20 Progressive Solos for String Instruments: Cello Book

These solos work because they're designed by someone who spent time in actual rehearsal rooms and understood what motivates cellists to keep practicing. Each piece targets specific technical territory without feeling didactic, and the progression across the book means you can pull exactly what your students need at any given point in the year. The piano accompaniment transforms solo practice into something closer to chamber music, which shifts the entire experience from mechanical to musical.

The collection spans from folk-like simplicity to more expressive character pieces, often drawing on familiar musical idioms that feel approachable without sacrificing depth. You'll move through lyrical passages, rhythmic studies, and melodic writing that rewards careful shaping and breath-like phrasing.

String directors looking for a cohesive collection that moves beginners toward intermediate players, as well as individual cellists preparing for solo festivals or contests. These solos also serve mixed-ability string classes where you need pieces at multiple difficulty levels from a single source.

• Build awareness of how the accompaniment supports your line. Listen to the recorded piano part first with full attention so you understand where the harmonic movement happens and where your voice has space to breathe.
• Pay attention to the distinct character Applebaum gives each piece. Some ask for lyrical phrasing; others emphasize rhythmic clarity. Let the style guide your bow choices rather than defaulting to one approach across all 20 pieces.
• When shifting into third position appears in later solos, practice the shift away from the piano first. Once the physical motion is secure, bring the accompaniment back and listen for how the shift should serve the phrase, not interrupt it.
• Treat the early solos as opportunities to refine fundamental tone production and intonation. These pieces reward clarity and resonance as much as any advanced work does.

Use these solos as a year-long solo development sequence for your intermediate cellists, assigning one piece every week or two for practice and informal performance. They also work well as a recruitment tool for younger players watching advanced students perform at concerts. For festivals and contests, the range of difficulty means you can assign each student something at their appropriate level from the same trusted source.

• Rhythmic accuracy across dotted rhythms, syncopation, and simple mixed meters
• Left-hand agility and intonation in higher positions, including third position
• Bow control across legato and articulated passages
• Vibrato application and stylistic expression
• Ability to track harmonic movement and shape phrases musically with accompaniment
• Confidence performing solo repertoire in front of an audience