Double Stops

Any time you play more than one note at a time. Double is for 2 notes, triple is for 3 etc. This also includes octaves.

Popper Cello Étude No. 9

Teaching Notes for Popper Cello Étude No. 9 Popper 9 is a beautiful but difficult study that explores double stops, particularly in thumb position. It is especially challenging because this study focuses our attention on making these difficult passages lyrically beautiful and singing. It’s one thing to master a certain aspect of technique in the […]

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Popper Cello Étude No. 17

Teaching Notes for Popper Cello Étude No. 17 We enjoyed exploring this shorter study, Popper 17, which focuses on legato in double stops. Practising this study very slowly and focusing on the connections between the double stops is very important so that they work well at the final speed. An especially interesting technical aspect of

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Popper Cello Étude No. 23

Teaching Notes for Popper Cello Étude No. 23 Popper 23 was our final étude of the year. In this video, we reflect on all that has made this project an awesome challenge. This study offers many different technical challenges and approaches. Bow legato, string crossings, bow distribution, quick changes of bow speed, shifting, octaves, unusual stretches

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Popper Cello Étude No. 24

Teaching Notes for Popper Cello Étude No. 24 Christian Elliot (Irish Chamber Orchestra) came back for a second time with Popper 24, a beautiful and challenging study that explores a vast amount; thumb position, harmonics, developing the ear, string crossings, legato bowing and more.

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Popper Cello Étude No. 27

Teaching Notes for Popper Cello Étude No. 27 This is an étude that works on spiccato and sautille strokes, as well as an extended technique that is rarely used in the repertoire – thumb to second finger octaves. Lots of chromatic harmonies here and coordination between right and left hands is key. 

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Popper Cello Étude No. 29

Teaching Notes for Popper Cello Étude No. 29 This is a particularly challenging study, especially if your double stops have been on the back-burner lately. We talk a lot about psychology of practice and how to prepare a difficult work like this in our discussion this week. If you are attempting this study, be kind

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Popper Cello Étude No. 31

Teaching Notes for Popper Cello Étude No. 31 Apart from some tricky thumb position exploration, double-stops, and all our favourite high-end of the cello playing, we explore ways to keep concentration up when doing something repetitive… especially towards the end when there is a very tricky passage (Sneaky Popper!) Don’t waste time practising the repeated

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