A Collection of Peruvian and Other South American Folk Songs Adapted For Teaching Violoncello

University of Iowa
Iowa Research Online
Theses and Dissertations
Fall 2014
A collection of Peruvian and other South American folk songs

adapted for teaching violoncello
Zoraida Alfonsina Oyola Rebaza
University of Iowa
Follow this and additional works at: https://ir.uiowa.edu/etd
Part of the Music Commons
Copyright © 2014 Zoraida Alfonsina Oyola Rebaza
This dissertation is available at Iowa Research Online: https://ir.uiowa.edu/etd/2254
Recommended Citation
Oyola Rebaza, Zoraida Alfonsina. "A collection of Peruvian and other South American folk songs adapted
for teaching violoncello." DMA (Doctor of Musical Arts) thesis, University of Iowa, 2014.
https://doi.org/10.17077/etd.24zud0co
Follow this and additional works at: https://ir.uiowa.edu/etd

Part of the Music Commons
A COLLECTION OF PERUVIAN AND OTHER SOUTH AMERICAN FOLK
SONGS ADAPTED FOR TEACHING VIOLONCELLO
by
An essay submitted in partial

fulfillment of the requirements
for the Doctor of Musical Arts
degree in the Graduate College
of The University of Iowa
December 2014
Essay Supervisors: Associate Professor Marian Wilson Kimber

Associate Professor Anthony Arnone
Copyright by
ZORAIDA ALFONSINA OYOLA REBAZA
2014
All Rights Reserved

Graduate College
The University of Iowa
Iowa City, Iowa
CERTIFICATE OF APPROVAL
_______________________
D.M.A. ESSAY
_______________
This is to certify that the D.M.A. essay of
has been approved by the Examining Committee

for the essay requirement for the Doctor of Musical Arts
degree at the December 2014 graduation.
Essay Committee: ___________________________________

Marian Wilson Kimber, Essay Supervisor
___________________________________
Anthony Arnone, Essay Supervisor
___________________________________
Scott Conklin
___________________________________
Maurita Murphy Marx
___________________________________
Christine Rutledge
A mis padres Abigail Rebaza y Enrique Oyola.
Gracias a vuestro apoyo, ánimo y cariño he podido alcanzar mis metas.
ii
Listen to folksongs attentively, for they are the treasure trove of the most beautiful
melodies and through them you can get to know the character of peoples.
Zoltan Kodály
“Who is a Good Musician?” in
The Selected Writings of Zoltán Kodály
iii
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I would like to give my sincere thanks and gratitude to my two wonderful D.M.A.
essay advisors: Marian Wilson Kimber and Anthony Arnone, who inspired me, guided
me, and supported me along the process of writing this project. Thank you also to my
committee members: Professor Rutledge, Dr. Mead, and Dr. Conklin for their time and
support. I would like to acknowledge each of my cello teachers, Annika Petrozzi, Teet
Järvi, Timo Hanhinen, Lawrence Stomberg, and Anthony Arnone for instilling in me a
love for the violoncello, encouraging me to work hard, and sharing their wisdom, for
which I am extremely grateful.
I am greatly indebted to my friends and sponsors Ronnie and Pete Peterman, and
Stephanie and Doug Menietti for their generous support and unconditional friendship.
Thank you to Father Ed Fitzpatrick for his spiritual guidance, and thank you to the
Newman Catholic Center in Iowa City for awarding me a fellowship.
I would like to thank the following people: Troy Schreck, from Alfred Music, for
the permission to reprint songs of the Suzuki Violin and Cello books, Katharina Malecki,
from Bärenreiter-Verlag for allowing to reprint songs from the Sassmannshaus’s Early
start in the Cello, and Susanna Lehtinen, from Fennica Gehrman Oy, Helsinki for the
permission to reprint songs from the Colourstrings method.
Finally, I would like to express my love and gratitude to my husband Brian, and
my sons Esteban and Joaquin, who with their patience, love and cooperation made
possible the completion of this project.
iv
ABSTRACT
This essay presents a collection of Peruvian and other South American folk songs
adapted for teaching violoncello technique with the goal of providing students with a
more culturally diverse method which equally develops the left hand and right hand
technique. Peruvian and other South American children learn the violoncello with
European or American method books based on European folk songs. The repertoire of
traditional methods usually lacks music familiar to pupils from Peruvian and other South
American cultures. Written in foreign languages, the texts often exclude Spanish
translation. Peruvians, especially children, are not necessarily familiar with folk music
from Europe; neither are they fluent in foreign languages. Unless the teacher is familiar
with the method’s philosophy and is multi-lingual, a vast amount of information is lost,
causing slow, and sometimes incorrect, learning. As a consequence, Peruvian music
students are at a disadvantage compared to American and European music students.
The core of this project consists of the collection of folk tunes arranged for
violoncello and piano. The included preparatory exercises will help the student prepare
for the technical challenges presented in each piece, and the original recordings of the
songs’ arrangements will serve as a reference for students and teachers. The purpose of
this essay is not to create a new teaching philosophy, but to provide Peruvian and other
South American students with a more familiar learning repertoire, drawing on the most
effective methodology of three popular violoncello methods. Nonetheless, anyone
interested in learning the violoncello with a multicultural repertoire can benefit from this
collection.
v
PUBLIC ABSTRACT
This essay presents a collection of Peruvian and other South American folk songs
adapted for teaching violoncello technique with the goal of providing students with a
more culturally diverse method which equally develops the left hand and right hand
technique. Peruvian and other South American children learn the violoncello with
European or American method books based on European folk songs. The repertoire of
traditional methods usually lacks music familiar to pupils from Peruvian and other South
American cultures. Written in foreign languages, the texts often exclude Spanish
translation. Peruvians, especially children, are not necessarily familiar with folk music
from Europe; neither are they fluent in foreign languages. Unless the teacher is familiar
with the method’s philosophy and is multi-lingual, a vast amount of information is lost,
causing slow, and sometimes incorrect, learning. As a consequence, Peruvian music
students are at a disadvantage.
The core of this project consists of the collection of folk tunes arranged for
violoncello and piano. The included preparatory exercises will help the student prepare
for the technical challenges presented in each piece, and the original recordings of the
songs’ arrangements will serve as a reference for students and teachers. The purpose of
this essay is not to create a new teaching philosophy, but to provide Peruvian and other
South American students with a more familiar learning repertoire, drawing on the most
effective methodology of three popular violoncello methods. Nonetheless, anyone
interested in learning the violoncello with a multicultural repertoire can benefit from this
collection.
vi
TABLE OF CONTENTS
LIST OF TABLES ............................................................................................................. xi
LIST OF FIGURES .......................................................................................................... xii
LIST OF EXAMPLES ..................................................................................................... xiii
INTRODUCTION ...............................................................................................................1
CHAPTER
I. THREE METHODS FOR LEARNING THE VIOLONCELLO: THE

SUZUKI METHOD, THE SASSMANNSHAUS METHOD AND THE
COLOURSTRINGS METHOD. ......................................................................6
The Suzuki method ...........................................................................................6

The Sassmannshaus method ...........................................................................13
The Colourstrings method ..............................................................................22
Two innovative music projects: El Sistema and Marc O’Connor’s
method ............................................................................................................28
Conclusions.....................................................................................................31
II. DESCRIPTION OF THE PERUVIAN AND OTHER SOUTH

AMERICAN SONGS ....................................................................................33
Origins of the folk songs and traditional meanings

(Arranged by order of technical difficulty) ....................................................33
Los Pollitos dicen: pío, pío, pío .............................................................33
Sayanita Sayanay ...................................................................................34
Ojos azules .............................................................................................34
Saucecito palo verde ..............................................................................35
Niño Manuelito ......................................................................................36
Campanas de Belén ................................................................................36
Agüita de Putina .....................................................................................37
Buenos días, Su Señoria .........................................................................37
Marinera .................................................................................................37
Arroz con leche ......................................................................................38
Jarabe Tapatío ........................................................................................39
La Cucaracha..........................................................................................40
Zoraida Alfonsina ..................................................................................40
Sopa le dieron al Niño ............................................................................41
Los peces en el río ..................................................................................41
Vamos pastores vamos ...........................................................................41
El Niño Dios ha nacido ..........................................................................42
Hanaq pachap Kusikuynin .....................................................................42
Lyrics of the folk songs with English translations ..........................................43
Sayanita, Sayanay .................................................................................43
Ojos azules .............................................................................................43
Niño Manuelito ......................................................................................44
vii
Campanas de Belén .................................................................................45
Agüita de Putina ......................................................................................45
Buenos días, Su Señoría ...................................................................…...46
Marinera (Instrumental only) ..................................................................47
Arroz con leche .......................................................................................47
Jarabe Tapatío (Instrumental only) .........................................................48
La Cucaracha...........................................................................................48
Zoraida Alfonsina (Instrumental only) .................................................. 48
Sopa le dieron al Niño .............................................................................48
Los peces en el río...................................................................................49
Vamos pastores vamos ............................................................................49
El Niño Dios ha nacido ...........................................................................50
Hanaq pachap Kusikuynin. ¡Alegría del Cielo! ......................................50
Hanaq pachap Kusikuynin. Heaven’s Joy! .............................................51
III. PEDAGOGICAL PURPOSES OF THE FOLK SONGS ...............................52

Ergonomic posture, first position, fingering 1-3-4, legato stroke
Sayanita, Sayanay (first and third position) ...........................................52
Dactyllic rhythm, ties over barline
Ojos azules .............................................................................................53
Bow distribuition
Niño Manuelito ......................................................................................54
Fingering 1-2-4
Campanas de Belén ................................................................................55
Agüita de Putina .....................................................................................55
On-the-string and off-the-string bow stroke
Buenos días, Su Señoría .........................................................................56
Marinera .................................................................................................56
Compound meter
Marinera .................................................................................................56
Jarabe Tapatío ........................................................................................57
Extensions
Arroz con leche ......................................................................................57
La Cucaracha..........................................................................................57
Half position, fourth position
Jarabe Tapatío .........................................................................................57
Shifting, third position
La Cucaracha...........................................................................................57
Minor tonalities, various positions
Zoraida Alfonsina .................................................................................. 57
Los peces en el río ...................................................................................58
Martelé and stacatto
Fourth position,
Jarabe Tapatío .........................................................................................57
Syncopations
Agüita de Putina ......................................................................................55
viii
Thumb position, ensemble playing
Hanaq pachap Kusikuynin ......................................................................59
IV. COLLECTION OF PERUVIAN AND OTHER SOUTH AMERICAN

FOLK SONGS ARRANGED FOR VIOLONCELLO AND PIANO. ...........61
Scores of the Folk Songs................................................................................ 61
Los Pollitos dicen: pío, pío, pío ..............................................................61
Ojos azules ..............................................................................................63
Saucecito palo verde ...............................................................................65
Niño Manuelito .......................................................................................67
Campanas de Belén .................................................................................70
Agüita de Putina ......................................................................................72
Buenos días, Su Señoría ..........................................................................74
Marinera ..................................................................................................75
Arroz con leche .......................................................................................78
Jarabe Tapatío .........................................................................................79
La Cucaracha...........................................................................................80
Sayanita Sayanay (octave higher) ...........................................................81
Zoraida Alfonsina ................................................................................. 82
Los peces en el río ...................................................................................87
Hanaq pachap Kusikuynin ......................................................................95
Preparatory Exercises ......................................................................................97
Los Pollitos dicen: pío, pío, pío ..............................................................98
Ojos azules ............................................................................................100
Saucecito palo verde .............................................................................101
Niño Manuelito .....................................................................................102
Campanas de Belén ...............................................................................103
Agüita de Putina ....................................................................................104
Buenos días, Su Señoría .......................................................................105
Marinera ................................................................................................106
Arroz con leche .....................................................................................107
Jarabe Tapatío .......................................................................................108
La Cucaracha.........................................................................................109
Sayanita Sayanay (octave higher) .........................................................110
Zoraida Alfonsina ................................................................................ 111
Sopa le dieron al Niño ...........................................................................112
Los peces en el río .................................................................................113
Vamos pastores vamos ..........................................................................114
El Niño Dios ha nacido .........................................................................115
Hanaq pachap Kusikuyinin (cello I) .....................................................117
Hanaq pachap Kusikuyinin (cello IV) ..................................................118
Recordings of the folk songs.........................................................................119
CONCLUSIONS..............................................................................................................120
ix
APPENDIX A. MAP OF PERU.......................................................................................121
APPENDIX B. MAP OF SOUTH AMERICA.................................................................122
BIBLIOGRAPHY.............................................................................................................123
x
LIST OF TABLES
Table 1. Correlation of Kodály’s and Szilvay’s Ideas .......................................................23
Table 2. Symbols and definitions.......................................................................................97
xi
LIST OF FIGURES
Figure
1. Characters representing the strings of the violoncello.
Csaba Szilvay’s Colourstrings, Cello Book ABC A, p. 1.......................................25
2. Csaba Szilvay’s Colourstrings, Cello ABA A, p. 7................................................26
xii
LIST OF EXAMPLES
Example
1. Lightly Row for Violoncello, in Suzuki Cello Book 1 .................................................8
2. Los Pollitos dicen: pío, pío, pío, in the Collection of Peruvian and other South
American folk songs by Zoraida Oyola Rebaza .........................................................8
3. J. S. Bach, Minuet, in Suzuki Cello Book 1 .................................................................9
4. Marinera, in the Collection of Peruvian and other South American folk songs by
Zoraida Oyola Rebaza...............................................................................................10
5. Witches’ Dance, in Suzuki Cello Book 1...................................................................11
6. Saucecito Palo Verde, in the Collection of Peruvian and other South

