r/Cello

Ok so I've been *learning* for a while. I've had to have a few breaks due to serious health problems and then my confidence completely spiralled. BUT I'm back and finally picking up properly, finally played 3 days in a row, but part way through a piece my right shoulder was aching so bad I had to stop. Am I just to tense? Do I need to do some kind of shoulder workout? Any tips I'd be sooooo grateful! Because I'm in a mental headspace where I feel I can put the time in, but I'm now not wanting too because of the ache. I can't win! Thank you xx

I'm a singer-songwriter, piano is my main instrument. I'd love to be able to play some kind of strings to accompany my music and it seems Cello has the most versatile range. My aim's not to become pro but just be able to play pretty simple sections and melody's. Without 1 on 1 teaching, how achieveable is this?

I'm new to cello, and have been taking lessons for about 6 months now privately and was renting my cello from my teacher who also has a business selling cellos. When I started, they didn't have any student level cellos and I ended up renting an advanced level cello at $70 per month rather than the $50 it would have been for a student one, which was fine.

My rental agreement was for 6 months so about a month ago my teacher approached selling me the cello at the total value of the cello minus rental fees, however there are some noted repairs done on the cello and it was not in mint condition. I said I would discuss it with my husband.

Ultimately, we decided that it was more than we wanted to spend on an instrument (it was a beautiful cello, but again a higher level instrument than I need) but was almost $4000. I don't intend to ever become a professional, this is a hobby and something purely for my own enjoyment of playing.

I ended up finding a cello through a luthier who does restoration, and got a beautiful cello kit for a price I was much more comfortable with. And was happy with the sound and was able to try multiple cellos for comparison with the luthier.

When I told my cello teacher that I discussed the cello purchase and that we were going to go a different route with the purchase. During my next lesson my teacher let me know that my decision, in their opinion, was disrespectful, and that students usually bring their new cello or trial cello to their teacher for advice and essentially that I hadn't consulted them. Made an offhand comment about "but maybe you know more than I do".

Honestly, consulting them is not something I would have done, as they sell cellos and to me, it's kind of a conflict of interest if they are trying to also sell me their cello. As well, the student/teacher relationship is only 6 months, it's still relatively new. Showing them the new cello prior to purchase wouldn't have even been a possibility as it was purchased 4 hours away.

So now I feel awkward going to them for lessons because they were very serious about feeling disrespected... And honestly.. I feel kind of off because the whole situation seemed oddly territorial.

Am I reading the situation wrong? Did I commit a string instrument faux pas by not getting approval/advice from my teacher before purchasing my own cello?

So 15 years or ago I took up cello as an adult. Purchased a Jay Haide which I adored, but little by little my shoulders degraded. The pain and surgeries (total of 4 rotator cuff repairs and then last year 2 reverse shoulder replacements) made cello impossible and I sold my set up.

Now I’m feeling almost like new (1 years out from the first replacement) and regretting selling my cello. But I have no idea how long my shoulders will be functional and relatively pain free or if they can even produce the complicated and intricate movements necessary to produce decent sound. Several of the normal tendons are completely gone, the muscles atrophied.

Is there a decent set up for less than $1000? I don’t want to spend more as I really don’t know how long I can play or even if I can truly produce decent sound. Any recommendations? I miss my cello journey. TIA

I started playing cello the summer after 6th grade, I loved it immediately, but I constantly wish I had started sooner. I tried to join my middle school orchestra as a 7th grader, and obviously wasn’t at a level where I could keep up with everyone else, so I had to leave.

I’m going into sophomore year next fall, and I want to try out for orchestra again. I am just stressed that I still won’t be good enough, or that the conductor won’t accept because I how I was when I first joined.

Ive been practicing everyday since I don’t have the school work I normally did. I have a private instructor, and I still have all summer to continue to improve.

I just feel so inadequate compared to all the other kids who have been playing much much longer than I have.

Wish me luck everyone, 18 months into playing cello and I have joined my community orchestra. I just got the music, and feel I am not going to be playing much as it appears to be at the top of or beyond my current ability.

