Self-Assessment Questions
Bow Hold
Could we use a picture of your bow hold to instruct others properly?
Are all of your joints (especially on the thumb) flexible?
Do your finger joints bend and flex as you move the bow up and down?
Holding the Instrument and Left Hand Finger Placement
Do you maintain good posture while playing your instrument?
Do all of your fingers land comfortably on the fingerboard?
The Bow Arm/String Crossing
Can you produce a full, beautiful tone?
Does your bow stay parallel to the bridge from the frog to the tip?
Are your string crossings smooth and effortless in slurs and separate bows?
Do you have a wide range of dynamics and colors in your sound?
Bow Strokes
Are you familiar with each of the following and can you execute them?
Detaché, Collé, Martelé, Staccato, Spiccato, Springing bowings: sautillé, richochet
Intonation and Tuning
Do you play in tune?
Do you know any practice techniques to check or improve your intonation?
Tension vs. Relaxation
Do you have any pain after playing for any length of time?
Do you feel a lot of tension in your body when you play your instrument?
Vibrato
Do you use vibrato regularly?
Can you control your vibrato, varying width and speed?
Shifting
Do you know how to practice shifts?
Resources
Scroll down to find cello or bass. Copy and paste the channel name into YouTube. Then search for the lesson title.
Violin/Viola
YouTube Channel: professorV
Todd Ehle is a professor of violin at Del Mar College, a Junior College in Corpus Christi, Texas, where he has taught students of all ages and abilities for the past 12 years. Before arriving in TX, Mr. Ehle taught violin at the Wausau Conservatory of Music, a community music school located in Wausau, WI.
The Bow Hold
Violin Lesson #1 Holding the Bow, pt. 1
Violin Lesson #2 Holding the Bow, pt. 2
Violin Lesson #3 Holding the Bow, pt. 3
Violin Bow Hold- Curved thumb trick
Does your violin bow hold slip? Try this trick.
Violin Bow Hold Trick for Relaxation
Holding the Instrument and Left Hand Finger Placement
Violin Lesson #4 The Hold and Finger Placement, pt. 1
Violin Lesson #5 The Hold and Finger Placement, pt. 2
Violin Lesson #6 The Hold and Finger Placement, pt. 3
Does Your Left Wrist Collapse? Try this trick.
Violin lesson: Avoid flying fingers
Violin Hold Trick: The Sensation of Relaxation
Violin Lesson: Problems with 4th Finger
Violin Lesson: Even More 4th Finger Help
Violin Lesson- Curved Pinky Trick
The Bow Arm
Violin Lesson #11 Straight Bowing Techniques, pt. 1
Violin Lesson #12 Straight Bowing Techniques, pt. 2
Violin Lesson; Figure 8 Bowing (Straight Bowing pt. 3)
Violin Lesson #13 The Balance Point and Lifting the Bow
Violin Lesson #15 Tone Production Techniques
Violin Lesson # 16 Retakes-lifts
Violin Lesson #17 The Rebound (see Retakes-Lifts first)
Violin Lesson #40 Legato bowing; smooth bow changes
Parallel or Straight Bowing Trick for Violin
Violin Lesson: Getting to the Frog
Tone Production Techniques for Violin (see lesson #15 first)
Tone Production Techniques for Violin (part 3)
Tone Production Techniques for Violin, Part 4
Bow Strokes
Violin Lesson #14 Detaché Bowing
Violin Lesson #29 Bouncing Strokes (spiccato)
Violin Lesson #30 Martelé bowing
Violin Lesson #44 Collé bowing
Violin Lesson #49 Sautillé Bowing, pt. 1
Violin Lesson #50 Sautillé Bowing, pt. 2
Violin Lesson #53 Sautillé Bowing, pt. 3
Violin Lesson #55 Springing Arpeggios
Up-Bow Staccato for Violin
String Crossing
Violin Lesson #7 String Crossing pt. 1
Violin Lesson #9 String Crossing pt. 2
Violin Lesson #10 String Crossing pt. 3
Violin Lesson #27 String Crossing pt. 4
Violin Lesson #47 String Crossing pt. 5 (fast)
Violin Lesson #48 String Crossing pt. 6 (slurs)
Violin Lesson #52 String Crossing pt. 7
Intonation
Violin Lesson #8 Playing in Tune
Violin Lesson #18 Playing in Tune, pt. 1
Violin Lesson #19 Playing in Tune, pt. 2
Violin Lesson #34 Ear Training Exercise
Violin Lesson #35 Tuning the Violin, pt. 1
Violin Lesson #36 Tuning the Violin, pt. 2
Violin Lesson #37 Playing in Tune, pt. 3
Violin Lesson #38 Playing in Tune, pt. 4 (review #8 first)
Violin Lesson #39 Playing in Tune, pt. 5 (Drone pitch)
Violin Lesson #45 Playing in Tune pt. 6 (ringing notes)
Violin Lesson #46 Playing in Tune pt. 7
Relaxation
Violin Lesson #20 Relax! Relaxation Techniques
Violin Lesson #21 Relaxation and Balance
Violin Hold Trick: The Sensation of Relaxation
New Violin Vibrato Trick for Relaxation
Violin Bow Hold Trick for Relaxation
Violin Lesson; Relaxation Techniques
Vibrato
Violin Lesson #22 Vibrato (hand/wrist)
Violin Lesson #23 Vibrato part 2 (arm)
New Violin Vibrato Trick for Relaxation
Violin Vibrato: Getting Help from a partner
Violin Vibrato Tutorial: tips for Relaxation
Violin Vibrato Trick (please view other vibrato vids first)
