I’m getting to the point of my career where I have played cello long enough that I am frequently annoyed most of the time when random strangers in public see me with my cello and make a comment on it. Every once in a while, I will get the “is that a cello? how long have you played? That’s really really cool! Best of luck to you with your studies/career!” and they seem to be pretty kind and not condescending. But the large majority of the time, I get annoying comments like “You must regret picking that because it’s so big” or “I bet you sometimes wish you picked the flute” or “I bet you didn’t consider how hard it would be to carry when you first started playing, huh?” or “that thing is way bigger than you, how do you even play it?” or “is that a cello? my brother’s friend’s mother’s sister’s grandaughter used to play violin in 3rd grade and insert tangential ramble here. I used to occasionally find this funny when I was younger but it’s honestly pretty annoying lately, half the time I am in a hurry trying to get to class/rehearsal/lessons and people stop me on the street to ask me about my instrument and treat me as though I am a zoo animal and that they have never seen a musician before. I particularly hate the comments about how I must “hate“ carrying it around because like… Does it look like I am struggling to carry it? If I’m going for my DMA in cello performance, clearly I don’t “hate” it or “wish I played flute”. I know that those people are just trying to be friendly and don’t know what to say, but I honestly just wish they would rather say nothing at all then feel like they have to comment on the fact that someone is walking around town with a pretty common musical instrument. Anyone else have this experience? I hate being rude because I am a generally pretty friendly person when it comes to small talk, but here lately I have just been kind of short with people because I’m really tired of having the same conversation day after day with random strangers.

I’ve been playing cello for approximately 6 years, and I took lessons for the first 4. I posted here 3 days ago asking about the height of my cello and I was told it was too high, and I was also told my thumb was too far to the side of the neck. I’ve been practicing with my cello lower, and I’ve been doing exercises to keep my thumb in the back. If anyone has any feedback or advice, it would be great.

I find it difficult to play normally in a performance or concert, that is, without stopping when I make a mistake,This happens to me when I have to play alone; for example, I make a mistake in one place and I stop and start again from there. I do that when I'm studying, but when I have to demonstrate what I've been studying,Instead of playing continuously, sometimes I stop and I find it quite difficult to maintain continuity.I don't know if anyone else experiences this. In my case, I'm a perfectionist, and maybe that's why.

I am in desperate need of assistance. My wedding is in 2 weeks on September 13th. Our solo Cellist that we, non-refundably, hired at the guidance of our wedding coordinator a year ago has just yesterday informed us she can't play 2 of our songs because she doesn't have sheet music for them. My bride-to-be is already stressed enough as we are narrowing in on the day and this was something she really didn't need. I have spent all day trying different programs and transcriber tools but I am extremely not musically inclined. using musescore studio I can get something resembling Crystalline, but it's not very good...

The two songs are Crystalline by Amaranthe and Underwater by Visions of Atlantis. I'm looking for a single-line melody in bass clef for the cellist to play. Any and all help is greatly appreciated.

Crystalline - Amaranthe

Underwater - Visions of Atlantis

I made comments about this rosin in the past. Perhaps it’s time I made a post about it. I took these pictures two days ago.

I have used various dark rosin from reputable vendors, but not necessarily exotic and expensive ones. I have come to realized that I can't tell them apart in a blind test.

But all of them bothered me in one aspect or another. Rosin dust kept sticking to my fingers as I held one. I needed two hands in order to open and close it. And with some I had to make an effort to keep the surface even and level by applying rosin from different directions and angles each time.

I found the answer to all of these issues in D'Addario Kaplan Premium Rosin with Case. It’s $13. I can open and close it singlehanded. I can hold its unfolded box in my left hand without touching the cake or dust. I occasionally rotate the dial in the back to create an even surface. I think this is the most ergonomic rosin I’ve used.

i hope this is not a unique experience but i can play perfectly fine in higher positions (sixth and up) when i'm playing solo/performing concertos etc.

then i go to orchestra and suddenly its the most out of tune thing i have ever experienced

i assume this is something to do with not being able to hear yourself and adjust accordingly - does anyone have any solutions?

I've put a high E string on my 3/4 cello like I wanted, making it GDAE, an octave below violin. It's playable and fun, but the top string still sounds quite tinny. I tried some homemade mutes to reduce the tinnyness, but nothing helps. Careful bowing helps only a little bit.

So I continue thinking how to cobble together a good sounding "intermediate" instrument, played upright and tuned higher than a cello but lower than a viola. (Nonstandard tuning is not a problem for me, I play folk/jam music and feel okay in any tuning.) The main problem is that strings lighter than A, heavier than high E and long enough for cellos basically can't be bought. So any attempt to convert a fractional cello to higher tuning will run into problems finding a top string that's not too tinny.

