My name is Diana and we are here at the International School of Music in Bethesda, Maryland. In this clip we will be learning the song Lightly Row. It's a great song to get started with. It uses just the A and the D strings on the cello and uses basically fingers one, three, and four.

So we'll start out on the A string. I'll go each line at a time and say the note names as well as playing it so that you are acquainted with what your left hand is doing.

So it starts on the A string with the note A. I'll just say through the note names first and then I'll play it so that you can hear how the two correspond. It's A, F sharp, F sharp, G, E, E, D, E, F sharp, G, A, A, A. So now I'll play that same part.

[Music]The second line starts out the same way and has a different ending in the last two measures. So this line is A, F sharp, F sharp, F sharp, G, E, E, E, D, F sharp, A, A, F sharp, F sharp, F sharp. And playing that sounds like.

[Music]Going on to the third line we begin with the note E, which is first finger. So notes for this line are E, E, E, E, E, F sharp, G, F sharp, F sharp, F sharp, F sharp, F sharp, G, A.

[Music]And the last line of the piece is almost identical to the second line and just has a different ending. So this one goes, A, F sharp, F sharp, F sharp, G, E, E, E, D, F sharp, A, A, D, D, D.

[Music]So as you noticed we use basically fingers one, three, and four and when you have fourth finger down, you want to have all of the other fingers down with it. If you are playing three fingers or the third finger, the first three fingers will be down. And with first finger it's obvious the others will be in the air.

In the next clip we will be covering the bow hold with the right hand and how to hold the bow.