American folk songs by Zoraida Oyola Rebaza........................................................11
7. Buenos días, Su Señoría, in the Collection of Peruvian and other

South American folk songs by Zoraida Oyola Rebaza.............................................12
8. Witches’ Dance, middle section, in Suzuki Cello Book 1..........................................12
9. Jarabe Tapatío, in the Collection of Peruvian and other

South American folk songs by Zoraida Oyola Rebaza.............................................13
10. Open Strings, in Egon Sassmannshaus and Kurt Sassmannshaus

Early Start on the Cello, Vol. 1................................................................................15
11. Pat-A-Cake, in Egon Sassmannshaus and Kurt Sassmannshaus

Early Start on the Cello, Vol. 1 ................................................................................16
12. Leopold Mozart, Triplet Exercise, in Egon Sassmannshaus and Kurt

Sassmannshaus Early Start on the Cello, Vol. 3.......................................................17
13. Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach March, in Egon Sassmannshaus and Kurt
Sassmannshaus Early Start on the Cello, Vol. 3......................................................18
14. Justus Johann Friedrich Dotzauer Extract from D Major Scale, in Egon
Sassmannshaus Early Start on the Cello, Vol. 4....... ..............................................19
15. Bernhard Rohmberg Extract from Poco Allegro, in Egon Sassmannshaus

and Kurt Sassmannshaus Early Start the Cello, Vol. 4 ............................................19
xiii
16. Old MacDonald in G Major, in Egon Sassmannshaus and Kurt Sassmannshaus
Early Start on the Cello, Vol. 2.................................................................................20
17. Old MacDonald in E-flat Major, in Egon Sassmannshaus

and Kurt Sassmannshaus Early Start on the Cello, Vol. 4 .......................................20
18. Sayanita, Sayanay, first version, in the Collection of Peruvian

and other South American folk songs........................................................................21
19. Sayanita, Sayanay, second version, in the Collection of

Peruvian and other South American folk songs........................................................22
20. Csaba Szilváy’s Colourstrings Cello Book ABA A, p.16.........................................27
21. Csaba Szilváy’s Colourstrings Cello Book ABA A, p.87.........................................28
xiv
1
INTRODUCTION
This essay consists of a collection of folk songs adapted for teaching violoncello
technique. The folk songs, originally from Peru and other South American countries,
comprise children’s songs, villancicos (or Christmas carols), and traditional melodies. They
feature various musical styles such as huayno, marinera, and yarawi. 1 The purpose of this
collection is to provide Peruvian and other South American students with learning repertoire
based on local and familiar music. Anyone interested in teaching violoncello technique with
a non-European repertoire may benefit from this collection. Furthermore, this collection may
be used to supplement the repertoire of other violoncello methods.
The objective of this project is not to create an entirely new teaching philosophy but
to compile what I consider the most helpful aspects of three popular violoncello methods
and to apply them to the folk songs’ arrangements. These folk songs have been adapted for
teaching beginning, intermediate, and advanced learning levels. They progress in order of
difficulty. The majority of these folk songs have been arranged for violoncello with piano
accompaniment, others for violoncello duet, and one song for violoncello quartet.
The main characteristic of the Peruvian and other South American folk songs is the
mixture of rhythms such as syncopations, dotted eighth notes, sixteenth notes, dactyllic
rhythms, and appoggiaturas. The ornamented melodies often feature pentatonic scales as
well as major-minor tonalities. This rhythmic and melodic diversity, typical of South
American folk music, will contribute to a balanced development of the right-hand technique
as well as that of the left-hand from the early learning stages. In the course of the collection
the student will learn standard bow techniques such as legato and non-legato bow strokes,
bow distribution, left hand-right hand coordination, right-elbow preparation for string
crossing, and pizzicato among others. These technical concepts will help develop right-hand
technique early on. Likewise, the diatonic and pentatonic melodies will help develop various
1 Chapter II will explain the meaning of these South American musical styles.
2
aspects of the left-hand technique: rounded left-hand shape, left-fingers independency,
fingerboard positions, extensions, harmonics, and double stops. Introductory songs are
arranged in key signatures that use the middle strings, D and G, and encourage an ergonomic
body posture. They also present minimal technical challenges to let the student concentrate
on posture, sound production, intonation, and first position. Intermediate songs feature
second and third position, shifting, and martelé and staccato bow strokes. Advanced songs
include fourth position, thumb position, ensemble playing, extensions, and shifting to higher
positions. Dynamics are included from the first introductory songs of the collection;
however, the teacher may decide whether to require their precise execution in posterior
songs.
The idea for this project emerged during a cello lesson with Anthony Arnone, in
which the conversation was about the fact that most classical musicians are trained to
primarily play major or minor scales, while other types of scales such as pentatonic, whole
tone, blues, chromatic, and modal scales are usually overlooked in most traditional
instruments’ methods and repertoire. The conversation brought back many memories of my
beginning years as a music student in Peru, my home country, memories of cello lessons
with my teacher Annika Petrozzi. She was (and still is today) one of the most respected
Suzuki cello teachers, not just in Peru, but all of South America as well. 2 Mrs. Petrozzi
introduced me to the world of the violoncello with the help of the Suzuki method. Since I
had developed the skill of reading music through my piano background, I could focus on
learning the techniques of the violoncello.
Soon, I learned various technical concepts such as shifting, extensions, and various
bow strokes through the course of the Suzuki repertoire books. 3 I also discovered the
2 The Asociación Suzuki del Peru (Suzuki Association of Peru) actively trains teachers from different
parts of Peru: Lima, Huancayo, Huancavelica, Huacho, Cuzco, and Arequipa, among others.
http://www.asociacionsuzukidelperu.org/.
3 My teacher taught me other aspects of the violoncello technique, such as scales, arpeggios, thirds,
sixths, and octaves, with the help of etude and exercise books, such as: 21 Etudes for Cello by Jean-Louis
3
nurturing teaching approach of this method, which inspired me to practice and improve my
technique. Several aspects of the Suzuki method surprised me; the title, preface, technical
indications, song titles, and captions were all in English; moreover, the repertoire of the
method was based on European folk songs. Despite the popularity of the Suzuki method in
South America, the method books did not include any popular songs from South America.
Peruvian children do not grow up singing or listening to American songs such as Twinkle
Twinkle Little Star, Lightly Row or Long Long Ago. Instead, they are familiar with Los
pollitos dicen: pío, pío, pío, Campanas de Belén, or El Cóndor Pasa. 4 They hear these
songs from their mothers, school, and on the radio. It is easier for a student to learn a new
song if they are already familiar with the tune. If they know how the music goes, they will
be more likely to recognize the tune and correct wrong notes and wrong rhythms.
Learning to play the violoncello in a country like Peru, where classical music is
beginning to receive attention, is less common than learning the violin, piano, flute or guitar,
and this may be perceived as unusual, both in custom and purpose. Often other Peruvians
assume that the instrument you are carrying is a guitarron, 5 or a double bass, not a cello. 6
Sometimes a cellist has to explain that the instrument is similar to a violin, but much larger.
These exchanges are sometimes discouraging, especially for the beginning cellist, who can
start questioning him or herself as to whether they are learning something unfamiliar and
Duport, Daily Exercises for Violoncello by Louis Feuillard, School of Bowing Technique by Otakar Ševčík,
and 40 Etudes by David Popper.
4 El Cóndor Pasa is a melody from the Peruvian zarzuela of the same name. It was composed in 1913
by Daniel Alomía Robles. In 2004, Peru declared El Cóndor Pasa as part of the national cultural heritage. In
1970 Simon and Garfunkel recorded El Cóndor Pasa under the title If I could. It is unclear whether the band
was granted legal authorization from Alomía Robles to record and perform his song. Susan Thomas, “Latin
American Music,” Grove Music Online, http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com, accessed September 18, 2014;
Kirstie A. Dorr, “Mapping ‘El Condor Pasa’: Sonic translocations in the Global Era,” Journal of Latin
American Cultural Studies: Travesía 16 (2007): 17.
5 Mexican bass guitar of five strings.
6 I have experienced similar situations in Iowa City, my current place of residence.

4
unappreciated. For example, after performing beginning songs at my own family gatherings
or for friends, the audience would request that I play something more popular, or something
more rhythmic—something Peruvian.
While researching violoncello pedagogy, I discovered that no cello method uses
South American folk songs as part of the teaching repertoire. 7 The three most popular
methods: Suzuki, Sassmannshaus, and Colourstrings rely on the use of European folk
tunes. 8 Even the Venezuelan program, El Sistema, relies on European methods and
European repertoire. Students already familiar with the European folk melodies can
recognize the songs, sing them, and are more likely to identify mistakes and correct them as
they play. On the other hand, students who are not familiar with this repertoire may be
slower at recognizing mistakes as they play the melodies. In the United States, Mark
O’Connor has been working on a violin method that uses American folk music as the basis
of pedagogical repertoire. His method is already utilized in school orchestras, youth
orchestras, and amateur orchestras across the United States. In the same way, this collection
intends to provide Peruvian and other South American students with a native and familiar
learning repertoire.
This D.M.A. essay consists of four chapters. The first chapter presents the
philosophy of what I consider the three most common violoncello methods: the Suzuki
method, the Sassmannshaus method, and the Colourstrings method, and briefly introduces
the practices of El Sistema and Mark O’Connor’s modern approach to music education.
7 Eric Sanchez, “Musicalis Ars Suzuki: A Suzuki Method Experience in Colombia,”American Suzuki
Journal 38 (2010): 80-81; Ana Lucia Frepa. “Una investigación descriptiva y comparada de los métodos
Jacques Dalcroze, Orff, Suzuki, etc.” (PhD diss., Universidad de Rosario, 1996).
8 The following sources provide information about the Suzuki method and the reasons for the use of
Western repertoire: Margaret Mehl, “Cultural Translation in Two Directions: The Suzuki Method in Japan and
Germany,” Research and Issues in Music Education 7 (2009), 5-9; Eri Hotta, “Tokyo’s Soft Power Problem.
The Suzuki Method: Japan’s Best Overlooked Cultural Export, New York Times, October 24, 2014.
5
Chapter two contains a short description of the folk songs’ origins and traditional meanings,
as well as the original lyrics with their English translations, in order to make the method
more internationally accessible. Chapter three contains an explanatory section providing the
pedagogical purpose of each song. Chapter four consists of the cello method itself, which is
constituted of the scores of the folk tunes arranged for violoncello and piano, two
violoncellos, or violoncello quartet. 9 The chapter also contains my original recordings of the
eighteen folk songs which will serve as a guide for teachers and students, as well as a series
of preparatory exercises for each. The goal of the exercises is to prepare the student for the
technical challenges of each song, thus freeing them to focus on expressive aspects such as
dynamics and interpretation.
I am hopeful that this collection of songs will facilitate bridge the gap between
Peruvian popular music and classical music as well as provide students the opportunity to
learn a classical instrument with South American folk tunes. 10
9 The piano accompaniment of the songs was composed with the idea of providing the violoncello
teacher with a basic piano part that can be used to accompany his/her student during lessons or performances.
Playing with piano accompaniment helps the student focus on intonation, tempo consistency, and chamber
music playing.
10 In the multiracial Peru, classical music competes with the most popular music genres such as salsa,
bolero, and merengue, among others.
6
CHAPTER I
THREE METHODS FOR LEARNING THE VIOLONCELLO: THE
SUZUKI METHOD, THE SASSMANNSHAUS METHOD AND THE
COLOURSTRINGS METHOD
In addition to examining the teaching philosophy of three popular violoncello
methods, the following pages also describe the technical purposes of works from the
collection of Peruvian and other South American folk songs which can be used to reinforce
and supplement traditional learning repertoire. 11
The Suzuki method
The Suzuki method, developed by the Japanese violinist Shinichi Suzuki around
1950, is based on the belief that “musical ability is not an inborn talent but an ability that can
be developed.” 12 Suzuki believed that “any child who is properly trained can develop
musical ability, just as all children develop the ability to speak their mother tongue.” 13
Suzuki applied the basic principles of language acquisition to the learning of music and
called his method the mother-tongue approach.
Some of the method’s core components are: parent responsibility, loving encouragement,
and listening and constant repetition of the learning repertoire, among others. Parents are
involved in the musical learning of their children by attending lessons with them and serving
as “home teachers” during the week. The Suzuki method encourages children to start their
11 Chapter III describes the pedagogical purposes of each of the eighteen folk songs used in this
collection
12 Shinichi Suzuki, “Principles of Study and Guidance,” Suzuki Violin School 1 (Princeton: Summy
Birchard, 1978), 5.
13 Shinichi Suzuki, Nurtured by Love: The Classic Approach to Talent Education, 2nd ed. (Miami:
Summy Birchard, 1983), 10-13.
7
formal musical training at an early age; some may start at age three or four depending on the
instrument. 14
The method delays the teaching of music notation for at least the first year (although
this time frame can vary depending on the student’s age, ability, and previous musical
training). Students learn the songs by listening and repeating their teacher’s demonstrations.
The learning process is modeled on the way children learn to speak their mother tongue. The
Suzuki method justifies the delay of teaching music notation based in the fact that children
first learn to speak and then to read. 15 Delaying music reading helps develop the student’s
musical ear and encourages them to pay close attention to not only pitch and rhythm but to
interpretation.
All the works used in the Suzuki method are of European origin. The main purpose
of teaching the same repertoire, regardless of the student’s nationality, is to offer students
from different countries the opportunity to perform together and share their talents using
music as a “common language.” 16 Since the Suzuki’s repertoire is centered on European

