I am so very excited to announce that after a decade of work, I’m finally publishing the first couple of books of my cello method! I have worked with cellists of all ages and abilities and have been developing my teaching method based on my experiences. I am glad to now be able to share it with other cellists and teachers, so they can have great learning experiences with quality materials.
Beginner Method
Western Classical Music for Beginning Cellists is a cello method that is designed to be accessible to neurodiverse and neurotypical learners alike. A lot of care has been taken to ensure that the music is formatted so that it is clean and clear for all to read. The books are in PDF form and formatted for easy reading on a tablet and for printing on US-Letter or A4 paper.
The collection of 4 books contain:
- 70 warm-ups
- 560 sight-reading exercises
- 20 newly-composed cello solos
- 20 newly-composed cello duets
- 26 composition opportunities
Western Classical Music for Beginner Cellists Books 1, 2, 3, and the scores (including audio tracks) are all available for purchase at patreon.com/samscellostudio. You can buy the books in the shop, or you can become a member at any level to gain access to the studio’s entire music library.
Sample Pages
These are sample pages from Western Classical Music for Beginner Cellists, book 1. They include the cover, 2/4 warm-ups, 2/4 sight-reading, C major warm-ups, C major sight-reading, and the piece Hop, Hop, Hop for cello solo by Sam Araya.
Intermediate Method
I am currently working on the intermediate level books of my cello method with release date TBA. Can’t wait? Join my Patreon to get sneak peaks of music as I compose and arrange them.
Pitch Level Guide
Here are the pitches covered in each level of Sam’s Cello Method.
| Level | Range | Key Signatures | Chromaticism |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beginner 1 | first octave | 1 sharp – 1 flat | – |
| Beginner 2 | first octave | 2 sharps – 2 flats | – |
| Beginner 3 | second octave | 2 sharps – 2 flats | – |
| Intermediate 1 | first and second octaves | 2 sharps – 2 flats | accidentals |
| Intermediate 2 | first and second octaves | 3 sharps – 3 flats | accidentals |
| Intermediate 3 | first and second octaves, and lower | 3 sharps – 3 flats | accidentals |
| Advanced | first, second, and third octaves | 4 sharps – 4 flats | key changes accidentals |
| Expert | All | All | key changes accidentals |
Rhythm Level Guide
Here are the rhythms covered in each level of Sam’s Cello Method.
| level | 2/4 | 2/2 | 3/4 | 6/8 | 4/4 | others | misc. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beginner 1 | half quarter eighth | whole half quarter | – | – | – | – | |
| Beginner 2 | half quarter eighth | whole half quarter | dotted half half quarter eighth | dotted half dotted quarter eighth | – | – | |
| Beginner 3 | half dotted quarter quarter eighth | whole dotted half half quarter | dotted half half dotted quarter quarter eighth | dotted half dotted quarter quarter eighth | – | – | |
| Intermediate 1 | half dotted quarter quarter eighth | whole dotted half half quarter | dotted half half dotted quarter quarter eighth | dotted half dotted quarter quarter eighth | whole dotted half half dotted quarter quarter eighth | – | tie across barline pick-up |
| Intermediate 2 | half dotted quarter quarter dotted eighth eighth sixteenth | whole dotted half half dotted quarter quarter eighth | dotted half half dotted quarter quarter dotted eighth eighth sixteenth | dotted half dotted quarter quarter dotted eighth eighth sixteenth | whole dotted half half dotted quarter quarter dotted eighth eighth sixteenth | ornaments tie across barline pick-up |
|
| Intermediate 3 | half dotted quarter quarter dotted eighth eighth sixteenth | whole dotted half half dotted quarter quarter eighth | dotted half half dotted quarter quarter dotted eighth eighth sixteenth | dotted half dotted quarter quarter dotted eighth eighth sixteenth | whole dotted half half dotted quarter quarter dotted eighth eighth sixteenth | ornaments tie across barline pick-up |
|
| Advanced | half dotted quarter quarter dotted eighth eighth dotted sixteenth sixteenth thirty-second | whole dotted half half dotted quarter quarter dotted eighth eighth sixteenth | dotted half half dotted quarter quarter dotted eighth eighth dotted sixteenth sixteenth thirty-second | dotted half dotted quarter quarter dotted eighth eighth dotted sixteenth sixteenth thirty-second | whole dotted half half dotted quarter quarter dotted eighth eighth dotted sixteenth sixteenth thirty-second | 6/4, 3/8, 9/8, 12/8 | tuplets time signature changes ornaments tie across barline pick-up |
| Expert | All rhythms | All rhythms | All rhythms | All rhythms | All rhythms | any time signature | tuplets time signature changes ornaments tie across barline pick-up |
Also available: sheet music, music by underrepresented composers, and cello lessons for learners and teacher.