theCellist’s

Guide to FinGerindependenCe

The Finger Independence Works of D.C. Dounis

Written and Arranged for Cello by

Javier Sinha

Copyright © 2015 by Carl Fischer, LLCInternational Copyright Secured.

All rights reserved including performing rights.WARNING! This publication is protected by Copyright law. To photocopy or reproduce byany method is an infringement of the Copyright law. Anyone who reproduces copyrighted

matter is subject to substantial penalties and assessments for each infringement.Printed in the U.S. A.BF102 ISBN 978-0-8258-9957-7

table oF Contents

Preface ................................................................................................................. 2

Chapter 1. Introduction .................................................................................. 3Chapter 2. A Brief Biography of D.C. Dounis .............................................. 4Chapter 3. The Dounis Principles of Violin Playing................................... 6Chapter 4. The Dounis Left-Hand Technique ............................................. 8Chapter 5. The Principles of Finger Independence ................................... 10Chapter 6. Finger Independence Exercises ................................................. 12

Conclusion ........................................................................................................ 76Bibliography ..................................................................................................... 76sam

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Chapter 1: introduCtionThe problem of finger independence has plagued

musicians for years, and many musicians have blamed the unequal length, strength, and independence of the fin-gers for creating some of the greatest difficulties on their instrument. There is a well-known story (although most likely false) that the famous pianist and composer Robert Schumann gravely injured his hand using a machine to aid him in achieving independence of the third finger (known as the fourth finger to pianists). Schumann was not the only famous musician to be concerned over finger inde-pendence. Pablo Casals, the famous Catalan cellist, also focused on finger independence and stressed the impor-tance of developing it.1 In fact, Casals was loath to use his fourth finger (the weakest and shortest finger) unless it was required, noting his lack of security with it.2

The fact that even Casals, one of the leading cel-lists of the twentieth century, did not trust all his fingers equally prompts the question: how can a musician gain complete independence of all the fingers? This question has been asked and answered by many famous musi-cians who have written about it in technique books and treatises. For the piano, notable players who have written exercises to develop finger independence are Liszt, Hanon, Brahms, Dohnanyi, and Cortot. For the violin, Flesch, Auer, and the subject of this book, D.C. Dounis. Unfor-tunately, in regards to cello playing, there have not been many players who concerned themselves over the issue, and the few who have did not tackle the problem fully, with most of the exercises being very rudimentary.

1 David Blum, Casals and the Art of Interpretation (Berkeley: University of California Press, 1980): 131.

2 Sada and Samuel Applebaum, The Way They Play Book 1 (Neptune City: Paganiniana Publications, 1972): 277.

As far as string playing is concerned, D.C. Dounis has developed some of the most comprehensive and detailed finger-independence exercises available. Dounis’ focus is on the cerebral aspect and the mental control over the fingers. Noting the lack of material for cellists to develop this important and underappreciated facet of left-hand technique, this book will translate the exercises and works that Dounis wrote for the violin into a playable “school of finger independence” for the cello.

This book is meant to provide a careful analysis of the principles of finger independence, and a method to achieve complete control over the fingers of the left hand. These exercises have been devised in such a way as to require constant mental effort and concentration to per-form. Thus, the most important benefit from this type of practice is that the player trains the hand and fingers to respond precisely to mental impulses. With this ability, it is the will of the player that determines the sound that will emerge from the instrument, not simply muscle memory gained and maintained through endless repetition.

Training the independence of the fingers teaches the cellist how to analyze physical problems at the instrument, and how to overcome them logically, step by step. This skill is one of the most important for the cellist who wishes to build up technique. These exercises are exceedingly dif-ficult, and unlike some etudes that once mastered are put on a shelf to be forgotten, these finger independence drills are meant to be studied throughout a lifetime. As a result of careful and deliberate practice of this book, the cellist should be able to play even the trickiest of left-hand pas-sages with apparent ease. It is my sincere belief that every cellist, from the beginning student to the experienced virtuoso, can find something to gain from practicing these exercises.

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Chapter 6: FinGer independenCe exerCisesrelaxation when applicable. One will greatly benefit from this kind of practice, because the ability to maintain com-plete control of the bow as one focuses on the seemingly impossible task of the left hand will ensure that no tricky left-hand passage will cause a lapse in a beautiful tone.

The Preliminary ExercisesThe Preliminary Exercises have been adapted from

Dounis’ work, The Dounis Violin Players’ Daily Dozen to Keep the Violinist Technically Fit for the Day’s Work, Op. 20 (1925). This is a work Dounis wrote to be practiced at the beginning of each day. Dounis believed that it normally takes the average violinist two or more hours of prac-tice before he or she feels at ease at the instrument once again.82 He felt that this was too much time, and that the violinist’s feeling of ease and surety should be regained within minutes. Thus, these exercises were designed to, as Dounis says, “Get the player into form in a very short space of time and keep him fit for the day’s work.”83 It is the first exercise that will be explored in this book, which trains the independence of the fingers at an elementary level focusing on the up-and-down (trill) motion.

In The Violin Players’ Daily Dozen, Dounis defines two hand positions: the “easy” and the “hard” positions. The easy position leaves the hand in its most natural setting, with the longer fingers farther away and the short fourth finger kept close to the palm. This is the hand position used for playing octaves, sixths and tenths. In the hard position, the shorter fourth finger is placed on the farthest string, and the rest of the fingers are placed consecutively from the fourth finger back. This is the position used for thirds and fourths.

