Beginner Cellists Options

[Suepea]

Thanks Supea, those cases do look quite good. I spose not even hard cases are waterproof? (my car failed mot and I may have to go on the bus) You've done well to get to grade 4 in 4 years. What have you found the hardest?

Hard cases should certainly be waterproof! The Tom and Will ones should be too -they are made of a waterproof canvas similar to but thicker than that used for waterproof clothing, with lots of padding under it.

The hardest parts of learning the cello for me have been

1) Intonation - as a pianist I didn't have to listen that carefully! It's a common problem, and the fact that you can have help with tuning in exams up to grade 5 shows how difficult it can be.

2) Articulation - getting the finger down before the bow!

3) Scales (IMG:style_emoticons/default/ph34r.gif) and arpeggios (IMG:style_emoticons/default/ph34r.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/ph34r.gif) These have improved a lot over the last few months, but I really wasn't ready for performance of the grade 4 scales as I couldn't reliably remember the different fingering patterns. When you can't remember the patterns the intonation and articulation go to pot because you are worrying about the patterns. I did pass the scale section - just!

4) Vibrato (IMG:style_emoticons/default/ph34r.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/ph34r.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/ph34r.gif) No matter how many times I think I've got it right, my teacher still says the way I do it is incorrect. I'm getting a real block about it now.

I have "known of" my teacher for quite a long time. At our local music festival ( I was a humble accompaniest/ receptionist and he the important and well respected teacher/father of many very musical children) . Then I went to a concert where he played Elgar's Cello Concerto.....AMAZIN!!! I never dreamed he be MY teacher, I'm SO chuffed! I made many enquiries about teachers, but he was the only one with spaces. ( he's not cheap) He would have been my first choice of course, but one always has to try to save money (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)

It sounds as if you have been lucky with your teacher. Maybe he's not cheap, but quality of teaching is really important for string players.

[Boureki]

Hello, this is my first post (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

I used to play the cello 20 years ago at school when I was about 14 and only played a few months before allowing myself to be bullied out by the other girls in the class. Of course as soon as I left then they did, and the teacher was unwilling to come into the school again to teach only one pupil. So my cello journey ended there!

It's been on my mind to re-start for the last 20 odd years and now I'm rapidly approaching 35 I thought now was a good time to take the plunge! I had my first lesson two weeks ago and was just awful! It looks like I've retained almost nothing from 20 years ago, so I am going as a complete beginner again.

My cello teacher is also a professional luthier so he was able to recommend a new Prima 200 cello for a really good price and set it up for me free of charge as I was his student. It is now sitting in my front room and has been in my possesion for less than 24 hours as I picked it up yesterday, so it's very exciting!

I had a crack at it last night and found that I had trouble reading the very basic music and bowing the open strings in the right place - the bow kept slipping down to the bridge without my looking at it and making a dreadful noise. Is this a common starter problem? It's been so long I can barely remember anything at all!

Thanks for reading (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[cellosc]

Hello, this is my first post (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

I used to play the cello 20 years ago at school when I was about 14 and only played a few months before allowing myself to be bullied out by the other girls in the class. Of course as soon as I left then they did, and the teacher was unwilling to come into the school again to teach only one pupil. So my cello journey ended there!

It's been on my mind to re-start for the last 20 odd years and now I'm rapidly approaching 35 I thought now was a good time to take the plunge! I had my first lesson two weeks ago and was just awful! It looks like I've retained almost nothing from 20 years ago, so I am going as a complete beginner again.

My cello teacher is also a professional luthier so he was able to recommend a new Prima 200 cello for a really good price and set it up for me free of charge as I was his student. It is now sitting in my front room and has been in my possesion for less than 24 hours as I picked it up yesterday, so it's very exciting!

I had a crack at it last night and found that I had trouble reading the very basic music and bowing the open strings in the right place - the bow kept slipping down to the bridge without my looking at it and making a dreadful noise. Is this a common starter problem? It's been so long I can barely remember anything at all!

Thanks for reading (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

Welcome Boureki and great news that you're taking up the cello again! You'll know if you've read my posts in this thread that I'm a raw beginner (in my 40's) and I'm learning everything from scratch including reading music. That bit is coming more easily to me than the basics such as making any kind of decent sound with the bow and not gripping it too tightly! I'm finding relaxing my bowing arm difficult. I had 4 lessons and 3 months of playing in the summer term on a hired cello, then a break. I got my own cello a couple of weeks ago and LOVE IT so I can understand your excitement at having your own - lovely! I had my first lesson since getting my cello last week and really had regressed (if that's possible for such a beginner!), but encouragingly my teacher said that it was inevitable and that every cello is different - important to give myself time to get used to my new one.

I'll be interested to hear what any seasoned cellists out there have to say to us beginners!

[Boureki]

Hi cellosc

Thanks for the warm welcome. Yes, I have read the thread all the way through and am glad I am not alone! Also it's lovely to make contact with an adult beginner too and share all the common problems. I can't seem to practice for more than about 45 minutes at a time, not just down to being stupidly busy, but because my bowing arm is not coping with the new ordeal it's getting!

I have my second lesson tonight, so I'm wondering when I start progressing to more than the open strings but at this incredibly early stage I think I need to improve simple bowing before I dare take on anything else! I think that even if I'm absolutely dire and don't continue for whatever reason, I will keep the cello forever and gaze upon it's gorgeousness as I've been hankering after one of my very own for years, so it won't be going anywhere if I fail!

[cellosc]

Hi cellosc

Thanks for the warm welcome. Yes, I have read the thread all the way through and am glad I am not alone! Also it's lovely to make contact with an adult beginner too and share all the common problems. I can't seem to practice for more than about 45 minutes at a time, not just down to being stupidly busy, but because my bowing arm is not coping with the new ordeal it's getting!

