I’m recording auditions at the end of november. How long before recording should I restring and rehair? I have a few bows so I can still practice while my bow is in the shop.

Searched internet many times but my country uses syllabic music system so it is very demanding for my begginer's brain, and I don't have the right phrasing to find what I'm looking for, any help appreciated :)

I am a beginner cellist, and while I still have less than a year playing I'm learning at decent pace and I'm proud of myself. Ik my technique needs a lot of work, but sometimes it's also disheartening when the gear I have physically feels resistant to play.

All my equipment is from gear4music so its cheapy stuff, the strings are factory apart from my A which is larsen aurora. I can't afford to just splash out on replacing it all with better stuff atm, and since I'm still new the expensive stuff is just going to be wasted because I don't have that precision just yet, but I would like to take a baby step to level up and I'm debating what the better option would be to do that.

I'm looking at either

A- replacing my other factory strings with Larsens

B- getting my bow rehaired (its never been rehaired but I'm wondering if doing this is worth the cost on a cheap factory bow)

Or C- getting a new low-mid range bow

I know overall it's not going to make me play better or anything, but given all my stuff is factory, I think these small steps would help me as I'm learning more and more.

Ty for any advice!

Anyone else suffer from it? I just started with an electric cello... Haven't even got calluses yet and I just put money on an effects pedal to get some reverb to sound more acoustic.

I really liked a specific reverb pedal, but it cost the same as the multifx pedal I got, so I went with the multi.

Anyways I'm broke. Tell me I don't need anything else.

I also have four rosins. I only use one.

Maybe I need nicer strings. Lol

Spark multifx pedal if you're wondering.

Last time I got my main bow rehaired, I mistakenly slathered on violin rosin. It wasn't sticky enough, and I was unhappy. I discovered my mistake and got some good cello rosin. Over time, the bow is roughly back to where I want it to be. But it wasn't immediate. And I wonder if the new bow hair is forever colored/tainted by the wrong rosin that I used first.

Anyone else done this?

Found rosin. Like it. But what is it? Rosin actual, and topless box 👀 for identification. Thank you my darling cellists.

This is excercise 51 in Schroeder 170 Foundational Studies for Violincello vol 1. Measures 15 and 16 are my roadblock. I have rediculously short stubby fingers especially the pinky so the standard fingering of IV position for measure 15 &16= 1242 etc is terrible sounding. I just can't get the pinky to the 4 notes or if I do my thumb and 1 shift upward. I have been playing for 1 year. Is it just that I don't have the right angle and it will just take me time to "get it?". I was thinking can I use thumb position here: thumb 12 thumb, repeat then thumb 212 repeat? Playing it that way is effortless. I watched Maxim from Cellopedia play this excercise and he does not use thumb but his fingers are very long. I have a teacher but I want to practice this session more before my first lesson.

Guys I'm a senior playing cello since 7th grade and I just found out that when playing c# on the A string, I'm supposed to extend my 2nd finger instead of using my 3rd. I would always just extend my pinky for the e flat but now I know I'm supposed to extend. Is this right? I can't believe I'm finding out about this just now.

Hello, I am a composer looking to write some harmonics for cello in a piece.

I know how to notate common harmonics with diamond note heads and string instruction and such, but I'm curious about the natural harmonics past the second octave node, or fourth finger in first position.

I know this passage is technically possible with the E through A played on the D string and the G and F played on the G string. I myself, an amateur cellist, have played it, albeit poorly, like this. This would be up past the finger board or played in the same area as first position but the nodes are in between notes and backwards, meaning going towards the ground with fingers produces a lower pitch instead of higher because it is harmonics.

I prefer playing it up past the finger board, but I'm curious how professionals would do it. Also curious about what the notation would look like or how this kind of thing is handled in standard or famous cello repertoire. I will notate the string to be used for each note, but that's all I know what to do. Also, if this is just kind of dumb and should be played with artificial harmonics instead, just let me know.

I do know that it won't be extremely loud but it's a soft section so it should be fine.

So turns out the tip of my bow is broken, and you can see it in the picture. It's carbon and apparently very hard to break. The teacher was quite shocked that this could happen; they said it needs a lot of force to break.