music, Peruvian and other non-European children need more time and effort to be “fluent” at
the “common language.” The Suzuki’s song titles, as well as the instructions, are written in
English and occasionally in Japanese; however, the newest editions of the method books
include some instructions in German, French, and Spanish.
Lightly Row is one of the first songs of the Suzuki repertoire; it is set to be played on
the upper strings A and D, and teaches first position using the fingering 1-3-4. (see Example
1).
14 There are different violin sizes available for the youngest violin students. Suzuki cello students
aged three or four may start their training using a viola with an attached endpin and cello strings.
15 Emily Hermann, Shinichi Suzuki: The Man and His Philosophy (Miami: Summy-Birchard, 1981),
155.
16 Ibid., 150.
8
Example 1. Lightly Row for Violoncello, in Suzuki Cello Book 1. © 1982, 1991 DR.
SHINICHI SUZUKI Sole publisher for the entire world except Japan: SUMMY-
BIRCHARD, INC. Exclusive print rights administered by ALFRED MUSIC. All rights
reserved.
This collection begins with the Peruvian children’s song, Los Pollitos dicen: pío, pío,
pío (Baby chicks say: pio, pio, pio), which can be used to reinforce the practice of first
position and the fingering 1-3-4, similarly to Lightly Row. (see Example 2).
Example 2. Los Pollitos dicen: pío, pío, pío, in the Collection of Peruvian and other South
American folk songs by Zoraida Oyola Rebaza
9
The Suzuki method also contains transcriptions from popular works. The Minuet by Johann
Sebastian Bach is one of these. 17 (see Example 3). The main purpose of the piece is to teach
string crossing. The arpeggio-like melody requires the use of the three upper strings A, D,
and G.
Example 3. J. S. Bach Minuet, in Suzuki Cello Book 1. © 1982, 1991 DR. SHINICHI
SUZUKI Sole publisher for the entire world except Japan: SUMMY-BIRCHARD, INC.
Exclusive print rights administered by ALFRED MUSIC. All rights reserved.
Violoncello teachers desiring to reinforce the concept of string crossing may benefit from
the piece Marinera, from the collection of Peruvian and South American folk tunes. This
popular Peruvian dance has been arranged to teach string crossing using only two strings: D
and G. The simple melody and repetitive rhythm of Marinera will allow the student to focus
17 This is a transcription of the musical work for keyboard by Johann Sebastian Bach.
10
on string crossing, allowing non-complicated right hand-left hand coordination (see
Example 4).
Example 4. Marinera, in the Collection of Peruvian and other South American folk songs by
Zoraida Oyola Rebaza
The Suzuki method also teaches distinct bow strokes through the course of the pieces.
The student will learn, as early as in the second book, about martelé, staccato and legato.
Witches’ Dance, from the Suzuki Cello Book 2, is an example of the use of different bow
strokes. The piece teaches martelé and legato. These two contrasting bow strokes require
different use of arm weight and bow speed: for martelé, the bow must engage the string with
tension immediately followed by lighter pressure (see Example 5). For the legato the bow
must engage with the string slowly and continuously (see Example 6, Saucecito Palo
Verde).
11
Example 5. N. Paganini, Witches’ Dance, in Suzuki Cello Book 2. © 1982, 1991 DR.
reserved.
Likewise, the collection of folk songs contains songs that introduce only one bow stroke at a
time. For learning legato it is suggested that students practice Saucecito Palo Verde (see
Example 6), and for learning martelé it is suggested that students practice the children’s
song Buenos días su Señoría, which makes heavy use of this stroke (see Example 7).
Example 6. Saucecito Palo Verde, in the Collection of Peruvian and other South American
folk songs by Zoraida Oyola Rebaza
12
Example 7. Buenos días, su Señoria, in the Collection of Peruvian and other South
In addition to introducing two contrasting bow strokes, Witches’ Dance also requires
shifting, string crossing, extensions, and second position. The second position is specifically
used in the middle section of the piece (see Example 8).
Example 8. Witches’ Dance, middle section, in Suzuki Cello Book 2. © 1982, 1991 DR.
reserved.
13
Teachers willing to supplement the practice of second position can benefit from the piece
Mexican Hat Dance, arranged for two cellos The repetitive triplets and the on-the string
non-detaché bow stroke will not be an obstacle for the practice of second position. This
piece is arranged in the key of G major to allow the student to practice second position
during measures 8, 9, 11, and 12 (see Example 9).
Example 9. Jarabe Tapatío, in the Collection of Peruvian and other South American folk
songs by Zoraida Oyola Rebaza
The Sassmannshaus method
The Sassmannshaus method was developed by the German violin teacher and
pedagogue Egon Sassmannshaus. His interest in child psychology and musical education led
him to design a learning method for young children: Früher Anfang auf der Geige (Early
Beginning on the Violin), first published in 1976. Later, his son Kurt Sassmannshaus
adopted his father’s four-volume method for English-speaking children, and it was adapted
to other string instruments such as viola, double bass, and violoncello. The method for the
14
violoncello is called Early Start on the Cello, and it is designed for children four years and
older. Young students learn to read music from the first lesson. For this reason, the scores in
Volume one are written in large print, and they are accompanied by illustrations appropriate
for young children. The colorful illustrations depict animals such as bears, ducks, dogs, and
donkeys, making music learning visually appealing for the young learner.
The repertoire of Early Start on the Cello is based on European folk tunes, children’s
songs, and compositions by eighteenth- and nineteenth-century composers such as: Johann
Nepomuk Hummel, Bartolomeo Campagnoli, Leopold Mozart, Bernhard Romberg, Justus
Johann Friedrich Dotzauer, and Jacques Féréol Mazas. In the first two volumes, excerpts of
these compositions are presented in a way that suits the technical abilities of beginners.
Then, in the second two volumes, short but complete musical works are provided to
introduce more advanced concepts. To prepare students for the technical challenges of these
compositions, the method uses preparatory exercises, scales, and arpeggios. As early as
volume two, the young student learns to play in different keys, such as A major, E major, B
flat and E flat. The majority of works of the last volume are original duets or arrangements
of folk tunes for two cellos.
In the beginning of volume one, the student learns simple exercises on all four open
strings using half notes and quarter notes. Open Strings is the first piece in Early Start on the
Cello, volume 1. Here the student learns to play on the D string, which is better for
establishing an ergonomic right-hand posture. The piece contains a footnote with
instructions indicating what part of the bow to use and the length of the bow stroke (see
Example 10).
15
Example 10. Open Strings, in Egon Sassmannshaus and Kurt Sassmannshaus, Early Start on
the Cello, Vol. 1 © 2009. Bärenreiter-Verlag Karl Voetterle GmbH & Co. KG. Reprinted by
permission.
After several songs that exclusively use open strings, volume one introduces the use
of the left hand. The middle finger and ring finger are the first digits to be used on the
fingerboard. 18 Starting with these fingers allows the student to concentrate on forming a
18 The Suzuki method, in contrast, first teaches the use of the index finger. If the student learns the
Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star preparatory exercises they will start with the pinky finger.
16
“C” shape with the left hand. It helps develop the middle finger-thumb relation, which
works as an axis and promotes a balanced hand-weight distribution. This finger combination
also helps in practicing intonation, because the student will learn how to tune the major third
in relation to an open string. The first song used for these purposes is Pat-a-Cake, which
requires the use of all four open strings and the third finger. This way, the student will
practice the placement of the third finger on all strings. The repetitive rhythm allows the
student to concentrate on the left hand, intonation and on string crossings (see Example 11).
Example 11. Pat-A- Cake, in Egon Sassmannshaus and Kurt Sassmannshaus, Early Start on
the Cello, Vol. 1 © 2009. Bärenreiter-Verlag Karl Voetterle GmbH & Co. KG. Reprinted by
permission.
17
Volume three of Early Start on the Cello introduces the student to the genre of
chamber music with short cello duets by composers such as Joseph Haydn, Ignaz Pleyel, and
Leopold Mozart. Triplet Exercise, by Leopold Mozart, is a duet that teaches triplets and
sixteenth notes. This piece is also suitable for the practice of left hand-right hand
coordination, especially in passages with string crossing (see Example 12). In addition,
Triplet Exercise trains the student to become familiar with bowings and bow strokes that are
frequently used in solo cello music and eighteenth-century chamber music (see measures 1
and 2).
Example 12. Leopold Mozart, Triplet Exercise, in Egon Sassmannshaus and Kurt
Sassmannshaus, Early Start on the Cello, Vol. 3 © 2009. Bärenreiter-Verlag Karl Voetterle
GmbH & Co. KG. Reprinted by permission.
March, by Carl Philip Emanuel Bach, also from Volume one, teaches arpeggios,
triads, and triplets in conjunction with string crossing (see Example 13). March also allows
18
the student to practice intonation in the same way as Pat-a- Cake does; cello II frequently
helping tune the third interval for cello I by providing the tonic. 19
Example 13. Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach, March, in Egon Sassmannshaus and Kurt
Sassmannshaus, Early Start on the Cello, Vol. 3 © 2009. Bärenreiter-Verlag Karl Voetterle
The fourth volume presents various advanced technical concepts, beginning with a
combination of finger patterns which allows for the execution of major and minor scales
without the use of open strings (see Example 14, D major scale, in a version for two cellos
by Justus Johann Friedrich Dotzauer).
19 Pieces in Volume one teach the student how to practice intonation with simple melodies on open
strings and thirds.
19
Example 14. Justus Johann Friedrich Dotzauer, Extract from D Major Scale, in Egon
Sassmannshaus and Kurt Sassmannshaus Early Start on the Cello, Vol. 4 © 2009.
Bärenreiter-Verlag Karl Voetterle GmbH & Co. KG. Reprinted by permission.
This is an advanced technique that allows students to practice even sound production, and it
is an example of Sassmannshaus’s particular emphasis on the cultivation of beautiful tone.
After each scale, the method presents a work in the key signature just learned. These pieces
are cello duets by eighteenth-century composers Friedrich Dotzauer, Bernhard Romberg,
and Jean-Baptiste Breval (see Example 15, Poco Allegro, by Romberg). The duets require
using third position, shifting to sixth position, and reading tenor clef; in addition, they
present different bow strokes such as staccato and marcato.
Example 15. Bernhard Romberg, Excerpt from Poco Allegro, in Egon Sassmannshaus and
Kurt Sassmannshaus Early Start on the Cello, Vol. 4 © 2009.Bärenreiter-Verlag Karl
Voetterle GmbH & Co. KG. Reprinted by permission.
20
The last volume presents further arrangements of songs used in previous volumes to address
advanced technical concepts. For example, Old MacDonald, presented in Volume two for
the teaching of third position in the key of G major (see Example 16), appears in Volume
four in the key of E-flat major for the teaching of extensions in first position (see Example
17). Learning a technical concept with a familiar song makes learning easier and quicker.
Example 16. Old Mac Donald in G Major, in Egon Sassmannshaus and Kurt Sassmannshaus
Early Start on the Cello, Vol. 2 © 2009.Bärenreiter-Verlag Karl Voetterle GmbH & Co.
KG. Reprinted by permission.
Example 17. Old Mac Donald in E-flat Major, in Egon Sassmannshaus and Kurt
Sassmannshaus Early Start on the Cello, Vol. 4 © 2009. Bärenreiter-Verlag Karl Voetterle
21
Similar to the Sassmannshaus method, which teaches new technical concepts by
using familiar melodies, the collection of Peruvian and other South American folk songs
contains musical pieces arranged differently for teaching distinct technical skills. One
example is Sayanita Sayanay. The first version of this piece, in G major, teaches first
position and helps the student develop a good posture (see Example 18).
Example 18. Sayanita Sayanay, first version, in the Collection of Peruvian and other South
The second version, also in G major but one octave higher in register, teaches third
position and reinforces the good posture already developed (see Example 19).
22
Example 19. Sayanita Sayanay, second version, in the Collection of Peruvian and other
South American folk songs by Zoraida Oyola Rebaza
The Colourstrings Method
The Colourstrings method was created in Finland by the Hungarian violinist Géza
Szilvay. He began developing the method in 1971 after he became a violin teacher at the
East Helsinki Music Institute. Later, the method was adopted for other instruments such as
piano, viola, and bass. In 1992, Csaba Szilvay adopted his brother’s method for the
violoncello. Since its creation, the Colourstrings approach has been part of the public
schools curriculum in Finland, and is also very popular in Great Britain. Unfortunately, the
Colourstrings method is hardly known in the United States.
This child-centered method contains colorful materials designed to encourage the
learning of music through the development of creativity, without the pressure to accomplish
specific goals within a certain period of time. According to Brenda Sue Mitchell, “The
Colourstrings method is an extension of Zoltan Kodály’s philosophy which emphasizes the
training of well-rounded musicians. According to Kodály, a good musician shows four
characteristics: a well-trained ear, a well-trained intelligence, a well-trained heart and a well-

