The Art of Cello Playing: A Complete Textbook Method for Private or Class Instruction

I’m a 40+ adult who has recently started learning the Cello. I used Amazon reviews to purchase several books and thought I would share what seems to be working for me. I meet with an instructor for 30 minutes a week, which is much too short for anything but corrections to my form. I’m renting an Eastman SV100 and am much more reliant on the books and Youtube (for sound rather than form) as I practice at home.Books purchased:The Art of Cello Playing by Louis Potter, Jr.- This is my primary instruction book at the moment and my go to source for relearning how to read music (flute player in a previous life, many, many moons ago and never learned to properly read music) as well as being a great source for practice. I do wish I had a CD/DVD with this since I tend to learn better when I can hear the music (remember that lack of learning to read music?!) The combination of this book with Cello Playing for Music Lovers has been very helpful and my instructor likes this book a lot.Cello Playing for Music Lovers by Vera Mattlin Jiji- The layout of this book is not very intuitive to me but I really appreciate the position maps along with the scales as well as the CD with sound clips for 95% of the music . It’s another introduction book but it has more depth and pacing for multiple years of instruction. Based on references from this book, I also purchased The Art of Cello Playing by Louis Potter, Jr.Suzuki Cello School Volume 1- Only purchased this because my instructor uses this method in our classes. In my opinion, it’s terrible for anyone who is trying to learn on their own unless you are much better at watching youtube for potential set up instruction than I am. Having said that, I am using this book for my practice in combination with The Art of Cello Playing, Cello Playing for Music Lovers and working with my instructor. I have found some great video clips on Youtube for each exercise in this book which I really appreciate since again, I need to hear how each piece is supposed to sound as I’m practicing.If I were only working on my own, I would probably get the String Builder by Samuel Applebaum ( and recommended by Jim Aikin in Picture Yourself Playing Cello).Picture Yourself Playing Cello by Jim Aikin- This is very good introduction for those of us who know nothing about the cello but are determined to learn it for whatever crazy reason driving you. I found it to be good for learning how to position your hands on the bow and general playing set up. I appreciated the DVD demonstrations and this book was very helpful for about two weeks. There is very little music included in the book but it’s great if you don’t have access to an instructor yet. I hope this helps other adults exploring the cello. I love it and have yet to master anything other than the scale in first position in sharps. Ok master is being generous. It takes time and practice. Lots of time and practice. Enjoy.

This is a great place to start learning to play cello if you have a little experience with music and the cello. Failing that consider:Cello Playing for Music Lovers - Vera Mattlin Jiji; which is a more basic beginners book.The Art of Cello Playing is aggressively paced but is a thorough guide to playing the cello. When you think you have learned everything from an exercise, play it again because there was probably more there to learn.Also consider: 170 Foundation Studies - Alwin Schroeder; There is no instruction other than the etudes, which are fantastic.

In my opinion "The Art of Cello Playing" it is based on long experience in successful cello instruction. Although I am a new cello player, I have played other string instruments in the past. The teaching is sequenced in a way that builds on skills step by step in a logical way. No method is , of course, ideal for every student or teacher. For instance other methods cover forward extensions before backward extensions and 2nd and 3rd position before 4th position. There appears to be both aural and physiological development reasons for the sequencing followed by Mr. Potter.On the suggestion side, a CD or download with the examples and accompaniment would be helpful.

Very good supplemental text for Dr. Jiji's 'all in one' Cello Playing for Music Lovers text, which recommends Potter's classic.  Cello Playing for Music Lovers: A Self-Teaching Method  I can see using this book for some years to come, as an avocational cellist. Reasonable for the amount of study music that it contains. Almost a 'Bible' of Cello.

I am self-teaching on cello having already taken lessons on bass. It is going very well, two years in. This book has been my #1 resource. It is clear, concise, and surprisingly comprehensive. It’s like having a wise, soft-spoken, older gentleman as a teacher.

This book culminates a top quality effort in pedagoy in cello technique. It is intended for beginners in the cello, but probably should be on every amateur cellist's book shelf as a valuable resource guide. There is probably a good three years worth of material here. I'll let you know when I finish it!This effort to present the art of playing the cello in a systematic way--a "cello method", however, both enhances and detracts from the lasting usefulness of this book. If you follow through this book step-by-step, and gain some proficiency in a topic prior to moving on to the next topic, you will eventually learn the cello.But the systematic presentation makes this book difficult to use in diagnosing difficulties in technique that are the result of improper form, or motion. The material is there, but sometimes it takes a good while to find the exact presentation you are looking for. But still, the author's insight into the difficulties students tend to accumulate are well worth the effort required to track it down. Who knows, maybe you will learn something else while you are perusing the book. But I find it difficult to come up with an approach that would accomadate this usage, so I do not criticise this. On the contrary, I think more non-beginning amateurs should get this book for this purpose! The effort is worthwhile.The only criticism of this book that I have is that it does use pictures to show posture, and so on. I am sure that in the early editions of this book, the pictures were wonderfully clear and illustrate the subtleties of form and posture precicely. But the current printing quality leaves a lot to be desired, sadly. It would be well worth someone's time to replace the pictures with line drawings, which do not lose content as the printing quality deteriorates. And a fingerboard chart would really be helpful.This book is a definite must!

Terrific gift! Easy transaction...!

older publication, but well organized for a student.photos and diagrams as well as finger position exercises. recommend.

Unlike some of the other books in the 'Art of ...' series, this book is a tutor/method which takes the adult beginner cellist from the very basics to a good standard of playing. This book will enable you to nail the fundamentals and develop a good technique. The book is priced sensibly at around £20 and you get your money's worth with 229 pages of solid tuition. Of course, using this book (and others of course) in conjunction with a good cello teacher is ideal, but in these times of coronavirus lockdown, this is not possible. So what better way to spend your time during lockdown than learning to play the cello by following the excellent tuition provided by this book in conjunction perhaps with the many teaching videos on YouTube.

Comprehensive cover from beginners to advanced

The book pays attention to details in word and illustration. I'm particularly fond of the language used as it is something I can hang onto when practicing. Expensive but worth it.

just what I'd hoped for - a series of progressively more difficult 'etudes' --- ["studies"] starting with the basics and working up.This will keep me going for a couple of years at least.

a great resource for the student player and the teacher as well: easy to read, clear, full of examples, pictures and repertoire's source. it's a pity do not have an italian version available for not english speaking people. very usefull in spite of the age...