A Guide to Practicing David Popper’s ‘Hohe Schule’ Etudes

There are few works in the cello repertoire as significant as the etudes by David Popper. They are practiced, studied, and learned by cellists all over the world as a sort of rite of passage to the advanced cello techniques. This has been the case since their publication, and there is no sign that this is going to change in the foreseeable future. Auditions for such things as youth orchestras, festivals, competitions, or university admissions frequently require the performance of one or more Popper etudes. Learning these etudes is a wonderful way to prepare yourself for the advanced cello repertoire. However, tackling them on your own can be a daunting task. Several authors have published their ideas and suggestions for practicing these etudes whether as articles, books, or videos. What makes this guide different is that it shows you step-by-step exactly how you can effectively practice all the difficult spots in each etude such that you will surely learn and master each one at a faster rate than you would without these suggestions and exercises.

Benjamin Whitcomb, cellist Benjamin Whitcomb is a Professor of Cello and Music Theory at the University of Wisconsin- Whitewater, where he has received awards for his teaching, research, and service. An active recitalist and chamber musician, he performs more than thirty concerts a year around the country and overseas. He is a member of the Ancora String Quartet and the UW-Whitewater Piano Trio. Dr. Whitcomb is a frequent guest clinician and performer at universities and conferences throughout the country and abroad. His books, The Advancing Cellists Handbook series, Cello Fingerings, and Bass Fingerings, have received rave reviews from Strings magazine plus the journals of ASTA and AUSTA. He is a contributing author to Strings magazine, Sharpen Your String Technique and Teaching Music through Performance in Orchestra. He has published numerous articles on cello and on music theory, and has presented many papers at national and international conferences as well. He is also a reviewer for the American String Teacher journal, and has served as Secretary of ASTA. At UW-Whitewater, Whitcomb initiated and continues to coordinate the Theory/History Colloquium speaker series, the Musical Mosaics Faculty Concert Series, the Chancellors Quartet program, and the Summer String Camp. He is a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin and Oklahoma State University, and he has studied with Phyllis Young, George Neikrug, and Evan Tonsing.