3 Octave Major Scales (Sharps)

C Major (No # or b)
œ b b
? œ œ œ œ œ 0 1 2

œ œ œ œ Ó
0 1 3 4 0 1 3 4 0 1 2 4 4 1 2 4 1 2 3

œ œ œ œ & œ œ œ
Vc.
œ œ œ œ œ
b b
G Major (F#)
œ œ # œ œ b b 3 4

œ
1

œ œ œ œ #œ œ Ó
7 2 4

? #œ œ
1

œ œ œ œ
0 1 3 4 0 1 3 4 0 1 2 1 2 1 2 3

Vc.
œ œ œ œ & œ

b b b
œ
D Major ( F#, C#)
13
œ œ œ # œ
? # œ #œ œ Ó
1 3 4

œ œ & œ #œ œ œ œ
1 x2 x4 0 1 x2 x4 0 1 3 4 0 1 3 1 2 1 2 3

œ œ œ #œ
œ œ #œ
Vc.

b b # œ œb b b
œ œ # œ
1 2 3
A Major (F#, C#, G#)

? œ #œ œ œ #œ #œ œ œ # œ #œ #œ œ
1 3
19
œ
1 3

œ
2 3

&œ
#œ Ó
1 x2 4 0 1 x2 x4 0 1 2 1 2 1

Vc. œ

b b b
E Major (F#, C#, G#, D#)
b# œ # œ œ b b b
œ œ
25
#œ œ Ó
1 3 4

? #œ œ #œ œ #œ #œ
1 x2 4 1 x2 x4 1 2 4 1 2 4 1 2 1 2 1 2 3

œ #œ & #œ #œ œ
œ #œ #œ œ
Vc.

b b
b b œ # œb# œ œ # œ # œ b b
B Major (F#, C#, G#, D#, A#) (Enharmonic to Cb Major)
# œ œ 2 3

œ #œ #œ # œ œ Ó
1

? œ #œ #œ œ #œ #œ #œ
4
31 1 2 1 2 3

#œ
4

#œ
1 x2 x4 1 x2 x4 1 2 1 2 1 2

Vc. &

bb b # œ b# œ # œ # œ b b b
F# Major (F#, C#, G#, D#, A#, E#) (Enharmonic to Gb Major)

#œ œ
3 4

#œ Ó
37
#œ #œ
1

? #œ #œ
2 4

#œ #œ œ #œ
1 x2 4 1 x2 4 1 2 4 1 1 2 1 2 1 2 3

#œ & #œ #œ
Vc.
#œ #œ #œ œ

b b b b b b b
C# Major (F#, C#, G#, D#, A#, E#, B#) (Enharmonic to Db Major)
43
#œ #œ #œ # œ 1 3 4

? #œ #œ #œ #œ #œ Ó
1 x2 x4 1 x2 x4 1 2 4 1 2 4 1 3 1 2 1 2 3

#œ #œ #œ #œ & #œ #œ #œ #œ
# œ # œ # œ #œ #œ
Vc.

Patel 2011
 3 Octave Major Scales (Flats)
b œ œb b b
2

œ
F Major (Bb)
œ
4

b œ
3

œ œ œ œ œ œ Ó
49 low1 2 1

? œ œ b œ œ
4 0 1 2 4 0 1 2 4 0 1 2 1 2 1 2 3

Vc.
œ œ œ b œ œ & œ œ

b b b
œ œ œ b œ b b
3

b œ
1 2

œ œ bœ
Bb Major (Bb, Eb) 4

? œ œ bœ œ œ œ bœ œ œ
1 2

œ
low1 3
55
b œ
2 1 2

œ œ
low1

Ó
2 4 0 2 4 0 1 2 1 2

Vc. bœ &

b
Eb Major (Bb, Eb, Ab) b œ b œb b b
bœ bœ œ
3
61
œ œ bœ Ó
1 4

? œ b œ œ b œ œ
2 4 0 low1 2 4 0 low1 2 1 2 4 1 3 1 2 1 2 3

b œ œ œ b œ
b œ œ œ bœ & œ
Vc.

b b
b b b
Ab Major (Bb, Eb, Ab, Db)
b œ œ œ bœ b b
4

b œ
1 3

œ bœ œ œ b œ Ó
2 4

? bœ œ bœ bœ œ œ bœ
67
b œ
4 1 3

b œ
1 2

b œ œ
1 x2 x4 1 x2 x4 1 2 1 2 1 2

Vc. bœ &

b b b b b b b
Db Major (Bb, Eb, Ab, Db, Gb) (Enharmonic to C# Major)
73
b œ b œ œ b œ 1 3 4

? œ bœ œ bœ Ó
2 4

b œ b œ & bœ œ bœ bœ bœ
1 x2 4 1 x2 x4 1 2 4 1 1 3 1 2 1 2 3

b œ b œ b œ œ
bœ bœ œ
Vc.

b b b b œ b œb b œ œ b œb b b
Gb Major (Bb, Eb, Ab, Db, Gb, Cb) (Enharmonic to F# Major)
4

b œ œ bœ Ó
3

bœ
1
79
b œ b œ
4

? œ b œ
2

b œ b œ
1

b œ b œ
1 x2 x4 1 x2 x4 1 2 4 1 2 1 2 1 2 3

Vc.
bœ bœ bœ bœ & bœ

b bœ bœ bœb
b b b b bb œ b œ b œ
Cb Major (Bb, Eb, Ab, Db, Gb, Cb, Fb) (Enharmonic to B Major)

b œ bœbœ
1 2 3

b œ b œ
? bœ bœ bœ bœ bœ bœ bœ bœ bœ bœ
2 4
85 1 1 2 3

b œ
2 4

Ó
1 x2 x4 1 x2 x4 1 1 2 1 2

Vc. &

Patel 2011
 3

Practicing your Scales and Arppeggios

Here are a few things to keep in mind while you are practicing your scales and arppeggios to keep them focused
and useful to your growth as a cellist. Scales and arppeggios are the singlemost important element of your daily
practice, and is a direct reflection as to your mastery of the instrument. If you have little time to practice on a
particular day, make sure you at least practice scales and arppeggios. When you practice, observe the following:

1) Memorize your fingerings accurately

2) Always practice with a drone and listen for the interval patterns:
ex: 'E' will be higher or lower relative to the tonal center; if it's a major 3rd, a perfect 5th or a leading tone.

Perfect Unison
Major 2nd
Major 3rd :)
Perfect 4th
Perfect 5th
Major 6th :(
Major 7th (leading tone)
Perfect Octave

3) Practice with a metronome:

Set your metronome to 70 (and drone), and practice accellerations:

Half notes, single bows

Quarter notes, 2 to a bow
Eighth notes, 4 to a bow

As you master these basic accellerations, make sure to include triplet eighths: 6 to a bow, sixteenth notes:
8 to a bow, and any other variations of slurring you can think of. The more variations you can master, the
more independent your fingering patterns become from your bowing patterns, and you will have achieved
greater mastery over technique.

4) As you progress, you will eventually also learn to practice your scales in 3rds, 6ths and Octaves. When you
achieve this level, you will want to purchase The Ivan Galamian Scale System for Violoncello, ed. by Hans
Jorgen Jensen. It is two books: Scales and arppegios, and Double stops.

5) Practice your scales and arppeggios daily!

Patel 2011