Hoping just not to embarrass myself

Now don't gasp or fall out of your chairs, but I'm 65 and have always wanted to learn to play, but you know, college, work and life's demands got in the way. Even as a youngster, the mysterious sound intrigued me. I just want to play for myself. It's meditative and has a healing power I want to tap into. I don't know why I'm asking, I'm going to do it anyway, but I'm curious what interesting insights might be offered by cello enthusiasts. I do casually play the guitar and piano and picked those up pretty quick, so maybe it's doable.

As a cello teacher, I usually have beginners start with the Suzuki books as their core "repertoire" and have them simultaneously work through the Feuilliard Young Cellists's Method as supplementary etudes.

What other books do you recommend for beginners? I'm already familiar with the Cello Time and Essential Elements series as well as Rick Mooney's Position Pieces.

We all wonder how Shafran achieves his insane Vibrato, but not a single video has been made to Analyze it until now.

Hope you enjoy!

- Jezreel Houtz

Performance vs. Teaching?

TL;DR shall I focus on performance or teaching?

I am 31, already getting paid as a contract player in a mid-level group, no music degree, day job, married 9 years.

1. teach

Pro:

\- money

\- hubby participates in building business

\- opportunity to be nice to children and the elderly

\- Low hour commitment per week

\- resilient to any major health upsets

Cons:

\- Never get full potential in

\- Possibly miss out on gigs and performance opportunities due to sucking at my instrument

\- less interesting

2. Performance-focused practice

Pros:

\- see if I can get into better group (e.g. salaried)

\- possible some money from gigs

\- play exciting repertoire

\- I won't suck at my instrument

\- it is my passion, happiest times in my life have been performing

Cons:

\- huge daily hours-long commitment ... Hubby might be :(

\- cost for actual lessons with a real teacher

\- if I have kids in like 2 years or something I must stop practicing enough to progress meaningfully ... so will all the effort be worth it

\- burnout

I should have clarified - not looking for "do both" answers. Question is where to prioritize.

I'm in dire need of a new set of strings. Mine are old as hell, the A is extremely harsh, the G and C are very unresponsive.

Unfortunately, I can't find the order in my email, so I'm not sure exactly what I have on there. The G and C both have a navy winding with some gold at the tailpiece, the C has a purple winding near the pegs and the G looks like red winding but might have been purple. A and D both have sky blue windings at the pegs and tailpiece.

So I *probably* have Jargar Classic Mediums on the A and D, and Helicore for the C and G?

I was never super happy with this set on my cello. I'd like to prioritize warmth and roundedness, not concerned with projection. My cello is an unlabeled acceptable quality student cello, purchased for around $2000 in 1994, comparable to something like a Jay Haide 101. I'm hesitant to put a $400 set of strings on it for this reason, but not opposed to buying decent strings.

Recommendations, anyone? I've spent an inordinate amount of time researching and at this point I need to pull the trigger. Thanks!

Is there an actual word for this technique?

My teacher was having me play one finger scales and as I go towards the bridge, finger sort of smoothly bounce with U shape motion to the next note by whole arm having U shape motion. Called this arriving at note.

Now my teacher wants this motion to tranfer between different fingers and I'm having difficulty feeling so uncoordinated. Was hoping to find some videos but I don't know what to search for.

And though I can HEAR the difference, I don't really understand what's going on since technically finger sort of rolls a tiny bit up fingerboard to start the U.

We haven't talked about going towards the nut but I'm assuming that it's just opposite?

Sorry for the poor explanation.

EDIT: Similar to piano when I teach slurs, to drop and roll wrist. Motion is similar but in celloy awkward way. Seems to get at similar result but I thought bow makes the connection.

EDIT2: Ignore the sound of my playing https://imgur.com/a/5yLqZel

42 year old adult beginner. I took lessons 2 years ago, life got in the way, was hoping to restart this summer. Texted my teacher and scheduled something but promptly injured my left hand. Asked him if we can just work on bowing. He asked how I injured it and I told him a lot of details about the injury and complications and he never responded. Showed up for my lesson and he didn't show up. When I texted him he thought I had meant that I cancelled and he said it would be hard to only work on bowing and to follow up to see if we can meet next week. (No way I'm going to be ready for left hand work anytime soon but I will just let him know that).

Did I do something wrong here?