23
trained hand.” 20 Szilvay’s method models Kodály’s principles by simultaneously and
equally training all four characteristics: the ear with solfeggio, the intellect with music
theory, the heart with chamber music, and the fingers with technique (see Table 1).
Kodály’s Ideas: Szilvay’s Ideas:

Characteristics of a good Simultaneous training
musician
A well-trained ear Ear (solfeggio)
well-trained intelligence Intellect (music theory)
A well-trained heart Emotions (through chamber music)
A well-trained hand Fingers (technique)
Table 1. Correlation of Kodály’s and Szilvay’s ideas
Mitchell describes the Coloustrings method’s teaching philosophy in her dissertation:
“children start their training in group classes at eighteen months old. In these classes
children socialize, clap, march, and sing songs that explore different musical concepts such
as rhythm, pitch, melody, dynamics, tempo, character, form, and style in an enjoyable and
stimulating, but structured way.” 21
Mitchell’s research reveals that Szilvay’s method stresses the role of music lessons
in the personal development of children: “Szilvay and Kodály strongly believe that children
are a product of their environment and that the first childhood years are crucial to the
development of their character.” 22 Therefore, by creating a nurturing, artistic and dynamic
environment for music lessons, children work to develop more than just musical skills. The
20 Brenda Sue Mitchell, “A Qualitative Study of Geza Szilvay’s Colourstrings Method for violin”
(D.M.A diss., Arizona State University, 1994), 30.
21 Brenda Sue Mitchell conducted research on the Colourstrings method in Finland, observed violin
lessons, and interviewed Csaba Szilvay.
22 Ibid., 31.
24
nurturing approach and social aspects are inspired by the Suzuki method; 23 however there is
a notable difference in the amount of bow used by beginning students. As Mitchell
describes, “Whereas the Suzuki method encourages using a small part of the bow limited by
colorful stickers, the Colourstrings encourages the beginning student to play with the whole
bow.” 24
Mitchell further explains the Colourstrings methodology: “By age five or six,
children are learning the basics of music notation and sight reading. At this age they also
choose their instrument. For their first instrumental lessons they play the same melodies they
learned to sing during their toddler years. By playing familiar repertoire they gain
confidence and a feeling of success from the first time they pick up the instrument.” 25 In
keeping with this model, students eventually learn to sing all new songs before learning
them on their instruments. The constant singing helps the development of intonation and the
ability to recognize mistakes when playing the instrument. The songs, mostly European folk
tunes, feature Hungarian, Finnish, German, and English lyrics to encourage the student to
sing along, and emphasize the importance of developing a sense of pitch and rhythm.
The Colourstrings method for beginning cello students is divided in four books:
Cello ABC A, Cello ABC B, Cello ABC C, and Cello ABC D. 26 After the repertoire is
mastered, the students continue developing their technique with duets and short pieces such
as sonatinas, etudes, and concert pieces compiled in several volumes. The first book, Cello
ABC A, uses various symbols to represent actual music notation, such as lines instead of a
musical staff and different colors instead of musical notes. Cello ABC A begins with an
illustration representing four characters in different colors: a blue woman represents the A
23 Szilvay studied the Suzuki method in Japan in 1971. Ibid., 35.
24 Ibid., 14.
25 Ibid., 40.
26 Cello ABC C and ABC D are recent additions to Colourstrings, introduced in 2012.
25
string, an orange man represents the D string, a green bear represents the G string, and a red
elephant represents the C string (see Figure 1).
Figure 1. Characters representing the strings of the violoncello. Csaba Szilvay’s

Colourstrings Cello Book ABC A, page 1. 1991 © Fennica Gehrman Oy, Helsinki.
Published by permission.
These illustrations are used to visually depict the characteristics of each string intuitively:
the pitch, thickness, and brightness of each string correspond to each drawing. In addition to
being amusing, this simple characterization encourages the young learner to play each string
with a different tone and color.
Symbols are initially used to represent rhythmic values; the colors, previously
associated with the strings, are now used to represent the pitch. 27 For example, the rhythmic
value of quarter notes and eighth notes is represented by candles of two sizes. Large candles
represent quarter notes and candles of half their size represent eighth notes. The relationship
between sound and silence is also illustrated with symbols: the sun or the lit candle represent
a quarter note, and the cloud or the extinguished candle represent a quarter note rest. (see
Figure 2).
27 Now, the figures are no longer used but the colors are retained: blue represents the A string, orange
the D string, green the G string, and red the C string.
26
Figure 2. Csaba Szilvay’s Colourstrings Cello Book ABC A, p. 7. 1991 © Fennica Gehrman
Oy, Helsinki. Published by permission.
In more advanced songs, the first conventional figures introduced are quarter notes and
eighth notes, though they do not yet appear on the conventional music staff. 28
Instead, the musical figures are written above or below a single line to indicate the relation
between the pitch of the notes. This relationship is clarified by a small illustration (see
number 2a in Example 20). 29 The color of the line determines which string to play, and the
numbers below the notes indicate which fingers to use. All of this information allows the
student to play the same melody on every string. By doing so, the student practices the
movable Do solfege system. For example, the song in page 16 of Cello Book ABC A
introduces a melody repeated on all four strings (see Example 20). Each of the strings offers
28 The music staff and other conventional musical notation are introduced later in the book.
29 An illustration of a teeter-totter is used to reinforce the relationship between quarter notes and
eighth notes.
27
a translation of lyrics in different languages, first Finish, then Hungarian, and finally
Estonian.
Example 20. Csaba Szilváy’s Colourstrings Cello Book ABC A, p. 16. 1991 © Fennica
Gehrman Oy, Helsinki. Published by permission.
The last songs of the Cello ABC A book introduce the conventional music staff. In
addition, other symbols are introduced to represent theoretical concepts. For example, the
song in Example 21 shows a step ladder containing movable Do note names used to explain
the intervallic relation between pitches; the third interval between M and S (E and G in the
American system) is represented by a higher step whereas the second interval between S and
L (G and A in the American system) is represented by a lower step. 30 Moreover, this piece
does not contain a conventional clef. Instead, it contains a symbol similar to a key in which
the key’s teeth indicate the location of the note A in the staff. 31 Although the conventional
music staff has replaced the colored lines now, the notes on the conventional staff are
30 The Colourstrings method, as well as the Kodály method, only uses solmization.
31 The note A is represented by an L which stands for La (see the musical staff).
28
colored to represent the string to be used. Additionally, the bottom numeral of the fraction is
represented with a quarter note (see Example 21).
Example 21. Csaba Szilváy’s Colourstrings Cello Book ABC A, p. 87. 1991 © Fennica
Gehrman Oy, Helsinki. Published by permission.
Two innovative music projects: El Sistema and Mark O’Connor’s method
Various teaching methods are used in countries with a non-European musical
background, including El Sistema, 32 the Venezuelan music program that is becoming
popular in many countries worldwide. Founded in 1975 by José Antonio Abreu, the project
is now an example of collective music education.
According to Maria Majno:
The mission of El Sistema, under the motto “to play and to fight,” is
officially stated as: “To systematize music education and to promote
32 Short name for La Fundación del Estado para El Sistema Nacional de las Orquesta Juveniles e
Infantiles de Venezuela (Venezuelan State Foundation for the National System of Youth and Children’s
Orchestras).
29
the collective practice of music through symphony orchestras and

choruses in order to help children and young people achieve their
full potential and acquire values that favor their growth and have a
positive impact on their lives in society.” 33
Students receive their music education at the music schools called núcleos. The admission to
the núcleos is open and free of charge. However, it demands a serious commitment from
their participants. Students taking part of El Sistema meet several days a week for ensemble
playing as well as for private instrumental or vocal lessons.
Research reveals that children taking part of El Sistema receive a musical education
based on the Suzuki, Kodaly, Orff, and Dalcroze methods. Furthermore, the orchestras of El
Sistema perform standard orchestral repertoire by composers such as Beethoven, Bizet, and
Tchaikovsky. However, in recent years, the orchestras created by El Sistema have
incorporated Venezuelan folk music as well as works by Latin American composers into
their repertoire. 34
In a 2013 article Tricia Tunstall affirmed that, “Several countries are creating similar
institutions that model El Sistema. 35 The Los Angeles Philharmonic, for example, together
with their artistic director Gustavo Dudamel (a former student of El Sistema), has
established the Youth Orchestra of Los Angeles. New South American musical programs
have emerged as well.” 36 In Peru, the number of youth and children orchestras has
increased, placing classical music among the most popular extracurricular activities for
33 Maria Majno, “From the Model of El Sistema in Venezuela to Current Applications: Learning and
Integration through Collective Music Education,” Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences 1252 (2012):
57.
34 Tricia Tunstall, “Another Perspective. El Sistema, a Perspective for North American Music
Educators,” Music Educators Journal 100 (2013): 70.
35 Tunstall, 69.
36 Majno, 59.
30
school age children. 37 Given the growing interest in classical music in several countries in
South America, especially in countries that aim to emulate El Sistema, the development of a
violoncello method based on Peruvian and South American folk tunes offers a viable
alternative to the often used European cello methods.
In the United States many musicians are working towards changing classical music
into an artistic expression that welcomes a heterogeneous audience and corresponds to the
needs of the twenty-first century society. The American fiddler musician Mark O’Connor is
one of these artists. In a 2013 article O’Connor pointed out the current situation of classical
music in the United States and indicated the need for change to improve it:
Many orchestras, regional and major ones are struggling or

disappearing in the United States and music education is cut from the
public school’s curricula, professional opportunities for classical
string players are shrinking as well. This artistic expression needs to
be more available, affordable, and appealing to not only an older
wealthy audience but to children and young people from various
minorities and diverse socioeconomic backgrounds. 38
In 2009 O’Connor released a violin method that uses American folk songs as the
basis of its repertoire. Since then, he has been promoting his method in high schools,
conservatories, and youth orchestras in order to make music education curricula more
inclusive, culturally and musically in the United States. His method books include music in
various styles such as classical, jazz, folk, Latin, rock, and ragtime. The method has been
adapted for viola, violoncello, and string orchestra. Students learn their instrument’s
technique through American folk songs such as: Oh! Susanna, Amazing Grace, Soldier’s
Joy, Boil’em Cabbage Down, In the Summertime, Cielito Lindo, and El Rancho Grande. The
method books also emphasize ear training as well as musicality.
37 Sinfonía por el Perú, Sistema de Orquestas Infantiles y Juveniles del Perú,

