Does any one play cello??

Question

I would just like to talk to other cellests and get some tips on how to play I've only played for 2 years

Answer 1

I've been playing cello for four years but have played violin and viola for many, many years, so it wasn't hard for me to take up cello.
Some important things: make sure that you are holding the bow correctly. I've seen some students try to hold the bow like a German bass bow and although that may be more comfortable, it doesn't produce a good tone. Buy the best A string that you can afford. Cheap A strings sound really tinny, not mellow. Make sure that your second fingers are low enough - close to the first finger. A lot of students don't reach back far enough. Practice 2nd position a lot. Be sure to bring your thumb with you when you shift. Also practice your harmonics and get so you can really "nail" them. Cellists use harmonics much more frequently than violinists and violists. Finally, if you haven't learned vibrato yet, start working on it as it will really make a difference in your sound. I am not a great cellist, but I am really good at vibrato so I can get a decent sound out of my instrument. Vibrato is a lot easier to do on cello and bass than it is on violin and viola.
If you have any specific questions, feel free to email me.

Answer 2

Everything Musikgeek said is right on. Ignore that first idiot, the cello is a beautiful instrument, and I think it's actually the easiest of the string family to play.

Practicing well is important. Keep to as consistent a schedule as possible, and don't try to play too fast too soon. Focus on your intonation and listen closely for the notes. There are no frets like on a guitar or keys like a woodwind, your fingers have to find the exact pitch by muscle memory and your ear. When I had to work on playing my bass in tune, I would go back and forth playing just two notes to make my fingers find the right spot every time. It's pretty tedious, but effective if you pay attention with your ears. Once you've got some reading and positions down, I recommend the Schroeder 170 Foundation Studies, which Carl Fischer publishes in two volumes. Have a teacher recommend some actual repertoire to work on, which you'll find more exciting than the scales and etudes, which are still very important, so don't neglect them. Try the Bach Cello Suites, they are not only pretty pieces, but they make for good exercises too (shhh...don't tell anybody, that's my little secret). Immerse yourself in some good recordings too. Yo-Yo Ma has pretty much recorded everything worth hearing that was ever written for the cello. Above all, keep practicing, and have fun. The more you enjoy it, the easier it gets.

Answer 3

I've just begun playing the Cello this semester for a String Methods class. I've been playing Viola for 9+ years now, and I'm not an expert, but I'll try to help out.
As with any instrument, you need to practice basics first. Try and work in at least 10-15 min. of practice for scales, bowing technique excercises, etudes, that sort of thing. When practicing any piece, always begin really slow. Work out what the notes are first, run through maybe a small section, maybe the whole thing figuring out notes, how to play them, etc. Next, add the rhythm, or just get the rhythm. The basic idea with practicing something, anything really, is to allow enough thought and energy and ability to do the one thing you are working on perfectly. You need to make that one thing simple, and as slow as is needed to be perfect. Working on one simple thing after another is a lot better than working on a lot of simple all at the same time, and this technique will really help your practice. Try to eliminate a lot of 'variables' in practicing. Practice slow, with a metronome, and work up the tempo, but cautiously. Don't try to go from Andante to Presto after practicing for one day on a hard piece: It will seem tedious, but it saves a lot of time in the end. Practicing mistakes at fast tempos will make you better and better at making mistakes at fast tempos. Making no mistakes at slower tempos, and working it up slowly to the right tempo will help you play a lot better.
Sorry, this is long. This is what I've had to learn from much frustration in practicing and playing.
Most importantly, get a good teacher if you don't have one, and take their advice.

Answer 4

I play the cello...I am a string trainer. Typically cello is much less normal to pupils given that its measurement makes it complex for pupils (moms and dads) to move. They aren't allowed on university buses, so father and mother need to drag the article backward and forward a couple of instances every week. They also are extra costly, so fewer individuals are inclined to make the acquisition. Check out one of the vital loose sheet tune information on-line. I simply observed the entire Bach cello suites at no cost at the Werner-Icking website. Google "sheet tune" no longer "classical tune" or you're going to simply get audio documents.

Answer 5

I HATE THE CELLO