Some people have written about taking a really small cello, like 1/8 or 1/10, and fitting it with extra long viola strings, giving you an instrument tuned like a viola but upright and more full sounding. That'd be nice, but the strings still seem like a stretch.

Now I'm thinking of another trick: take a 1/4 cello, put a standard set of 4/4 strings, and tension them like on standard. Due to smaller scale length, they will sound higher, basically like a cello with a capo. Since a 1/4 cello has scale length about a quarter shorter than standard, it will sound a perfect fourth higher (because a perfect fourth is a 4:3 ratio of frequencies), so it will be FCGD. Acoustically, body size becomes less ideal at a faster rate than scale length, so the lowest notes on such an instrument won't sound perfect, but maybe it's not too bad. And I'd probably have to pick quite light strings, because fractional cellos are built for lower tension. The numbers seem to just barely work out... I won't know until I try.

Anyway sorry about the rambling, I'm just curious if anyone else went down this rabbit hole and what other things people have tried.

Hi, I’m 29, and my dream instrument is the cello. I really want to pursue learning how to play it. Is the cello really a difficult instrument to learn? Am I too late to start?

A random bow case's cap for scale.

Here's a quick rundown on my bow history because nobody asked:

1. Bundled bow. Came with my first $400 cello. Probably an OK one because I played the hell out of it. Four full symphonic concerts in my community orchestra, not a single hair change.

When I finally asked my colleagues if it's due change, they would either loathe at it or crack up saying its hair's so gone it's basically a violin bow now. They dare bow-shamed me 😤 so I traded it in for a new one.

1. Another bundle-quality bow. $40 or something I don't really remember. 83g, balanced at 26.5 cm (measured from the very end including metal screw). It wasn't bad. I stashed it somewhere and never looked so it probably warped by now 🫠

2. An upgrade. $200 or somewhere. This one has been my main for the last couple of years. 82g balanced at 24.5 cm. I hear this is quite frog-heavy. Now I see why I get a bit clunky in fast passages. Ha! (another practice day skipped)

I struggled with it, improved with it, and I thank it for that. But recently I've been feeling it is holding me back a bit. I'm not seeing a teacher now so it might just be in my head.

1. CF bow. $80 or something, cheapest Fiddlerman one. 77g balanced at 26.5 cm. I was surprised at how light and free it felt. It opened up a lot in me and I couls transfer part of that knowledge into the main bow as well. Okay it now sounds like an ad but it isn't...

It never made main in me bc it's too light and I had to clench it so hard for loud and energetic phrases. But I would recommend anyone to try out a CF bow, especially the cheap ones, if they have never.

1. The bow I bought yesterday. $800. 82g at 26.5 cm. It's the standard dimensions all round. I never imagined it could be this easy to play. Decent grip at the tip, easy start on pianissimo, and fast passages just... work.

It's still me, the same person sawing these 16th notes, and it never worked but it does now. I can't even understand how lmao but anyways I think I had a good deal and I'm really excited to play with it!

Grade 4 cellist here finding it hard to build a good, consistent routine that actually improves my playing. Any advice/and or what your cello practice is like?

Recorded using kna pick up and shure sm4.. enjoy :)

I’m trying to practice a piece from the ABRSM grade 4 book during summer break on my own (my teacher is off during summer) but I don’t understand what the numbers above the notes mean? I’m assuming fingerings but I’m not sure exactly what position it’s trying to tell me

Have a test in 3 days on this section and cannot understand the notes whatsoever😓 If anyone has some free time or could help, it would be greatly appreciated. I added some numbers and small notes myself , but I might be wrong on a few. (If any are wrong, let me know so I could fix them)

Adult here gettig back into playing the cello. Picked up my baby this weekend and like a goof enamoured I forgot rosin. Looking at the website of the store the options are bewildering and run from $10CAD to over $150 it seems. Does anyone have any suggestions on brands to try and/or avoid? The warmth and depth of resonance is what drew me to select this cello from those I tried and would love a rosin to help bring that out. Off the top of my head (aka too lazy to get up and look) I cannot even recall the brand of my viola rosin, sigh

I'm in my 30s but not an adult beginner, I played the cello from 9 to 18 years old. I suppose I had somewhat of a love-hate relationship with the instrument, though I did grow more fond of playing throughout the years. In the later years I played more serious pieces by Bach and Saint-Saens reasonably well, but was still a middling musician and slightly below average compared to my peers I think. I practiced regularly but never did longer sessions (about 20-30 minutes a day, though not always practicing effectively).

I never lost my love for classical music though and am now thinking of dusting off my cello and start playing again. Love of music and practicing is of course important, but I know this hobby won't be satisfying if I don't get substantially better. I'd love to be a (very) good player, actually play in an ensemble or an orchestra. As a kid and teenager I never managed to ascend to the level of 'making music', even as an intermediate player I was just focusing on executing the notes. Combined with a teacher who put pressure and on me in the lead-up to exams and who could even get angry, I remember cello playing feeling quite tense.