www.sinfoniaporelperu.org, accessed September 23, 2014.
38 Mark O’Connor, “What is the Future of String Players?,” School Band and Orchestra 8 (2013): 16.
31
Mark O’Connor’s method aims to educate string players as resourceful musicians
capable of surviving in the demanding twenty-first century job market. In a 2013 interview
he described the current situation of classical music students and what needs to be done to
improve it:
Today, the ultimate goal for classical string students who want to go
pro is a position in an orchestra, but because this goal seems
unattainable for most students (rightfully so), classical string training
in many ways loses its potency for them. I’ve witnessed countless,
once-extremely-motivated students of all ages quit their instruments
and never look back. The way to change this is to reinvigorate the
classical string world with some creativity. String players themselves
must be able to aid in replenishing string repertoire. They must learn
how to play a variety of styles. They must come up with compelling
artistic ideas and spearhead projects outside the scope of the
orchestra. 39
Several high schools and youth orchestras across the United States have already embraced
O’Connor’s method and they are learning a classical instrument with repertoire based in
their country’s folk music.
Conclusions
The purpose of this project is to compile what I consider to be the most useful
aspects of previous violoncello methods and incorporate them with a collection of Peruvian
and other South American folk songs in order to create a repertoire for innovative learning.
Anyone interested in learning the violoncello using a non-European repertoire would benefit
from this collection, regardless of their country of origin or their ethnicity.
South American folk tunes contain a wide variety of rhythms. Some songs highlight
lively, dance-like rhythms with fast figures, dotted figures, and syncopations, while others
feature compound meters and slow triplets in a calmer character. The rhythmic diversity
characteristic of South American folk tunes is suitable for the teaching of bow-hand
39 Mark O’Connor, “What is the Future of String Players?,” School Band and Orchestra 8 (2013): 18.
32
technique, an aspect of violoncello technique that many traditional methods leave
underdeveloped. Learning a piece that contains a mixture of rhythms implies practicing
distinct technical aspects: proper elevation of the right arm for string crossing, playing from
the string (or off the string, depending on the stroke) in order to obtain a clear beginning of
the note, adequate bow distribution, bow speed, and bow pressure.
This collection is intended to help build right-hand technique through more emphasis
on various combinations of rhythms, string crossing, distinctive bow strokes, and left hand-
right hand coordination. These folk songs will also develop the left-hand technique, similar
to the Suzuki, Sassmannshaus and Colourstrings methods, through the use of shifting,
extension, double stops, harmonics, and distinct left-hand positions. In addition, this
collection will provide South American children with more familiar music. However, not
only South American children can benefit from my method, but children of Hispanic
heritage living in a country with a dominant European tradition in classical music, and also
European and American children. The collection can help children learn a classical
instrument via a more familiar repertoire and simultaneously relate to their roots by playing
these songs. Later, these children can become musicians, audience members, and financial
supporters; especially in countries where classical music depends on patronage. This is the
case in the United States where demographic studies of organizations, such as the League of
American Orchestras, have concluded that if classical music is to survive and be part of the
life of future generations, audiences need to be approached in a different way. A 2009 study
revealed that the Hispanic population in the United States is a crucial target for classical
music. 40 The collection of Peruvian and other South American folk songs intends to
continue a great classical music tradition while incorporating various South American styles
to the learning repertoire.
40 Jesse Rosen, “Audience Demographic Research,” League of American Orchestras (2009), 23,
http://www.americanorchestras.org, accessed September 2, 2014.
33
CHAPTER II
DESCRIPTION OF THE PERUVIAN AND OTHER SOUTH
AMERICAN SONGS
The folk songs compiled for this collection come from different regions of Peru.
Some songs are originally from the coastal, Andean, and rainforest region. This collection
also includes a few songs from Mexico, Bolivia, Argentina, and Spain. Spanish is the
language of the majority of the texts of these songs. However, Quechua is the language of
some of the songs from the Andean region used in this collection. 41 The works are
performed for specific occasions such as festivities or carnivals, anniversaries of provinces,
or at parties. Others are Christmas carols or villancicos, and a few of them are songs that
children sing while playing or dancing. The origin and significance of each song, as well as
Peruvian musical terms will be explained in the following pages. This chapter concludes
with the original song lyrics and their respective English translations.
Origins of the folk songs and traditional meanings
(Arranged by order of technical difficulty)
Los Pollitos dicen: pío, pío, pío (Baby chicks say: pio, pio, pio)
This children’s song is popular among Peruvian and other South American children.
Los pollitos dicen pío, pío, pío is one of the first songs any Spanish-speaking child learns, as
it is often sung in daycares and kindergartens. It clearly shows European influences: simple
and repetitive rhythms, a diatonic melody (in this case in the key of G major), a clear formal
construction, and a traditional authentic cadence.
41 Quechua is an Amerind language that was spoken by the Incas and it is still spoken in Chile,
Ecuador, Bolivia, and Argentina. Quechua is one of the official languages of Peru, together with Spanish and
Aymara.
34
Sayanita, Sayanay
This folk song, originally from the forest region of La Libertad, is often sung by
farmers who work in the Andean forest extracting the bark of the chinchona tree for the
production of quinine. 42 Sayanita, Sayanay is often sung accompanied by a tambourine and
a pinkollo. 43 This song is based on the major pentatonic scale on G.
Ojos Azules (Blue Eyes)
This sorrowful huayno is performed in gatherings, festivities, or carnivals. Huayno is
a genre of popular Andean music and dance, of pre-Hispanic Inca origin, characteristic of
the highlands or Serranía of Peru, Ecuador, Bolivia, Chile, and Argentina. 44 The huayno
usually has a binary structure and duple meter, is in amoderate tempo and often concludes
with a fuga section. 45 It is performed in couples, and can be accompanied by sikus, 46
guitars, bombo (bass drum), and charango. 47 Like the majority of the Andean music, Ojos
Azules is based on a pentatonic scale (in this case pentatonic major A).
42 According to Luiz Camargo, “The bark of the chinchona tree made into powder and drank as a hot
beverage cures the fevers of malaria (quinine). The antimalarial effect of this tree, originally from the tropical
South America, became popular after the physician Juan de la Vega treated in 1638 administered quina (bark
of the chinchona tree) to the wife of the viceroy of Peru.” Luiz Camargo, “Antimalarials and the fight against
malaria in Brazil,” Therapeutics and Clinical Risk Management 5 (2009): 311.
43 Traditional Peruvian flute that dates as far as the Pre-Columbian period. It is usually made of cane
or bone and has between two and six holes. Robert Stevenson, “Ancient Peruvian Instrument,” The Galpin
Society Journal 12 (1959): 28.
44 Dale A. Olsen, “Peru,” The Garland Encyclopedia of World Music, vol. 2 (New York: Garland,
1998), 477.
45 William Gradante, “Huayno,” Grove Music Online, http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com, accessed

September 21, 2014.
146 “South Andean panpipes made of cane or clay,” “Siku,”Grove Music Online,
http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com, accessed September 21, 2014.
47As described by Thomas Turino, “Small fretted lute of the Andes made of wood or armadillo shell.
Most commonly have five double courses of metal strings (sometimes nylon, gut) which produce a dense,
high-pitched sound. The charango is one of the few hybrid instruments resulting from contact between
European and indigenous cultures, dating from the eighteenth century. It is used to accompany singing and
dancing, at family gatherings, and stage presentations; it is performed solo, and in ensembles of strings, wind,
35
Saucecito Palo Verde (Dear Little Willow, Green Tree)
This mournful song belongs to the musical genre yarawi. Robert Stevenson
described the Yarawi:
The Yarawi appeared as a result of the fusion of the Incan harawi

and Spanish minstrel songs during the viceroyalty of Peru. This
genre later expanded from the coastal region to other regions,
especially to the highlands. Yarawi’s melody is usually supported
by end-notched flutes made of bone or clay. The word yarawi
derives from harawi which refers to a ballad composed to evoke
past or absent lovers or to express sorrow. 48
However, before the arrival of Spanish conquistadores to the Andean region, the harawi was
not necessarily a sad song. 49 Instead it depicted the beauty and harmony of the Inca
Empire. 50 The article on Andean music written by Sicramio (the pseudonym of Dr. J. M.
Tirado) in the Peruvian newspaper El Mercurio Peruano describes the characteristics of the
yarawi as follows:
The tonality is regularly minor with only transitory modulations into

major. Accidentals often color the harmony--which is also as a rule
enriched with appoggiaturas, suspensions, and those other ornaments
which give breath and soul to music. The meter varies between 3/8,
3/4 and 6/8, but the tempo never exceeds moderato, scaling on a
down through andante and andantino to largo. Invariably the
sentiment is serious. As for performance, yaravies require no set
number of voices—a soloist or duet sufficing, but a trio or even more
often taking part. 51
and percussion instruments.” Thomas Turino, “Charango,” Grove Music Online,

http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com, accessed October 14, 2014.
48 Diego Gonzáles Holguí, "Yarawi,” Vocabulario de la lengua general de todo el Perú, llamada
qquichua o del inca, 3rd ed. (online version, 2007), http://www.illa-a.org/cd/diccionarios/Voca
bvlarioQquichuaDeHolguin.pdf, accessed 30 August 2014; Robert Stevenson, “Early Peruvian Folk Music,”
The Journal of American Folklore 73 (1960): 112.
49 Christopher Columbus arrived to the Americas, in 1492.
50 Ibid., 113.
51 Sicramio, “Yarawi,” El Mercurio Peruano 101 (1791): 285, in Robert Stevenson, “Early Peruvian
Folk Music,” 115.
36
El Cóndor Pasa, composed by the Peruvian composer Daniel Alomía Robles (1871-1942),
is a yarawi known world-wide. 52Saucecito Palo Verde is set in the pentatonic major scale of
A.
Niño Manuelito (Baby Manuelito)
The term villancico, in current times, is merely used to describe a “Christmas carol.”
Between the fifteenth and eighteenth centuries, however, the villancico was a type of
popular song of the Iberian Peninsula and Latin America associated with rustic themes. The
villancico developed as a secular polyphonic genre until religious villancicos gained
popularity around the sixteenth century in Spain and its Latin American colonies. 53 The
Latin American villancico is known for its incorporation of dialects and rhythms drawn from
its diverse ethnicities. Niño Manuelito, originally from the Peruvian Amazonas, is a popular
villancico sung at Christmas time. This villancico is characterized by lively and joyful
rhythms and it is based on the pentatonic major scale of G.
Campanas de Belén (Bells of Bethlehem)
The villancico Campanas de Belén is popular in Peru and other Spanish-speaking
countries. European influences are shown in the slow dactyllic rhythm and the diatonic
melody based in the key of C major. This villancico is usually performed with keyboard or
guitar accompaniment and tambourine.
52 Thomas Turino, “The Music of Andean Migrants in Lima, Peru: Demographics, Social Power, and
Style,” Latin American Music Review, 9 (1988): 131.
53 Isabel Pope and Paul R. Laird, “Villancico,” Grove Music Online, http://www.oxfordmusic
online.com, accessed September 22, 2014.
37
Agüita de Putina (Dear Little Water of Putina)
This song is originally from the Titicaca region, which is located along the border of
Peru and Bolivia. This song belongs to the genre huayno and it also contains elements of
sikuri. Sikuri is a musical style from Perú and Bolivia that features syncopated rhythms and
a pattern of four sixteenth notes followed by two eighth notes. The Sikuri requires an
unusual manner of performing, in which the individual musicians or groups of musicians
alternate playing each note of the tune so each player or group plays every other note. 54
Agüita de Putina is often sung at processions and festivities. Its melody is based on the
pentatonic minor scale of A.
Buenos días, Su Señoría (Good Morning, Your Honor)
According to Juan Alfonso Carrizo, Buenos días, su Señoría belongs to the folklore
of Tucumán (Argentina). 55 This round is also popular in Peru, and it is part of a children’s
game. The game consists of forming two rows facing each other, with arms interlocked, and
moving back and forth according the dialogue. The vivid rhythm consists of eighth notes
and syncopations; the melody is simple and repetitive. Buenos días, su Señoría is arranged
in the key of C major.
Marinera
This dance from the coastal region and its accompanying musical style is an elegant
and flirtatious reenactment of courtship. 56 According to Miryam Parra Herrera, “there are
54 Gerard Béhague and Thomas Turino, “Peru,” Grove Music Online,http://www.oxfordmusic

online.com, accessed September 22, 2014.
55 Tucumán is the name of a province in the Northwest of Argentina. Juan Alfonso Carrizo, Cantares
Tradicionales del Tucumán (Buenos Aires: Espasa-Calpe, 1937), 51.
56 Raul R. Romero, “Peru,” The Garland Encyclopedia of World Music, vol. 2 (New York: Garland,
1998), 481.
38
three distinct variations of this dance: Marinera Limeña or Canto de Jarana, Marinera
Norteña, and Marinera Serrana.” 57 For this dance, women dress in a white blouse and a long
wide skirt, while men wear a white shirt and black pants. Both partners are barefoot and
hold handkerchiefs. The dance is one of the most traditional dances of Peru and has gained
world-wide recognition. It is usually performed for distinctive celebrations: cities’
anniversaries, graduations, Independence Day, and competitions. One of the most important
events that features this dance is the Trujillo Marinera Festival, an annual contest held in
January in Trujillo city. 58
Parra Herrera further described, “Marinera’s origins can be traced back to
Zamacueca, an ancient colonial music and dance that originated during the viceroyalty of
Peru as a result of the mixture of African, Spanish, and Andean rhythms.” 59 Marinera’s
melody is usually played by clarinet or saxophone; the accompaniment is typically played
by cajón, 60 snare drums, clarinets, guitars, and bugles. The rhythm of Marinera is vigorous,
consisting of triplets and hemiolas, and it is usually in 6/8 meter.
Arroz con leche (Rice Pudding)
This popular children’s song is part of a game in which children sing and dance
while holding hands in a circle. At the end of the song children break the circle to run away
from each other. Arroz con leche is especially famous in Spanish-speaking Peru and other
57 William Gradante, “Marinera,” Grove Music Online, http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com, accessed

