Like other important musicians of the period, Friedrich Dotzauer was proficient in playing many instruments, including keyboard, violin, cello, double-bass, clarinet and horn. Dotzauer’s first cello teacher was an important musician, Kriegk. Later, Dotzauer took cello lessons with Bernard Romberg in Berlin. Dotzauer was a member of the cello section in the Leipzig Orchestra, and later, at the Dresden Court Orchestra. As a composer and teacher, Dotzauer's created important cello methods that included many etudes and exercises introducing varied types technique with the different degrees of difficulty. Dotzauer's 113 Etudes are still the main study course of the modern cellists.