More Violin Vibrato Help
Shifting
Violin Lesson #28 Finding 3rd Position in Vivaldi A-minor
Violin Lesson #31 Finding 2nd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th positions
Violin Lesson # 33a Four types of shifts pt.2
Violin Lesson # 33b Descending shifts
Violin Shifting Trick #2
Descending Shift Trick for Violin
Double Stops (playing two notes at the same time)
Violin Lesson # 41 Introduction to Double Stops pt. 1
Violin Lesson #42 Introduction to Double Stops pt. 2
Violin Lesson #43 Introduction to Double Stops pt. 3
Violin Lesson #51 Octaves
Violin Lesson #54 Intro to 3rds
Violin Lesson #60 10ths
Harmonics
Violin Lesson #55 Artificial Harmonics
Miscellaneous
Violin trick: avoid the whistling E string
Using Patterns
Violin Lessons; Introduction and purpose
YouTube: BarnesandMullinsUK’s channel
David LePage, Professor of Violin, Birmingham Conservatoire, UK
Violin Technique- Portato
Violin Technique- Vibrato
Violin Technique- Tuning Techniques
Violin Technique- Sul Tasto
Violin Technique- Spiccato
Violin Technique- Slurs
Violin Technique- Sautillé
Violin Technique- Rosin and Cleaning
Violin Technique- Ricochet
Violin Technique- Ponticello/ Sul pont
Violin Technique- Point of Contact
Violin Technique- Pizzicato
Violin Technique- Barriolage
Violin Technique- Martelé
Hildersine Violin Technique- Finger Positioning
Violin Technique- Detaché
Violin Technique- Holding the Violin
Violin Technique- Violin Bow Basics
Other YouTube Channels to check out:
Strings Magazine
Violinmasterclass
Red Desert Violin
Violin Lab Channel
Viola Specific!
YouTube Channel: Interlochen Center for the Arts
Viola Lesson: Shifting Exercise and many more
Cello
YouTube: BarnesandMullinsUK’s channel
Steven Doane from New York's University of Rochester Eastman School of Music runs through essential Cello Techniques for all players.
Cello Technique- Vibrato
Cello Technique- Using the Whole Bow
Cello Technique- Sul Tasto
Cello Technique- Crossing Strings
Cello Technique- Spiccato Brush Stroke
Cello Technique- Slurring Notes
Cello Technique- Seating Position
Cello Technique- Sautillé
Cello Technique- Ricochet
Cello Technique- Shifting Notes- The Basics
Cello Technique- Portato-Parlando
Cello Technique- Ponticello- Sul Pont
Cello Technique Point of Contact
Cello Technique- Large Note Shifts
Cello Technique- Finger Flexibility and Rotation
Cello Technique- Finger Extensions
Cello Technique- Detaché Bowing
Cello Technique-Classes of Shift 1
Cello Technique- Classes of Shift 2
Cello Technique- Detaché- Casal’s Crawl Exercise
YouTube: Virtual Sheet Music, Prof. Mendoes
Cello Lesson- The Best Posture for Playing the Cello
Cello Lesson- Bow Changes: How to Make them Smooth
Cello Lesson- The Arm-Weight Concept, Explained
Cello Lesson- Left Hand Fingering Tips
Cello Lesson- How to achieve the best tone on the cello.
Cello Lesson- How to shift on the cello
Cello Lesson- Cello Tips for Beginners- Basics of Cello Playing
Cello Lesson- Cello Bow Fundamentals
Learn Vibrato on the Cello
Cello Lesson- Thumb Position on the Cello
Cello Lesson- Memorization on the Cello
Cello Lesson- How to Practice on the Cello
Cello Lesson-How to Hold the Bow on the Cello
Cello Lesson- Everything about endpin on the cello
Cello Lesson- How to Increase the Power of Your C String
Cello Lesson- How to Play Fast on the Cello
Cello Lesson- Bow and Endpin Tips
Cello Lesson- How to Prevent Injuries on the Cello
Cello Lesson- Thumb Position Vibrato
Cello Lesson-How to approach the Dotzauer Etudes
Cello Lesson- The Importance of Score Study on the cello
Cello Lesson- What’s the Relationship between Technique and Musicality?
Bass
YouTube: Andrew Anderson Teaches the Bass
Part 1 Positioning the bass and preparing the left hand
Part 2 Introducing the bow
Part 3 Bow Hand Concepts
Part 4 Bow Placement Speed and Weight
Part 5 Developing Smooth Bow Changes
Part 6 Developing Articulation in the Bow
Part 7 Developing Spiccato
Part 8 Deep Analysis of the Spiccato Stroke
Part 9 Different Spiccato Strokes for Different Situations
Part 10 Developing Left Hand Efficiency
YouTube: BarnesandMullinsUK’s channel
Cathy Elliott of London Mozart Players, Rambert Orchestra and Academy St Martin in the Fields takes us through a range of Double Bass Techniques - from basic to advanced.
Double Bass Technique- Shifting Positions
Double Bass Technique- Detaché
Double Bass Technique- String Extensions Tunings
Double Bass Technique- Sul Tasto
Double Bass Technique- Pizzicato
Double Bass Technique- Bow Choice
Double Bass Technique- Slurs
Double Bass Technique- Note Positions
Double Bass Technique- Ponticello Sul Pont
Double Bass Technique- Tune Your Bass
Double Bass Technique- Fingering Patterns
Double Bass Technique- Orchestral and Solo Tunings
Double Bass Technique- Care of Your Bass