October 5, 2014; Miryam Yovanna Parra Herrera, “Poder y Estudios de las Danzas en el Perú,” (B.S. Thesis,
Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos, 2006), 13; Raul R. Romero, “Development and Balance of
Peruvian Ethnomusicology,” Yearbook for Traditional Music 20 (1988): 150.
58 Trujillo city is the capital of La Libertad region. Situated in the northwest of Peru, about 560 km
from Lima, it is the most populous city in the northern region of the country.
59 Parra Herrera, 14.
60 “Afro- Peruvian percussive instrument that consists on a wooden box and it is played with both
hands.” Gerard Béhague and Thomas Turino, “Peru,” Grove Music Online, http://www.oxford
musiconline.com, accessed August 18, 2014.
39
countries in Latin America. 61 The slow rhythm and diatonic melody (arranged on the key of
A major) demonstrates European influences.
Jarabe Tapatío
Jarabe Tapatío is a folk dance popular in central and Southern Mexico, especially in
Jalisco state. The term Jarabe comes from the Arab word xarab which means herb mixture
or syrup. In current times, the term jarabe means a potpourri of songs. Tapatío is the name
used to describe people from Guadalajara. 62 Originally from colonial times, it is a result of
the mixture of Spanish popular music and dances
such as seguidillas, 63 and fandangos. 64 Jarabe was influenced by native Mexican couple
dances imitating the courtship of doves. Jarabe melodies are traditional medleys of earlier
popular tunes.
61 Luis Rocca Torres states in his book, Herencia de Esclavos en el Norte del Perú, that Arroz con
leche is a popular song among children in the villages of African descendants in northern Peru. The book offers
a different version of the song’s lyrics which I have included in this essay on page 51. Luis Rocca Torres,
Herencia de Esclavos en el Norte del Perú (Lima: Centro de Desarrollo Étnico, 2010), 289. Arroz con leche is
also included in the anthology Cantares Tradicionales del Tucumán. Carrizo, 37.
62 Gabriela Mendoza-Garcia, “Bodily Renderings of the Jarabe Tapatio in Early Twentieth-Century

Mexico and the Millennial United States: Race, Nation, Class, and Gender” (Ph.D. diss., University of
California, 2013), 4.
63 “A Spanish dance and song that exists since 1590s. Described by Cervantes and others as an
exciting, salacious kind of plebeian couple-dance. The musical versions from the 1620s onwards are
homorhythmic in two, three and four parts, in a syncopated triple time. Composers such as Sebastian de
Iradier, Felipe Pedrell, Isaac Albéniz and Mihail Glinka included in their compositions rhythms inspired in this
dance. Manuel de Falla’s Siete Canciones Populares Españolas contains an example of seguidilla.” Jack Sage
and Susana Friedmann, “Seguidilla,” Grove Music Online, http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com, accessed
October 14, 2014.
64 “A couple-dance in triple meter and lively tempo, accompanied by guitar and castanets or hand-
clapping. Divided in two parts: introduction (instrumental) and cante or coplas. Considered the most
widespread of Spain’s traditional dances, it dates from the sixteenth century.” Israel J. Katz, “Fandango,”
Grove Music Online, http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com, accessed September 22, 2014.
40
La Cucaracha (The Cockroach)
This piece, popular in Mexico and other Spanish-speaking countries, belongs to the
narrative genre corrido. The corrido, which arrived in the territory of New Spain in the
seventeenth century with the Spanish colonization, expresses a variety of topics: great feats,
military achievements, religious facts, crimes, executions, love matters, adultery, critiques,
satires, and mockeries. 65 The corrido’s structure is formed by four octosyllabic verses of
variable rhyme scheme. La Cucaracha is formed by a refrain with four-line verses, and
although it has been arranged for different instruments and rhythmic styles, the most popular
arrangement includes voice with guitar accompaniment. 66
Zoraida Alfonsina
This is an original composition by my mother, Abigail Imelda Rebaza Vigo. She
composed the song shortly after my birth, in September of 1978. As the title suggests, the
song is about me. This author used to sing me this song at bedtime. Zoraida Alfonsina is in
waltz time, and it has influences from Musica Criolla Peruana. 67 The rhythm in the
strophes is based on eighth notes; the chorus mainly contains dotted eighth notes. The song
was originally composed to be sung a capella. With my mother’s permission, however, I
composed a piano accompaniment to the voice.
65 The territory of New Spain (Nueva España) included the south of Canada, most of the United
States, all present-day Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean Islands.
66 Jacqueline Avila, “Corrido,” Grove Music Online, http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com, accessed

September 23, 2014.
67 “Peruvian musical genre that integrates European, African and Andean music.” Robert Stevenson
and J. Carlos Estenssoro, “Lima,” Grove Music Online, http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com, accessed
September 22, 2014. As described by Heidi Feldman, “The term criollo originally was used to refer to the sons
of enslaved Africans that had gone through a process of acculturation to distinguish them from the ‘pure’
Africans. Later, Europeans employed the term to describe the sons of Spanish settlers born in Peru, thus
distinguishing them from the ‘true Europeans.’ In the nineteenth and twenty century, the concept of criollo or
criollistmo was taken back by Peruvians from the coast as a way to define their own national culture.” Heidi
Feldman, Ritmos Negros del Perú: Reconstruyendo la Herencia Musical Africana (Lima: Pontificia
Universidad Católica del Perú, 2009), 19.
41
Sopa le dieron al Niño (They Fed the Baby Some Soup)
This traditional villancico is popular in Peru and other Latin American countries.
Sopa le dieron al Niño is often taught to children at daycares or kindergartens. The song
consists of two sections with contrasting rhythms: a slow dactyllic motive and vivacious
dactyllic motive with pyrrhic anacrusis. 68 Sopa le dieron al Niño is often sung a capella
with tambourine accompaniment at Christmas time. 69
Los peces en el río (Fish in the Water)

This is another traditional villancico popular in Peru and other Latin American
countries. The melody contains Arabian influences: alternation of minor and major
sonorities, frequent use of half steps and minor third intervals, and contrasting rhythmic
sections. Whereas the first rhythmic section contains a slow dactyllic motive, the second
rhythmic section contains staccato eighth notes preceded by pyrrhic anacrusis. Los peces en
el río is usually sung a capella with tambourine accompaniment, at Christmas time.
Vamos pastores vamos (Let’s go Shepherds, Let’s go)
This popular villancico of Peruvian and Spanish origins, contains Arabian and
Spanish influences: major and minor sonorities and dactyl rhythms. Vamos pastores vamos
is usually sung a capella with tambourine accompaniment. This villancico is usually taught
to children at daycares or elementary schools, and it is performed at Christmas time.
68 Pyrrhic rhythm: short-short note value.
69 The tambourine is originally from Middle East countries. The use of this instrument in Peruvian
villancicos is another vestige of their Arabian influences. Jeremy Montagu, "Tambourine," Grove Music
Online, http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com, accessed August 19, 2014.
42
El Niño Dios ha nacido (Baby Jesus is born)
This traditional villancico from Argentina is in huayno style and consists of two
sections of contrasting rhythms. The first section features syncopations; the second section
features ascending and descending scales of sixteenth notes. The tempo is lively throughout
the song. El Niño Dios ha nacido is usually performed with guitar or keyboard
accompaniment, and tambourine at Christmas time.
Hanac pachap Kusikuynin (Alegría del Cielo. Heaven’s Joy)

This is the first polyphonic work composed and published in a native language in the
New World in 1631. 70 It appears at the end of Juan Pérez Bocanegra’s Ritual Formulario e
Institución de Curas, a manual for priests written in Quechua and Spanish with reference to
Spanish and Incan traditions. 71 Bocanegra was a Franciscan parish priest, university
teacher, and musician who apparently worked closely with and was sympathetic toward the
natives of Peru. 72
Hanac pachap Kusikuynin’s text is written entirely in Quechua and is set for four
voices a capella, in Sapphic verse, to be sung in procession when entering the church. 73
Each verse has five eight-syllable lines followed by a four-syllable phrase. This work is
often performed during special holidays of the Catholic Church as well as in choir concerts.
70 “General term for the Americas following their discovery by Europeans in the sixteenth century
AD, thus setting them in contradistinction to the Old World of Africa, Europe, and Asia” Timothy Darvill,
“New World,” The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Archaeology , http://www.oxfordreference.com, accessed
December 1, 2014.
71 Quechua is the language spoken by the Incas which it is still spoken today in Peru, Bolivia,
Ecuador, and Chile.
72 Oscar Escalada, “Hanaqpachaq: The First Polyphonic Work Published (and Composed?) in the
New World,” The Choral Journal 43 (2002): 9.
73 Sapphic verse is named after the Greek woman poet Sappho (610-570 BC). It became popular as a
verse form for hymns in the Middle Age. Chris Baldick, “Sapphics,” The Oxford Dictionary of Literary Terms,
http://www.oxfordreference.com, accessed October 15, 2014.
43
Lyrics of the folk songs with English translation
Los Pollitos dicen: pío, pío, pío Baby chicks say: pio, pio, pio
Los Pollitos dicen pío, pío, pío Baby chicks say: pio, pio, pio
Cuando tienen hambre, When they are hungry,
Cuando tienen frío. When they are cold.
La mamá les busca el maíz y el trigo, The mother looks for the corn and
wheat,
Y les da comida y les presta abrigo. And provides food and protection.
Sayanita Sayanay Sayanita Sayanay
Yo me fui a la montaña a sacar la I went to the mountain to extract
cascarilla, 74 some bark,
Por sacar la colorada he sacado la Instead of picking the red one, I
Amarilla got the yellow one.
Pirulita, Pirulita, Pirulita, Pirulai, Pirulita, Pirulita, Pirulita, Pirulai,
Sayanita, Sayanita, Sayanita, Sayanita, Sayanita, Sayanita,
Sayanay. Sayanay.
Ojos Azules Blue Eyes
Ojos Azules no llores, Blue eyes do not cry,
No llores ni te enamores. Do not cry and do not fall in love.
Llorarás cuando me vaya, You will cry when I am gone,
Cuando remedio no haya. When there is no remedy.
74 Cascarilla = Peruvian bark. It refers to the Quinine.

44
Me prometiste quererme, You promised to love me,
Quererme toda la vida. To love me forever,
No han pasado dos, tres días Only two or three days have
passed,
Y has empezado a olvidarme. And you have already begun to
forget me.
Saucecito Palo Verde Dear Little Willow, Green Tree

Saucecito Palo Verde, Dear little willow, green tree,
Señal de mi cautiverio, Sign of my captivity,
¿Para qué me cautivaste, Why did you enchant me
Traidora teniendo dueño? If you belonged to someone else?
Niño Manuelito Baby Manuelito
Niño Manuelito ¿qué te puedo dar? Baby Manuelito, what can I give
you?
Rosas y claveles para deshojar, Roses and carnations to pull the
petals off.
Desde lejos vengo oyendo una voz I come from afar, hearing a voice
En que el ángel dice que ha nacido Dios In which an angel says that Jesus
has been born.
Niño Manuelito, ¿qué quieres comer? Baby Manuelito, what do you want
to eat?
Buñuelitos fritos envueltos en miel. Fried dough balls covered with
honey.
45
Campanas de Belén Bells of Bethlehem
Campana sobre campana, Bell after bell,
Y sobre campana una. And one after another.
Asómate a la ventana, Look out the window,
Verás al Niño en la cuna. You will see the Baby in his crib.
Belén, campanas de Belén, Bethlehem, bells of Bethlehem,
Que los ángeles tocan, That angels ring,
¿Qué nuevas me traéis? What news are you telling me?
Recogido tu rebaño, Once you have gathered your
flock,
¿A dónde vas pastorcito? Where will you go?
Voy a llevar al Portal: I will take to the Stable:
Requesón, manteca y vino. Curd, lard, and wine
Belén, campanas de Belén, Bethlehem, bells of Bethlehem,
Que los ángeles tocan, That angels ring,
¿Qué nuevas me traéis? What news are you telling me?
Agüita de Putina Dear Little Water of Putina
Agüita, Agüita de Putina palomita, Dear little water from Putina, dear
little dove,
¿Cómo quieres que me vaya? Why do you want me to leave?
Ayayayay, Ayayayay,
Sabiendo que te he querido, palomita If you know I have loved you, my
Dear little dove.

