Simple finger exercises are a great way for a cellist to warm up or ease into a practice session. One ideal finger exercise is to simply go back to basics with scales. Begin by playing the lower, simpler scales and move through all of your currently known scales, running them up as high as possible and then back down in descending order. You can also vary this by simply playing major-third intervals from lowest scale to highest and back again, and do the same with other or minor intervals.
Scales and intervals are basics for most classical musicians, but they're a great way to ensure that your foundation remains strong. While you practice these exercises, listen carefully to ascertain whether you are achieving consistently accurate and clean, distinctly separate notes. Mentally note where you are slightly sharp or flat, for instance, and practice that scale again until the notes are perfect. Try speeding up the scale each time you master it perfectly, and see how fast you can play.
As an alternative to basics like scales or intervals, every cellist has a selection of etudes that help to emphasize and strengthen different keys, approaches and skills. Practice these etudes as written, then experiment by elongating the notes to work on bowing or endurance, or by speeding them up and playing them in double-time to test your speed and accuracy.
Other great finger exercises for accuracy include repeating different finger patterns from finger to finger and string to string, moving from low to high, and varying the patterns each time, from 1-2-3-4, to 1-3-2-4, to 4-3-2-1 and more.
Practice your cello-plucking skills by plucking out your scales instead of bowing them and then doing the same with your intervals. Pizzicato practice also offers intermediate cellists a unique way to listen to fingering and to ensure that it's as accurate as possible. With this in mind, practice your favorite music pieces without bowing but simply by pizzicato (or plucking) instead. You may discover a few subtle notes where your fingering is not consistently on pitch and that you might have missed if concentrating on bowing.
While etudes and scales are invaluable finger exercises, there's no real substitute for a melody you love. Pick out a piece that speaks to you, and work through that piece section by section or bit by bit until you are able to play it note for note and at performance speed.
This can be an especially valuable approach for older children or adults learning the cello because the ability to play a song or piece you love will strengthen your commitment to advancing on the cello and becoming a better performer.
Best of all, the diligent practice of a piece you love will not only give you insight into the piece on a musical level, but you will eventually find that you are able to play from memory, and once muscle-memory sets in, you will be able to bring real richness, nuance and musicality to the piece in a brand-new way.
Finger exercises are not just for the fingering hand, however--the bowing hand is equally important for cellists.
One important skill for any cellist to achieve is bowing that is lyrical, beautiful and consistently scratch-free. To eliminate scratches and keep your bowing clean and clear, simply practice drawing your bow back and forth slowly and evenly 10 or 20 times on each successive string. Next, try the same exercise, but in short, even staccato bursts that are just as clean and unscratchy.
It's also important to take some time to practice double-stops that are just as even, beautiful and smooth. Double-stops can be more challenging to achieve cleanly because they involve playing two strings at once, so practice drawing the bow slowly back and forth again, but this time in chords (or double-stops). Concentrate on keeping the pressure of your bow even on both strings from start to finish, moving from the lower strings on up.