Cello fret markings for beginners?

Question

Hello I am new at cello and I need a little help with locating the "frets" /notes on the neck. I have seen some folks have put sticky paper strips across the neck to mark where each fret should be. I was wondering if anyone has a cheat sheet (something I can print out or measurements) or guide as to where these fret markings should be so that I can mark them on my cello. It is a full size adult cello.
Thanks in advance.

Answer 1

The best (and ONLY) way to learn where the notes are is to try them and LISTEN to what you're doing. YOU can tell if the note is right or not. You know what a scale is supposed to sound like and so listen to yourself and adjust the positions of your fingers if you hear something out of tune. Practise scales, arpeggios and studies. This will get you used to where each note should be.

Using cheats like sticky paper are counter-productive as they can make you lazy and stop you listening properly to what you're doing.

Answer 2

I was taught where to put my fingers and then you have to listen carefully to check you have the right sound. I suppose its kind of like having a map in your head of what the notes look like on the violin. I play the violin and guitar and I have to say I prefer the guitar as the frets do help. I find that when I play the violin I'm normally flat which doesn't make the best sound!

Answer 3

No, don't do that. That will slow your progress. Just get your teacher to show you where the notes are.
You can use an electronic tuner to check that you are actually on the note. You probably already have a chromatic tuner for tuning up ? If you don't, you should buy one....they only cost about $20.

Answer 4

Remember not to use those stripes for more than a couple of years, then just leave the first one on for about another year, then go stripeless.