46
Tu padre, tu madre, no quieren ya Your father, your mother, do not want
anymore
Que yo te siga queriendo, palomita. For me to continue loving you,
My dear little dove.
Ay mi palomita, linda flor, Oh! My little dove, pretty flower,
Que yo te siga queriendo, palomita For me to continue loving you, my
dear little dove.
Buenos días, Su Señoría Good Morning, Your Honor
Buenos días Su Señoría. Good Morning, Your Honor.
Matatiru tirula. Matatiru tirulá.
¿Qué quería Su Señoría?. What does Your Honor want?
Matatiru tirulá. Matatiru tirulá.
Yo quisiera a una de sus hijas, I would like one of your daughters.
Matatitu tirulá. Matatiru tirulá.
¿Cuál quería Su Señoría? Which one does Your Honor want?
Yo quería la más bonita. I would like the prettiest.
¿En qué oficio la pondría? What job would she do?
La pondría de modista. She would be a seamstress.
Ese oficio no le gusta. She does not like that job.
La pondría de pianista. She would be a pianist.

47
La pondría de cocinera. She would be a cook.
Matatiru tirulá. Matatiru tirula.
La pondría de princesita. She would be a princess.
¡Ese oficio sí le gusta! She does like that job!
Marinera (Instrumental only)
Arroz con leche 75 Rice Pudding
Arroz con leche, Rice pudding,
Me quiero casar. I want to marry.
Con una señorita, A lady,
De Portugal. From Portugal.
Que sepa coser, One that knows how to sew,
Que sepa cantar. That knows how to sing.
Que sepa abrir la puerta, That knows how to open the door,
75 Arroz con leche’s lyrics as appear in Luis Rocca Torres’ Herencia de Esclavos en el Norte del
Perú, 298:
Arroz con leche me quiero casar,
Con una morenita que sepa jugar,
Arroz con leche me quiero casar,
Con una morenita de San Nicholas.
48
Para jugar. To play.
Jarabe Tapatío (Instrumental only)
La Cucharacha (versión peruana) The Cockroach (Peruvian versión)
La cucaracha, la cucaracha, The cockroach, the cockroach,
Ya no puede caminar, cannot walk anymore,
Porque no tiene, porque le falta, because it is missing,
Una patita de atrás a back leg.
Y la cucaracha grande And the big cockroach,
Se metió en un hormiguero went into an anthill,
Y las hormigas traviesas and the naughty ants
La patita le comieron eat her leg.
Zoraida Alfonsina (Instrumental only)
Sopa le dieron al Niño They fed the Baby Soup
Sopa le dieron al Niño, They fed the Baby soup,
No se la quiso tomar. He did not want to eat it.
Y como estaba tan dulce, And because it was too sweet,
Se la tomó San José. Saint Joseph ate it.
Vamos al Portal, Let’s go to the Stable,
Con su resplandor. With its brilliance.
Que salga la luna llena, Let the full moon come out,
Y el inmenso sol. And the immense sun.

49
Alegría, alegría, alegría, Joy, joy, joy,
Alegría, alegría y placer. joy, joy, and pleasure.
Esta noche nace el Niño, Tonight baby Jesus,
En el portal de Belén. Is born in the Stable of
Bethlehem.
Los peces en el río Fish in the water
La Vírgen se está peinando, Virgin Mary is combing her hair,
Entre cortina y cortina. Between curtains.
Sus cabellos son de oro, Her hair is of gold,
Y el peine de plata fina. And the comb is of fine silver.
Pero mira como beben los peces en el río. Oh! Look how the fish drink in
the river.
Pero mira como beben al ver a Dios nacido. Look how they drink because
Jesus is born.
Beben, y beben, y vuelven a beber, They drink, and drink, and drink
again,
Los peces en el río al ver a Dios nacer. The fish on the water because
Jesus is born.
Vamos pastores vamos Let’s go Shepherds, let’s go
Vamos pastores vamos, Let’s go Shepherds, let’s go,
Vamos a Belén. Let’s go to Bethlehem.
A ver en aquél niño, To see in that child,
Las glorias del Edén. The glories of Eden.

50
¡Ese precioso niño! Oh, that precious child!
Yo me muero por él. I die for him.
Sus ojitos me encantan, I love his dear eyes,
Su boquita también. And his dear mouth.
El padre lo acaricia, His father caresses him,
La madre mira en él. The mother looks at him.
Y los dos extasiado, And both mesmerized,
Contemplan aquél ser. Contemplate him.
El Niño Dios ha nacido Baby Jesus is born
El Niño Dios ha nacido, Baby Jesus is born,
Allá lejos en Belén. Far away in Bethlehem.
Vendrán los Reyes a verlo, The Kings will come to see him.
Y los pastores también. And Shepherds, too.
El Niño Dios ha nacido, Baby Jesus is born,
Allá lejos en Belén. Far away in Bethlehem.
¡Ay! Niñito de Belén, Oh! Dear Baby of Bethlehem,
Ruega por todos, Pray for everybody,
Por mí también. And for me, too.
Hanac pachap Kusikuynin ¡Alegría del cielo!
Hanac pachap Kusikuynin, ¡Alegría del cielo!
Waranqakta much’asqayki. Te adoro mil veces.
Yupay ruru puquq mallki. Fruta preciosa de árbol fructífero,
Runakunap suyakuynin, Esperanza que anima,
Kallpannaqpa q’imikuynin, Y da soporte a los hombres,
Waqyasqayta! ¡Oye mi oración!

51
Uyariway much’asqayta. Atiende nuestras súplicas.
Diospa rampan Diospa maman, Oh, columna de marfil, madre de Dios,
Yuraq tuqtu hamanq’ayman. De iris hermoso, amarillo y banco.
Yupasqalla, qullpasqayta. Recibe esta canción que te
ofrecemos.
Wawaykiman suyusqayta, Ven a nuestra ayuda,
Rikuchillay. Muéstranos el fruto de tu útero.
Hanac pachap Kusikuynin Heaven’s Joy!
Hanac pachap Kusikuynin, Heaven’s joy!
Waranqakta much’asqayki. A thousand times shall we praise
you.
Yupay ruru puquq mallki. O tree bearing thrice-blessed fruit,
Runakunap suyakuynin, O hope of humankind,
Kallpannaqpa q’imikuynin, Helper of the weak,
Waqyasqayta! Hear our prayer!
Uyariway much’asqayta. Attend to our pleas,
Diospa rampan Diospa maman, O column of ivory, Mother of God!
Yuraq tuqtu hamanq’ayman. Beautiful iris, yellow, and white,
Yupasqalla, qullpasqayta. Receive this song we offer you.
Wawaykiman suyusqayta, Come to our assistance,
Rikuchillay. Show us the Fruit of your womb!

52
CHAPTER III
PEDAGOGICAL PURPOSES OF THE FOLK SONGS
The Peruvian and South American folk songs in this collection focus on various
aspects of right-hand technique such as string crossings, left hand-right hand coordination,
bow distribution, bow speed, and the use of different parts of the bow. The songs also focus
on developing the left-hand technique by presenting challenges such as shifting, extensions,
positions, double stops, and harmonics. The works in this collection have been arranged in
order of difficulty and they can be used for teaching beginning or intermediate students.
Ergonomic posture, first position, fingering 1-3-4, legato stroke

Los Pollitos dicen: pío, pío, pío
The melody of this song is written in the lower register of the cello, using the D and
G strings, because these two strings provide a natural and comfortable posture for the
beginning cellist. The main purpose of this song is to help the student play with an
ergonomic posture. The repetitive rhythm based on eighth notes will allow the student to
focus on a legato stroke (to be executed using the middle of the bow), and the simple
melody in G major will help the student concentrate on a relaxed C shape of the left hand
while using the first, third, and fourth fingers. The open strings will help the student practice
intonation. 76 It is suggested to memorize this song in order to concentrate on the quality of
sound, posture, and intonation.
Sayanita, Sayanay (first and third position)
This piece is provided in two versions that serve two distinct purposes. The first
version, written in the pentatonic major scale G in the lower register of the cello using the D
and G strings, helps reinforce ergonomic posture. The repetitive eighth notes of the song
76 When using fingering and open strings the student can be encouraged to tune intervals in relation
to the open strings.
53
continue the practice of the legato stroke, while the simple melody helps to develop a well-
balanced left hand shape in first position, using the fingering 1-3-4. The second version,
written also in the pentatonic major scale G in the middle register of the violoncello using
the A and D strings, helps to introduce third position. Sayanita Sayanay’s simple melodic
and rhythmic material makes learning third position easier. Using a familiar song to
introduce new technical concepts helps the student focus on the new concept rather than on
additional challenges.
Dactyllic rhythm, ties over the bar line

Ojos Azules
Ojos Azules contains two main rhythmic patterns that serve two different technical
purposes. The first pattern, a group of four eighth notes followed by a quarter note, will help
the practice of legato strokes. The second pattern, a dactyllic motive, will help the student
practice bow distribution, using longer amounts of bow on the eighth notes and shorter
amounts of bow on the sixteenth notes. Moreover, the dactyllic motive and slurs will help
the pupil master string crossing as well as left hand-right hand coordination. It is suggested
that the student practices this rhythm paying close attention to the clarity of the sound as
well as to rhythmic precision. Ojos Azules also introduces two new concepts: contrasting
dynamics and time signature changes. Moreover, this work teaches the pentatonic major
scale of A as well as the note A played as harmonic in fifth position. The melody is set on
the D and G strings to continue the development of an ergonomic body posture and to
practice the fingering 1-3-4.
Bow distribution
Saucecito palo verde
The melodic and rhythmic material of Saucecito palo verde reinforces technical
practices previously learned and simultaneously teaches new concepts. For example, the
melody encourages an ergonomic posture using the D and G strings, reinforces the fingering
1-3-4 in first position, introduces the A string and the idea of right-arm elevation, and it also
54
requires string crossing on the three upper strings. 77 Saucecito palo verde’s rhythmic values
help to teach bow distribution. Whereas the eighth notes should be played with less amount
of bow, the quarter notes should be played with more amount of bow. This piece also
introduces appoggiaturas and slurs on eighth notes. Saucecito Palo Verde is in the
pentatonic major scale of A.
Niño Manuelito
Niño Manuelito is characterized by two rhythmic patterns that will help develop
distinctive bow techniques. The first pattern, consisting of a dotted eighth note followed by a
sixteenth note, will help players obtain a precise articulation and will enable them to
continue developing the concept of bow distribution. The dotted eighth note should be
played using a quick and light bow; the sixteenth note should be played from the string with
a small amount of bow. Practicing this pattern on open strings will help the student to
concentrate solely on the bow stroke. The second pattern, consisting of an eighth note with
two sixteenth notes (from measure 31 until the end), will also further correct bow
distribution. The eighth notes should be played with a long fast bow and the two sixteenths
with a short amount of bow. The dactyllic rhythm should be played with a light bow. In
addition, Niño Manuelito’s countermelody offers a challenge for the coordination between
the right hand and the left hand. These measures are a good exercise for developing the left
hand fingers’ agility.
Niño Manuelito’s simple melody, heavily based on open strings, enables students to
concentrate on intonation by allowing them to tune the pitches in relation to the open strings.
This piece also teaches how to simultaneously play the open G string and its octave on the D
string.
77 When playing on the A string the right arm should be elevated, making an acute angle in reference
to the torso. However, the right elbow should not be more elevated than the right wrist.
55
Fingering 1-2-4
Campanas de Belén
Campanas de Belén was arranged in the key of C major to introduce the fingering 1-
2-4. This piece teaches, for the first time, second position, how to play crescendo and
decrescendo, and how to play two notes under a slur in the same direction of the bow.
Agüita de Putina
Agüita de Putina is in the scale of A minor, and the melody is set to be played in first
position to continue the practice of fingering 1- 2- 4. However, its main purpose is to teach
syncopations. In order to play them the student needs to use the middle part of the bow,
avoiding the frog area. 78 The beginning of each syncopated group should be played with a
slight stress in order to achieve three goals: beginning each note with a clear articulation,
improving the coordination between right hand and left hand, and giving a natural emphasis
to the every beat. 79 The 1/4 time signature is seldom used in Western music, but considering
its frequent use in Andean music this piece is arranged by the author in 1/4 rather than in
2/4. The song’s natural stress on every beat should be heard in the performance.
Agüita de Putina also highlights contrasting dynamics, which require a different
contact point and different amount of arm weight: bow closer to the bridge with more arm
weight for the forte dynamic, bow closer to the fingerboard with less arm weight and faster
bow for the mezzo piano dynamic.
78 Using the middle part of the bow allows for more control of the amount of bow to be used. In
contrast, using the frog area limits the amount of bow.
79 The emphasis on every beat in the 1/4 time signature is automatically implied.
56
On-the-string and off-the-string bow stroke
Buenos días, Su Señoría
This C-major piece reinforces two concepts previously learned, the use of fingering 1- 2-4
and syncopated rhythm. The syncopations occur on the same pitch, enabling the student to
concentrate on the execution of rhythm and the movement of the right hand, as well as the
sound quality. Moreover, the slurred anacrusis in Buenos días, Su Señoría will allow the
student to master the execution of two notes in the same direction of the bow. Later, this
piece presents a simple countermelody in pizzicato, for the practice of this technique as well
as correct intonation without worrying about using the bow.
Compound meter
Marinera
Marinera strengthens several concepts previously learned and at the same time
introduces new concepts. It reinforces, for example, the use of fingering 1-3- 4 and the notes
of the G-major scale. The first part of the melody has been arranged on the lower range,
using the D and G strings in order to emphasize a natural and comfortable posture. Later in
the song, the melody is repeated an octave higher, in order to practice second position. This
repetition will allow the student to concentrate on the newer position’s challenges and will
help with recognition of wrong notes or rhythms.
Marinera introduces the concept of compound meter for the first time by having 6/8
as its time signature. 80 In addition to becoming familiar with this common time signature,
the student will practice subdividing the measure into two beats and learn that in compound
meter each beat contains three eighth notes. This piece will teach bow distribution, in that it
requires playing two consecutive beats in an up bow.
80 Compound meter is characteristic of folk dances such as the Irish slip jig, and some Baroque
dances such as gigues, sicilians, and passepieds. Because compound meter is widely used in classical music, it
is important to introduce it in early learning stages.
57
Extensions
Arroz con leche
Arroz con leche is in the key of A major, and it is set on the D and A strings
in order to encourage the student in the use of right-arm elevation. This piece teaches the
concept of anacrusis and extensions. The simple melody and rhythm will allow the student
to concentrate on the new technical challenges.
Half positions, fourth position
Jarabe Tapatío (Mexican Hat Dance)

