Live group lessons via Zoom every fortnight

Learn tunes and how to accompany them

Be guided through melodies of every style. We will use Irish, other traditional tunes, classical melodies, rock, folk, and basically anything that can be played on the cello. We look at chords and learn how to accompany the tunes. In learning the melodies, and developing your accompaniment skills, you develop your arranging and composition skills and find a way to play with any music in any situation. We explore the techniques, harmonic concepts and challenges the tunes present. We practice learning by heart, or practice sight-reading by using the music provided.

Warm-Ups & Chords

Tips for a better practice session and accompanying others

Warm-ups that work are essential to help you sound better when you practice and play. These short sessions will give you new ideas to work on each month and help you explore and develop your technique. The warm-ups include CHORD studies and exploration to help you develop your theory in an easy and practical way. You will start to hear new ideas to add to the music you play, arrange and accompany.

Course curriculum

    1. About the Lessons and technical tips

    2. Calendar & Link for Club Hang & Lessons Oct/Nov

    1. Warm up No.1

    2. Warm up No. 2

    3. Warm up No.3 Twisting the Rope

    4. Warm up No.4 Banana Bowing

    5. Whole Tone Scale Exploration

    6. Bowing Exercises on Open Strings

    7. Intonation Tip

    8. Study in Sixths - Bb Major Scale in 6ths

    1. Chords I - V - vi - IV

    2. Chords - The Andalusian Cadence

    3. Chords - Turnaround in E major

    1. C drone CELLO

    2. C drone TANPURA

    3. C#/D flat drone TANPURA

    4. D drone TANPURA

    5. D#/E flat drone TANPURA

    6. E drone

    7. F drone

    8. F# drone

    9. G drone

    10. G#/A flat drone

    11. A drone

    12. Bb drone

    13. B drone

    1. Boogie Woogie Piano Backing in C FAST!

    2. Boogie Woogie Piano Backing in C SLOW!

    1. Beyond the Dots in F

    2. Beyond the Dots in F (faster feel)

    3. Beyond the Dots in G

About this course

  • 114.5 hours of video content

Lessons and Warm-Ups lead by Ilse de Ziah

MA (Hons) Music Ilse de Ziah

I love to help cellists find new approaches to playing cello. I have been running the Cello Club for three years. It is full of inspiration and great ideas. I love it! I ran many workshops for cellists and other string players over the years, taught chamber music at University College Cork, musical director of the Cork Light Orchestra, a member of the contemporary 'deep listening' Quiet Music Ensemble. I tour as duo De Ziah & Date with the virtuosic guitarist Ian Date. I also work in theatre and make films. I play cello in many different styles, from Irish, Jazz, Rock and Roll to Classical. This has given me a broad experience of getting the most out of the cello. I am always exploring new ideas and ways to push cello boundaries! I saw a need for quality solo pieces that are challenging but not impossible, sound great, develop technique and are perfect for performance and I compose, arrange and publish this music. I create music for cellists, so that when someone asks, "play for me, I love the cello", there is an alternative to Bach. (beautiful though he is!) I help students improve through playing music they love; to develop technique, style, memory, and confidence.

Pricing includes access to everything!

Pay Monthly or Yearly

  • $52.00 / month

    Cello Club

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  • $520.00 / year

    Cello Club

    Yearly membership gives you two months FREE
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