Cello Technique: Principles and Forms of Movement

Rating:
Summary: Review of cello technique
Review: 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.

Rating:
Summary: Review of cello technique
Review: 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.

Rating:
Summary: Very helpful for beginners
Review: 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.

Rating:
Summary: Very helpful for beginners
Review: 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.

Rating:
Summary: The worst book I have ever read
Review: 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.

Rating:
Summary: Its got many good ideas and exercises
Review: 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.

Rating:
Summary: Its got many good ideas and exercises
Review: 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.