This piece, arranged in G major, presents two new placements for the left hand: half
position and fourth position. Jarabe Tapatío also teaches how to shift to these new positions.
Moreover, the dance’s 6/8 time signature helps the student practice subdivision in compound
meter.
Shifting, third position
La Cucaracha (The Cockroach)
This selection is arranged in D major to reinforce the concepts of extensions and
anacrusis. In addition, La Cucaracha can be used for teaching arpeggios in first position and
triads in root position, as well as in inversions.
Minor tonalities, various positions
Zoraida Alfonsina
This A-minor song introduces the student to minor tonalities. Moreover, the 6/8 time
signature will reinforce the concept of compound meter. The melody contains several leaps
of a fifth that require string crossings. 81 While performing these challenges the student
should be encouraged to play with flat left-hand shape. This temporary modification of the
left-hand shape (usually a “C” shape) will encourage playing the melody connectedly,
despite the string crossing.
81 These leaps of a fifth could be played on the same string, using shifting. That is, however, a more
advanced technique that can be introduced later.
58
Los peces en el río
This villancico in E minor again introduces the student to the realm of minor
tonalities. Several passages in the melody can be used to teach the concept of triads and
arpeggiated chords.
The main purpose is, however, to teach the student play the melody on the D string
using various positions. 82 Los peces en el rio also reinforces playing in half position and
right hand-left hand coordination. Precise coordination will be specially required to play the
running eighth notes and sixteenth notes on the same strings. This work also teaches a new
bow challenge: retaking a down bow in order to maintain consistent bowings.
Martelé and staccato

Sopa le dieron al Niño
This villancico, in the key of F major, reinforces two concepts previously learned:
fingering 1-2- 4 and extensions. Sopa le dieron al Niño introduces, at the
same time, two contrasting bow strokes: staccato and martelé. Whereas the staccato stroke
gives the melody a light, dance-like character, the martelé stroke provides the melody with a
sharper and accented character. These contrasting bow strokes will serve as the basis for
learning spiccato stroke. The spirited rhythm of this villancico, which consists of fast
dactyllic motives, rapid sixteenth note anacruses, and staccato eighth notes, will allow the
student to develop good left hand-right hand coordination as well as clear and precise string
crossing.
82 In order to play the melody on the D string the student will need to shift from first to second and
third position. Playing the melody on the same string allows for an even tone color.
59
Fourth position
Vamos pastores, vamos
This villancico in the key of A minor features a vivid melody based on rapid vivid
dactylic motives, which require precise right hand-left hand coordination. Its melody will
allow the student to practice technical challenges such as shifting from fourth position to
first position and extensions. In addition, Vamos pastores, vamos presents two new
theoretical concepts: the fermata and ad libitum, which will introduce the student to the idea
of a flexible approach to tempo and dynamics.
Syncopations
El Niño Dios ha nacido
This villancico, in the key of G major, features a lively rhythm, emphasizing, at the
same time, distinctive challenges such as syncopations, martelé stroke, and shifting, already
introduced in previous pieces. The novelty of El Niño Dios ha nacido is the distinctive use
of the bow speed: light and fast, to allow the execution of consecutive syncopations without
unnecessary accents. The miscellaneous rhythm will teach the student that not every phrase
begins with a down bow and that bowings should support dynamics, note values, and
phrasing.
Thumb position, ensemble playing
Hanaq Pachap Kusikuynin
This piece is originally for four voices (soprano, alto, tenor, and bass) and it is in the
key of D minor. This collection contains my arrangement for four cellos in the original key.
Cello I and II are written in the high register of the cello, so students may practice thumb
position. The melody in the upper voices fits in one position, over the D and A string. Thus,
there will not be shifting involved. Cello III and IV play in first position, covering the lowest
range of the cello. This piece introduces the students to ensemble playing, which implies
learning about individual and group intonation, as well as unity of gestures such as
60
breathing, body movement, and interpretative styles. The students should be encouraged to
listen to their own sound, and to others, when the melody requires.
61
CHAPTER IV
COLLECTION OF PERUVIAN AND OTHER SOUTH AMERICAN
FOLK SONGS ARRANGED FOR VIOLONCELLO AND PIANO
Scores of the Folk Songs

62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
Preparatory Exercises
The preparatory exercises cover various technical challenges such as shifting,
positions, extensions, bow distribution as well as distinctive bow strokes. The exercises will
help the student concentrate on the challenges and master them. Once the technical concepts
are learned, the student will be able to play the songs paying attention to other musical
aspects such as dynamics, phrasing and style.
The score of the preparatory exercises contain several abbreviations that will be
explained in the following lines:
M.B. Middle of the bow
--
U.H. Upper half of

the bow
L.H. Lower half of
the bow
W.B. Whole bow
L Long amounts of bow
S Small amounts of bow
Table 2. Symbols and definitions

98
Preparatory Exercise for:

99

100

101

102

103

104

105

106

107

108

109

110

111

112

113

114

115

116
117

118
Preparatory Exercise:
119
Recordings of the Folk Songs
The folk songs were recorded in February 2014, in the UCC Recital Hall of the
University of Iowa. The piano accompaniment was performed by the Brazilian pianist
Gustavo do Carmo. The audio files of the recordings are attached to this D.M.A essay in
separate links. Each song has its corresponding audio file, which is also shown in every
score, next to the song’s title. The order of the audio files corresponds to the list of songs in
Chapter IV.
120
CONCLUSIONS
The folk songs, children’s songs, and traditional villancicos compiled in this
collection contribute to a new approach to violoncello pedagogy for Peruvian and South
American students. Most traditional violoncello methods use beautiful European melodies
with simple rhythms but do not necessarily focus on the right-hand technique from the early
stages. The diverse rhythms found in Peruvian and other South American folk music provide
technical challenges not only for the right-hand technique but also for that of the left hand.
These challenging rhythms are also found in songs with otherwise simple melodies. In
addition, this collection contains music already known to Peruvian and other South
American children. It is possible that learning an instrument using familiar repertoire can
make the educational process easier and faster. For this reason, this collection of folk songs
intends to provide Peruvian and other South American children with a more familiar music
that emphasizes the development of the right-hand technique from early stages. I hope that
this collection, which contains folk songs from Peru, Argentina, Mexico, Bolivia, and Spain,
inspires other teachers to create alternative methods with local repertoire that develops
technique for both hands. Teachers, students, and performers using traditional cello methods
may use this collection to supplement various aspects of violoncello pedagogy.
Future work will consist of adding more folk songs from other South American
countries to this collection and arranging them for various combinations of instruments in
order to cover further technical challenges. A further plan is to adapt this collection to other
instruments thus providing an innovative learning experience for Spanish-speaking students.
Meanwhile, Peruvian, other South American children, and anyone interested in learning the
violoncello with a non-European repertoire can benefit from this collection of songs.
121
APPENDIX A: MAP OF PERU
Map of Peru (Public Domain) http://ian.macky.net/pat/map/pe/pe_blu.gif

122
APPENDIX B: MAP OF SOUTH AMERICA
Map of South America (Public Domain) http://ian.macky.net/pat/map/samr/

samrblu2.gif
123
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Theses and Dissertations

A collection of Peruvian and other South American folk songs

Follow this and additional works at: https://ir.uiowa.edu/etd

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Copyright © 2014 Zoraida Alfonsina Oyola Rebaza

This dissertation is available at Iowa Research Online: https://ir.uiowa.edu/etd/2254

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SONGS ADAPTED FOR TEACHING VIOLONCELLO

An essay submitted in partial

Essay Supervisors: Associate Professor Marian Wilson Kimber

ZORAIDA ALFONSINA OYOLA REBAZA

All Rights Reserved

This is to certify that the D.M.A. essay of

Zoraida Alfonsina Oyola Rebaza

has been approved by the Examining Committee

Essay Committee: ___________________________________

which I am extremely grateful.

Newman Catholic Center in Iowa City for awarding me a fellowship.

permission to reprint songs from the Colourstrings method.

possible the completion of this project.

causing slow, and sometimes incorrect, learning. As a consequence, Peruvian music

students are at a disadvantage compared to American and European music students.

effective methodology of three popular violoncello methods. Nonetheless, anyone

causing slow, and sometimes incorrect, learning. As a consequence, Peruvian music

students are at a disadvantage.

effective methodology of three popular violoncello methods. Nonetheless, anyone

LIST OF TABLES ............................................................................................................. xi

LIST OF FIGURES .......................................................................................................... xii

LIST OF EXAMPLES ..................................................................................................... xiii

I. THREE METHODS FOR LEARNING THE VIOLONCELLO: THE

The Suzuki method ...........................................................................................6

II. DESCRIPTION OF THE PERUVIAN AND OTHER SOUTH

Origins of the folk songs and traditional meanings

III. PEDAGOGICAL PURPOSES OF THE FOLK SONGS ...............................52

IV. COLLECTION OF PERUVIAN AND OTHER SOUTH AMERICAN

APPENDIX B. MAP OF SOUTH AMERICA.................................................................122

Table 1. Correlation of Kodály’s and Szilvay’s Ideas .......................................................23

Table 2. Symbols and definitions.......................................................................................97

2. Csaba Szilvay’s Colourstrings, Cello ABA A, p. 7................................................26

1. Lightly Row for Violoncello, in Suzuki Cello Book 1 .................................................8

3. J. S. Bach, Minuet, in Suzuki Cello Book 1 .................................................................9

5. Witches’ Dance, in Suzuki Cello Book 1...................................................................11

6. Saucecito Palo Verde, in the Collection of Peruvian and other South

7. Buenos días, Su Señoría, in the Collection of Peruvian and other

8. Witches’ Dance, middle section, in Suzuki Cello Book 1..........................................12

9. Jarabe Tapatío, in the Collection of Peruvian and other

10. Open Strings, in Egon Sassmannshaus and Kurt Sassmannshaus

11. Pat-A-Cake, in Egon Sassmannshaus and Kurt Sassmannshaus

12. Leopold Mozart, Triplet Exercise, in Egon Sassmannshaus and Kurt

15. Bernhard Rohmberg Extract from Poco Allegro, in Egon Sassmannshaus

17. Old MacDonald in E-flat Major, in Egon Sassmannshaus

18. Sayanita, Sayanay, first version, in the Collection of Peruvian

19. Sayanita, Sayanay, second version, in the Collection of

20. Csaba Szilváy’s Colourstrings Cello Book ABA A, p.16.........................................27

21. Csaba Szilváy’s Colourstrings Cello Book ABA A, p.87.........................................28

be used to supplement the repertoire of other violoncello methods.

aspects of the left-hand technique: rounded left-hand shape, left-fingers independency,

learning the techniques of the violoncello.

5 Mexican bass guitar of five strings.

6 I have experienced similar situations in Iowa City, my current place of residence.

more rhythmic—something Peruvian.