I have my second lesson tonight, so I'm wondering when I start progressing to more than the open strings but at this incredibly early stage I think I need to improve simple bowing before I dare take on anything else! I think that even if I'm absolutely dire and don't continue for whatever reason, I will keep the cello forever and gaze upon it's gorgeousness as I've been hankering after one of my very own for years, so it won't be going anywhere if I fail!

I'm also glad to be in touch with someone else doing the same thing. Hope your lesson goes well. I think you're doing really well to manage 45 minutes; I'm only doing about 20. My back gets stiff and I think that's from bowing and not relaxing. I'm thinking like you that it's important to get a good grip on the basics and not try to progress quickly at the expense of doing that. I am doing more than open strings but I'm keeping to simple pieces - very aware that I can't play these well yet! I'm looking at about a lesson a fortnight and unfortunately they're only 20 minutes long- lovely teacher though, just a tricky schedule.

I know what that is to love your cello - mine has pride of place in the sitting room and I'm getting huge pleasure just from looking at it!

What music have you been given? A particular 'scheme'? I'm working from the children's books Cello Time Joggers (with harder ones to follow) and String Time Joggers; I also have an adult book but am finding it less satisfying at the moment.

[Suepea]

I can't seem to practice for more than about 45 minutes at a time, not just down to being stupidly busy, but because my bowing arm is not coping with the new ordeal it's getting!

Welcome Boureki. When I first started playing cello I was dared on pain of death to practice for more than 10 minutes at a time! Your body needs time to get used to playing again, and you will probably improve more quickly if you actually cut down the amount of time you practice for the moment. If you can't bear to do that, how about having several short sessions during the day - and use a timer to make sure that you really do have short sessions!. Your mind also needs time to absorb the information it is getting. The cello is not an easy instrument to learn - I find that some aspects of it are more difficult than playing the piano, though the fact that it is a single line instrument (most of the time!) is in its favour.

[immy]

45 minutes practice sounds quite long to me too when you are just starting out. Be ware, plenty of cellists do themselves an injury like tennis elbow. As you will be learning to hold the bow there are quite a few useful exercises you can do just to improve that, like 'spidercrawl' and 'windscreen-wipers', which you can do away from the cello. Ask your teacher to show you.

[Boureki]

Thanks for the further welcomes and the advice. I don't feel so bad only doing short practice sessions now! I have already started to do short bursts rather than longer sessions, and I am finding this is helping already. I will definately be asking my teacher tonight about these techniques you mention Immy as I am finding bowing hard at the moment. I progressed from open strings to E, A and oddly, F# the last one I am struggling with as I find bowing the A string or notes from the A string immediately after attempting the F# very hard, it makes this dreadful screeching sound!

I honestly don't remember it being this hard when I was 14! I remember just picking it up and almost straight away being able to get a recognisable tune!

Cellosc, the book I am currently using is called Stringbuilder, does that mean anything to you? Appelbaum I think the author is?

[immy]

In case you teacher does not know, there are various youtube clips with bow exercises. This for instance:
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=8CObNd3lJ3Q&...feature=related
is the spider crawl.

I would not worry about making screeching sounds on the A string, as you'll be doing that for some time to come unless you are a genius! Crossing from one string to the next with the bow will always be one of the challenges and at first it does not sound smooth at all. If, and I am only guessing here, you have a fairly basic cello and basic strings the screeching will be twice as bad anyway, so it isn't all your fault!

When I first started I only bowed on open strings for quite a while and did little tunes with pizzicato (plucked) stopped notes. I think I did that for quite a few lessons before I was allowed to try and play stopped notes with the bow. So you are ahead already!

Have a good lesson tonight.

Immy

[cellosc]

Oh good - it's not just me making screeching noises from string to string then! I have good strings so can't blame them though... I was supposed to have a cello lesson this morning but am missing it as I'm not well (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sad.gif) . The next one could be several weeks away so I guess I just keep practicing the basics and trying to get my bowing smoother. I'll certainly take a look at the exercises you mentioned Immy, and will look up Stringbuilder Boureki - I haven't come across it. Glad you're finding shorter practice sessions are suiting you better.

[Muddy Paws]

Hi everyone, I didn't know you were all having this conversation as the email notification seems to have stopped working for me (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sad.gif)
I too was told to practise little and often, however tend to do about 45 mins. Maybe that's why I'm aching.

Can I ask, seeing as it seems to be mostly ladies here (I'll try to say this as tactfully as poss.) if when you practise in your jammies, does it cause any difficulties because bits of you are in a differnt place than when fully dressed? Am I doing something wrong? My teacher's a man so I can't ask him but I find it quite awkward.

[Boureki]

Immy, that link was helpful and led on to some other useful links too, so thanks for that, it all helps.

Cellosc, no, it's definately not only you screeching between strings and I'm glad it's just not a case of being completely unworthy of my beautiful instrument when I screech the strings! I have a Prima 200 with factory strings at this point, although I may replace the strings in the near future.

Muddy Paws, I haven't tried practising in jammies lol, I usually practice in my nice soft jeans if I can, but haven't felt any sort of difference (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[cellosc]

I haven't tried playing in jammies but imagine it would be rather uncomfortable!

I'll be away for the next week so no practice at all. There's a rather alarming thread on one of the other forums (adults learners I think) about how many hours practice are required to make real progress - oh dear, it's a bit discouraging. I will have to Do Better after my holiday. Still think short sessions seem to be wise for us beginners but I really ought to try to play most days. I'd like to - it's just easy to let other things get in the way.

PS It was this forum - see 'how long do you spend practising'....