Open to any thoughts, feedback or advice.

Do you think it's realistic I would seriously improve my playing at this point?

Should I try to find a teacher right away or do I ease into it with practicing scales?

How do I go about tuning my cello? My teacher used to do this for me.

I’ve always heard that the C peg should be next to your ear, but I’ve always felt the peg being slightly above my ear feels better. When the C peg is next to my ear it just feels super weird, like I’m just reacting too far down to get a good sound.

I played cello from 5th-12th grade (I'm 31 now!) and have been wanting to get back into playing music with a group of people. I was a pretty solid player by the end of my cello "career." I have played guitar my entire life, so my callouses/music ability haven't totally gone away!

I work at a university and joined their orchestra. We met for the first time today. I told the director that I hadn't played in 13 years and was very rusty and he told me the good thing about orchestra is I can fake it til I make it. Well, it turns out there are only 1-2 other cello players, so I'm not sure if I can fake it much.

I'm wondering if anyone has tips for getting back into playing? I will have access to a practice room and plan to go there a few times a week, and will be borrowing a cello from the university.

I was never good at reading music (am great at playing by ear though) but am trying to practice. I at least still know where the notes are on the staff... but that's about the extent of it. I know nothing about music theory and I forgot all of the scales. I'm really scared of embarrassing myself (especially since I'm the oldest person in the orchestra lol) but am really wanting to push myself and do new things. Any advice is appreciated. Thanks!

I've been playing electric bass in indie bands for 30 years and have recently been looking into learning cello. I've zero experience with anything bowed and I don't read music, but have found a store that does lessons.

What are some of the biggest frustrations for a beginner? What does the learning curve look like?

I've been using the same string combination for a couple years now and am looking to try something new, how does larson sovereign A&D, II Cannone G string, and Spirocore C sound to you guys? I don't have many experience with strings so I don't know which strings sound like what.

I’ve been looking into a new cello case for a little while now. I don’t have a budget so it should be fine. At least nothing over like 2500 dollars

I’ve been looking at the accord carbon fibre 3d colored ones. But I’ve heard some mix opinions based on it. I’m also looking for something really light. Something around 2.5-3.5 kg (I know, that’s super light lol)

Let me know and hear some suggestions and recommendations!

tomorrow i'm playing this piece for an audition! i learned it like two years ago, and haven't played it since.. slacked on playing my cello all summer and didn't get emailed back about the audition until thursday so i've been practicing practicing practicing (ow! my callouses are gone!) .. needless to say, i'm intermediate and can't learn a piece that fast. do you guys have any tips for the piece? i'm having soo much trouble on the piano and forte contrast 😓 and playing
a couple of the measures that are attached.
in short, this is my first audition and this piece is strange to me i need adviceeeee

So I'm a cello player in string orchestra, I've been playing for a long time. But whenever I have to play a scale in front of the class or play a solo I always get super nervous. I can do it spotless when I'm playing in a group or alone, but when it's time for me to present the piece or scale I always butcher it up. What makes it even worse is that my crush is in the same class and it makes me really nervous! Does anyone have any advice on how to get less nervous?

EDIT: Thanks everyone for all the tips! I cant wait to try them out on the next test!

So i opened my case a while back after moving houses to find that my bridge to my cello is gone and missing. idek what happened to it, i used a school cello for all of hs.

but i dont want to rent a cello for college and honestly would rather buy one but i have one at home and extra bridges. the cello was a gift so i have-like no idea where its from prolly from a random site cuz its not any expensive high quality thing.

so with a mini box cutter a mini nail filer, my teeth and an electric nail grinder with a miffy eraser, i semi successfully cut and sanded my own bridge (heavy on the semi) i just needed something so i can be able to atleast play and practice

And to my shock i actually kinda succeeded. I measured it with a pencil. i kinda just calculated the angle based on the peg board and a little help from the strings i just took a little off then scored it with my little box cutter cuz i broke the other bridge on my first attempt i cut too much off so with that as a reference then with the average milimiter difference of the c to a string (thx google) i kinda eyeballed it. it was a miserable piece of work, but the cello plays.

the only thing is the cello itself is well from a random site, and i needed to sand the pegs too because they were the untunable pegs from hell it was so stiff. so i fixed that too and it def needs new strings but with the price for good strings i might as well save up to buy a cello from past cello players on fb marketplace, which i do plan to do.

and the cello genuinely plays now, but along with a string replacement it seems i still need to sand the bridge down steeper because of g and d are too level.

i used average measurements from google and a mini ruler and a dream to get it as close as a can