The Two Octaves Book for Cello

As a professional cellist and private teacher, this is by far my favorite scale book overall. It will carry a student from late beginner to intermediate. There’s a whole page For every scale (Major and minor)- the straightforward scale at the top and then several variations separated by double bar lines. The opposite page has broken thirds in the same key (also with variations). I find that the variations are too difficult for beginners but great for intermediate students who already know their scales but are working on mastery before moving to 3-octave scales.Two minor drawbacks to this book: there is no table of contents, which becomes a problem because I don’t like the way the book is organized. It’s difficult to find the scales you’ll use most because It’s grouped using parallel keys not relative keys; so d minor comes right after D major. But keys that share the same key signature, like D Major and b minor are like 15 pages apart.

Extra points for a binding that lays flat on the stand. I usually have to have the office supply store cut off the binding and add a comb or spiral, but this book came ready to use, no extra hassle or $.I also like the rhythm and bowing challenges that spice up the scale practice and get one ready for orchestra and other realities of cello life.That said, for me this would have been a better second scale book because of the added challenges. I see nothing wrong with learning the scales first, then usimg this book, which adds the real-world layers of rhythms and bowings. For me, as a first book, this was frustrating. Other reviewers here don't seem to have that issue, so good for them. Maybe I am a wimp. But if this book is too hard for you to do one scale exercise group (2 pages) per week, and play it well, in tune and with a metronome (in your head or actual), then I suggest learning the straight scales very well first. I was very frustrated with the weekly "fails" and I think my teacher wanted me to feel incompetent so I would keep taking lessons. I hate to say that, but I'm not sure why else she would have continued to make me try to learn scales using this book. (And I should say that I had to actually play them the first time through, at tempo, which I think was the problem. Take your time and learn slowly, then up the tempo.) I took a break (and ended up finding a new and better teacher) and became very comfortable with straight scales first, to the point where I could play them in Circle of Fifths order without stopping, from memory. This book was then very helpful for me to add the layers and I liked it a lot. So consider yourself talented if you can learn scales, rhythms, and bowings all at the same time. I am a klutz and had to come back to it. The exercises are excellent and will help get you up to speed on pieces for solo or orchestra.

I played cello all through high school, but haven't touched it in 30-years. My ear is pretty good, but my fingering (and sore fingers -ouch!) and even bass-clef music reading ability have gone out the window. This book is just what I need to "relearn" what I've lost. I'm not an absolute beginner, but I think this is going to start me out in just the right place.

What this book includes: Four pages of two-octave scale exercises for each and every key. Each key section includes one page of major scale exercises, one page of broken-thirds exercises in the major key, one page of scale exercises in melodic minor, and one page of arpeggios in both major and minor. At the end are a few pages of chromatic and harmonic minor scales. The book comes with spiral binding for easy use.What is this book good for: I'm an amateur adult cellist who returned to the instrument this summer after a long layoff, and his book helped me regain my command of the fingerboard and my intonation so I could join a community orchestra that plays challenging repertoire. The best way I can describe the book is by analogy: if typical scale and exercise books are like eating your vegetables, then this book is a well-composed, deliciously dressed salad. The scale exercises don't merely run you up and down the scales/thirds/arpeggios, but also include mid-scale turns and skips between different parts of the scale--like you find in actual music! The exercises also include basic and intermediate rhythmic and bowing variations, so I was able to shake the rust off my bowing and left-hand/right-hand coordination while practicing the scales.This book is great for cellists who need to quickly regain command of the instrument after time off. Each key section is a great warmup before practicing or playing music in that particular key. This would be a great scale book for adult learners once they've mastered the basics of the instrument, as well as for older children and teenagers as an introduction to scale and technique study. Ms. Harvey has written many cello technique books, each taking a similar pedagogical approach but aimed at different aspects of technique and different skill levels. If this book interests you, I'd check out her website and her other books!

I have enough background in music to figure out questions that arise with the use of this book. So, for me, it's not a big issue. However, by including some basic explanations, rudimentary music tutoring, the author would do a great service to those who can't afford or have no access to formal instruction. All of Harvey's books are like this, and yet it would be so simple for someone with obvious musical knowledge to include these things. If you don't need any explanations, you won't care. If you do, they would be there. Either way, it's going to make all buyers happy.

I like this collection of scales because of the variety in how the scales are written to be played (rhythm and bowing). This makes it challenging, so one is mindful when playing scales, and interesting, so working on them is enjoyable as an adult learner. I wish there was a table of contents or a different organization to the order of scale presentation. Some of this might be to save pages (major and minor keys share a page for the arpeggios).