Cello Lessons: Policies Essentials for Cello Students About the Teacher Return to MusicWords Home

Cello Lessons Offered by Jim Aikin

I teach private cello lessons in Livermore and Pleasanton, California. On Saturdays, I teach at Ingram & Brauns Musik Shoppe in Pleasanton (3160 Santa Rita Rd., corner of Santa Rita and West Las Positas, 925-462-3667). On Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday afternoons I teach at Fine Fretted Friends in Livermore (2175 First St., 925-606-1324). If you need information not provided in these pages, I hope you'll phone me at 925-447-2906, or email me at editor@musicwords.net.

Lessons are available both for younger students and for adults. The musical information I convey is the same in either case, but there are minor differences in policies, as explained on the policies page. Information on my own musical training and background can be found on the teacher page.

If I have no openings in my schedule, I'll be happy to put you on the waiting list or refer you to a good source for information on cello teachers in the East Bay.

My Pedagogical Approach. My primary emphasis is on giving beginning and intermediate students a thorough grounding in the fundamentals of cello technique -- a relaxed, comfortable hand position, correct intonation, bowing, and tone production. The basics of music (reading and counting) will be covered as needed. As the beginning student progresses, more advanced techniques, including position shifting, double stops, and phrasing, will be introduced. Students will be assigned pieces in the classical literature that are at a suitable level of difficulty.

I encourage students to identify their own musical goals. Many students seem to prefer a lesson plan based entirely on classical music. Others find that playing the cello is more fun when they can play popular songs and even learn how to improvise their own cello parts based on chord charts. Since I'm equally comfortable in the classical and popular idioms, I can work effectively with students in either area. Adult students may find this flexible, goal-centered approach especially welcome.

For beginning students, I usually work with the three-volume Belwin String Builder series from Belwin-Mills and the first volumes in the Suzuki cello series. Intermediate students progress through the Position Pieces books by Rick Mooney. If you're unable to find assigned cello music in the local store, I recommend Cellos2Go as a resource.