A book of exercises, advice, and original duets:
for teachers, students and those learning to teach.

Cello Ideas: A Practical Guide sets out to help a wide range of students and teachers, but is not intended for actual beginners. The more basic material, however, may be welcomed both by teachers and by players with access to few cello lessons, and by those training to teach, while the contents progress gradually towards ways of acquiring various virtuoso techniques.

The book is a collection of exercises and hints evolved by Penelope Lynex for pupils in lessons and which have proved their practical value over the years. Pupils, both adult and younger, as well as tutors, confirmed there was a need for a book of short exercises with clear explanations.

Some of the exercises are designed to develop a specific aspect of technique, which should then blend into one's movements as a whole, while others are more basic. Players must develop the independence of fingers, thumbs, wrist, etc., and this helps relaxation of muscles not needed at a given time. Some exercises are best played by the teacher and copied by the pupil; for instance, early bowing exercises.

There are also ten short original duets in which to use skills acquired, a section on the notation of harmonics, principles of fingering, and advice on maintaining one's technique. Cello Ideas: A Practical Guide is intended as a cellist's guide, and to complement other books the player may be using. The book has been made concise and practical with attractive exercises. It is offered to teacher and pupil teams in the hope that the contents may help them used in the way they find best, and possibly sparking off new methods of practice and ideas. It will hopefully encourage imagination and ingenious use of the material presented. This should also happen with the Technical Keep-In-Trim at the end of the book, which has on Penelope Lynex's tours proved to work wonders in minimum time.