform yourself that will help you learn some of the techniques discussed in the book. Overall the book does a great job of making you think and analyze more aspects of your playing you never though of before. Even though some of the book only deserves 3, or 2 stars, much of it is 5 star material, and I think that the good stuff has more leverage than the bad: I say it probably deserves 4 well earned stars.

I actually bought this book newly translated and publised nearly 40 years ago. With a forward by the great Janos Starker, this book dives into the physics of playing the cello. This will largely be greek to a non-cellist but for any serious student of the instrument, it is a must have book. The book is probably most useful in its very detailed discussion of the mechanics of producing sound (bow arm) and the physics behind drawing a sound with the bow. Detialed -- though somewhat simplistic -- illistrations assist you in grasping the concept. While the left (fingering) hand is covered in some detail, this book had the most personal impact on me with this lovely detailed discussion of sound production. This is not a technique book. You cannot put it on your stand and do "exercises". The best way to use this book -- in conjunction with a teacher -- is to read and understand the physical concepts discussed then apply them in conjunction with a good technique book. No detail of the physical aspect of paying the instrument is left un-discussed. Though the translation is at sometimes difficult, you simply must have this book to fully understand the mechanics of playing the instrument.

This book is a well written and complete book regarding physical cello technique. Every cello teacher has a copy, it seems. However, a beginning student will not get much out of this book because it is written for a more experienced audience. Describing body motions in a book is a challenging task in any endaevor, and this is no exception. However, it is obvious that the author, an experienced cello pedagogue, has written a complete book.

There were some good analogies about anticipating sound, and how playing the cello compares with pitching a baseball - namely how both deliveries must be adjusted while in motion, and that breaking a motion down into component parts will not result in successful coaching. Particularly useful for me was the section on bow speed.

I would have liked to see more complete drawings than the stick figures provided.

Probably the best way I can sum this up for a beginning cellist is "read more for inspiration than comprehension". Let your cello teacher show you the rest. However, I think as one advances this will continue to be a useful reference.

I would recommend reading other books first, and let your teacher communicate to you the essential ideas. But that does not take away from this book, which is well done for the right audience.

The author of this book goes out of his way to impress the reader with his use of vocabulary. Further, he complicated each idea with unnecessary technical writing. If you want a book that will help you improve your playing, look elsewhere. If you want a book on the academic, overly technical study of how physics and the physical movements of playing the cello interact, then this is your book. In my opinion, the author has attempted with all 230 pages to impress the reader with his technical knowledge of everything but playing the cello. There is not one chapter or idea that is clearly and concisely presented.