Directions for Practicing the Preliminary ExercisesThe Preliminary Exercises are a simple introduction to

finger independence. This chapter focuses on developing elementary independence, which will be used as a foun-dation for more difficult exercises. For convenience, the music has been written on two staves, with the top staff indicating the fingers that should be held down for the duration of the measure, while the bottom staff should be silently fingered by the remaining finger(s).

The rules for practice are fairly straightforward. First, pick one letter (A, B, C, etc.) and practice both the easy and hard versions. It is important to practice the letters in the order given and not to move on to the next letter until the previous is mastered, since they are arranged in order of increasing difficulty. Finally, do not use the bow, and make sure that the right hand remains relaxed during practice.

82 Demetrius Constantine Dounis, The Dounis Violin Players’ Daily Dozen, Op. 20. (New York: Harms Inc., 1925): 2.

83 Demetrius Constantine Dounis, The Dounis Violin Players’ Daily Dozen, Op. 20. (New York: Harms Inc., 1925): 2.

How To Practice These ExercisesTo begin, there are several general rules of practice

which should apply to all the finger independence exer-cises in this book. First and foremost, try to cultivate at all times a feeling of ease and comfort while playing. For the left hand, the most efficient way to ensure this is to main-tain a free and smooth vibrato at all times. Because sus-taining an even and continuous vibrato requires a relaxed and balanced hand, this is one of the best methods to help avoid any stiffness in the fingers.

There are several other ways that can help to avoid excess left hand tension. First, keep the left hand rounded and maintain this curve of the hand throughout the ex-ercises. Along with this, make sure that the fingers of the left hand do not use too much force when coming down on the string. They should press down on the string with very little pressure. Remember that when bringing the fingers down on the string, gravity helps to pull the fingers down, and thus it should be a passive motion. It is also im-portant to avoid pressing against the neck with the thumb. A relaxed and tension-free hand is the ideal for ease of playing and accuracy, especially for exercises such as these.

Next, it is important to only practice exercises from one section at a time, and to never practice more than fifteen to twenty minutes. The hand is full of small, precise muscles, and overworking them can be a serious concern, leading to injuries such as tendonitis or carpal tunnel syndrome. This means that if any strain is felt, stop imme-diately and let the hand relax.

Do not move on until the current exercise is mastered. As previously mentioned, finger independence is a life-time’s work, and there is nothing to be gained by rushing through the exercises. Once an exercise is mastered as written, rather than immediately moving on, the cellist should change the rhythm to add difficulty. Many tech-nical problems are rooted in a lack of proper rhythmic control, and while some rhythmic variants are included in this book, it would be impractical to include every pos-sibility. Thus, the cellist should find opportunities to alter the rhythms to dotted notes, triplets, and syncopated rhythms to focus on controlling the rhythmic impulses of the fingers.

Another way to add difficulty, and to avoid monotony, is to shift the hand to a different position on the finger-board, forcing the cellist to change the stretch between the fingers. The finger motions will remain the same, only the interval from the fingers to the open string will have changed. Dounis himself suggested this in his work, Chro-matic Double Stops, and this simple technique can help to keep the same exercises feeling fresh.

A final note: When attempting these exercises it may be helpful to focus on right-hand smoothness, evenness, and

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A

Easy PositionPreliminary Studies

B

C

D E

F G

c

c

432

431

421

1 0

2 03 0

321

43

41

4 01

22 3

21

42 3

1

3 41

32 4

42 3

1

3

1

0

0

4

2

0

0

3

1

4

2

32

41

4

1

0

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3

2

0

0

4

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AHard Position

B

C

D E

F G

123

124

134

40

3 02 0

234

12

14

1 04

33 2

34

13 2

4

2 1 4 23 1

13 2

4

2

4

0

0

1

3

0

0

2

4

1

3

23

14

1

4

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0

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1.

Book 1First Fundamental Exercise

1 2Nineteen Modifications

3 4

5 6 7

8 9 10

II

2 2 2 2

0

I

3 0 3

III

1 1 1 1

2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2

0 3 0 3 0 3 0 3

1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1

2 2 2 2 2 2

0 3 0 3 0 3

1 1 1 1 1 1

2 2 2 2 2 2

0 3 0 3 0 3

1 1 1 1 1 1

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11 12 13

14 15 16

17 18 19

1 2Eleven Simple Variants

3

2 2 2 2 2 2

0 3 0 3 0 3

1 1 1 1 1 1

2 2 2 2 2 2

0 3 0 3 0 3

1 1 1 1 1 1

2 2 2 2 2 2

0 3 0 3 0 3

1 1 1 1 1 1

2 23 3 3 3

0 3 02

02

1 1 1 1 1 1

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4 5

6 7 8

9 10 11

First Fundamental Exercisein Thumb Position

1 1 1 1

0 3 0 3

2 2 2 2

3 3 3 3 1 1

0 1 0 1 02

2 2 2 23 3

1 12 2 2 2

02 0 1 0 1

3 3 3 3 3 3

II

2 2 2 2

I

3 3

III

1 1 1 1

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1 2 3Nineteen Modifications

4

5 6 7

8 9 10

11 12 13

2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2

3 3 3 3

1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1

2 2 2 2 2 2

3 3 3

1 1 1 1 1 1

2 2 2 2 2 2

3 3 3

1 1 1 1 1 1

2 2 2 2 2 2

3 3 3

1 1 1 1 1 1

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14 15 16

17 18 19

1 2Eleven Simple Variants

3

4 5

6 7

2 2 2 2 2 2

3 3 3

1 1 1 1 1 1

2 2 2 2 2 2

3 3 3

1 1 1 1 1 1

2 2 3 3 3 3

3

2 2

1 1 1 1 1 1

1 1 1 1

3 3

2 2 2 2

3 3 3 3

1 1

2 2 2 2

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