The cello-academy offers you comprehensive information about playing the cello on all levels.
Beginners, advanced players or even professionals can find instructions and demonstrations which enhance their actual standard of playing.
Hans “Enke” Zentgraf is the demonstrating and explaining cellist in the videos. He is known as a so called three-letter-man: a fine soloist, chamber-musician and pedagogue. Furthermore he has broad experience in orchestral playing, so that you can rely entirely on what he offers you.
Cello Online Lessons
Introduction to our Concept – Enhance your Cello Playing Skills!
Explaining the cello-academy.com and presenting elaborate examples.
You can play simple pieces with piano if your pianist is on vacation.
All lessons are videos of about 15 minutes duration. All you need is a decent connectivity to the world wide web. You take your lessons whenever you like.
AND: It is free. Completely.
For our considerable efforts, we kindly ask those who can afford it, for a voluntary donation.
Do not hesitate to ask anything concerning playing and practising cello. Your question can be interesting for others as well. All questions I will personally answer on Facebook, so that everybody will benefit in the best case.
Our Lessons
Beginners Course
| Beginners I | The cello, bow grip, right arm motion, playing open strings |
| Beginners II | The left hand up to the socalled fourth position |
| Beginners III | Both hands together, change of positions |
| Beginners IV | Harmonics, tuning the cello, three finger positions, thumb position |
| Beginners V | Vibrato, playing loudly and softly, the “crooked” bow, combinations |
| Beginners VI | Hans Zentgraf plays the four easy Lee-Etudes |
Cello Technique
| Scale I | What we need to do, in order to play an even scale |
| Scale II | How to work with a scale. The three octave scale. |
| Duport, Etude g-minor | A lovely etude developing your right arm to highest standards |
| Double-Stops | The fascinating world of practising double-stops |
| Shifting I | The basic principles of changing positions |
| Shifting I I | Only available on the Cello Academy website |
| Fingerboard I | The fingerboard is examined and a new system of positions presented |
| Fingerboard II | Only available on the Cello Academy website |
Play with Piano
| PlayWithPiano I | “Waterfall” + “Daydreaming” |
| PlayWithPiano II | “Windscreen Wipers” + Lollipop Man” |
| PlayWithPiano III | “Halloween” + “Weeping Willow” |
| PlayWithPiano IV | “Mellow Cello” + “Moto Perpetuo” |
| PlayWithPiano V | “Cossacks” + “Tarantella” |
| PlayWithPiano VI | “Morning Stroll” + “The Joker” |
| PlayWithPiano VII | “On Winter’s Eve” + “Thieves and Policeman” |
Cello Repertoire
| Cello-Repertoire I | Hans Zentgraf demonstrates and analyses J.S.Bach’s Allemande for Cello solo |
| Cello-Repertoire II | Hans Zentgraf demonstrates and analyses Reger’s Largo for cello solo on cello and piano |
| Cello-Repertoire III | Hans Zentgraf plays and talks about the first movement of Beethoven’s A major sonata |
| Cello-Repertoire IV | Bach, Bourrées in C |
| Cello-Repertoire V | Bach, Bourree I+II (only available on the Cello Academy website) |
Harvey Shapiro (only available here)
| Shapiro 29 | Masterclass Engelberg | Rachmaninoff Sonata, Boccherini Sonata, Schumann Concerto |
| Shapiro 30 | Masterclass Engelberg | Bach Sixth Suite, Haydn Concerto in D, Tschaikowsky Rokoko, Strauss Sonata |
| Shapiro 28 | Masterclass Engelberg | Schumann Concerto, Bach Sixth Suite |