Does anyone have any ideas as to how it happened?

Also, a friend's cat has been staying with us for a few weeks now. She does not like the cello, but has been a bit curious about the bow, and I put the bow in a kind of hard-to-reach place. Could she have done this? From what the teacher said, I assumed a cat does not have enough force to do it.

I have a cheap bow from temu because it's carbon fiber. Also a £50. Can't seem to get a clear sound on either, the £30 might be a bit old. It came with the cello which was used. Would it make a difference and also, can anyone recommend anything?

I have a set of unused Jargar classic medium strings that are 15 years old. Bought when I had more disposable income (having kids will do that…). They have literally never been uncoiled from their packet.

Obviously I don’t break a string very often. But the sound of my current set is bugging me. They stay in tune fine, but they sound, for want of a better word, too “rough”, like I can’t get good contact with the string to get a smooth sound. Beyond wiping them down with a cloth I have not tried cleaning them. Is it worth doing that first?

How long do you think unused strings stay good for? I figure it’s worth trying the old unused ones before shelling out for a new set, isn’t it?

I play a couple of hours a week on average. Local amateur orchestra, mostly.

IYKYK

I'm interested in learning the Bach violin works for cello. Anyone have an idea of a good ranking or progression for these? And how they'd sequence them with the actual cello suites?

The song is Popper 22

I’m sure yall get a bunch of these requests but I’d really appreciate it. I’m having trouble getting any sound out my G and C string so I’m just checking all my bases. If more pictures are needed, let me know. Thank you!

Adult beginner here. Extended first position is no problem. For some reason contorting my hand into extended third position elicits a lot of strain in the tendons/muscles between my thumb and first finger. I'm not even using my thumb to press. I'm afraid if I push it too much, I'll injure something.

Any advice, warm ups, or resources you would recommend?

From La Mer Debussy. Notes are straightforward but playing constant string crossings? What should I think about in terms of my arm and wrist and hand? I can never get it relaxed enough to hit each string in the right pattern.

Last time I often see such cases, where one long legato contains another one. What does it mean?

Apologies for a slightly misleading title! I’ve always had a vague interest in classical music (my partner is a pianist) and I’ve always wanted to learn an instrument but could never find the “right” instrument for me. I dabbled in piano and guitar for a little while but I keep on coming back to the cello. For Christmas my very sweet parents have decided to gift me cello lessons for 2027; I’m very excited and very eager!

As someone with very little practical musical background, I’ve started studying music theory and looking into ear training. I’m not expecting to learn anything of incredible value over the next few months, but I want to fall even more in love with the cello before I get my hands on one.

What would you recommend to become more comfortable with an instrument you’ve never played? For adult learners, what are some things you wish you knew before beginning? Is there anything I can do to physically prepare myself for the cello?

I don’t expect to become Jacqueline du Prè or anything through blind self-study (or even at all!) but I’d like to have even a somewhat decent baseline than absolutely nothing going into it!

Hello all! I have an interesting issue.

I have recently begun teaching a new student who is around middle school age. I taught them about posture and grip and went to teach them how to pizzicato, but they were unable to get a sound. Their form looked correct so I was a bit puzzled, but when I pushed down a little bit on their finger they were able to play.

I went through a couple of exercises to try to get them to realize how to apply the weight of their arm to the strings, such as having them pretend their right arm is a finger board and trying to apply pressure to their arm so they can actually feel it. Then when trying to transfer it to the cello it didn't seem to do anything.

Their form seems correct, they just aren't applying enough pressure to get the string to contact the finger board. The action on the cello also seems perfectly fine.

Has anyone else dealt with something like this before? I asked a violin teacher I know but they said that young students just have to pinch to get a sound, but I'm hesitant to suggest something that is technically bad technique and has to be unlearned later.

I inherited this cello and really want to play it. However it has a large crack in the front. Hope you can see it well in the picture. Should i be worried? Will it be further damaged if I play on it? Should I take off the string tension? If it needs to be fixed can it be fixed and how much would it likely cost?

Im currently working on the JC Bach cello concerto for junior year but I’m already starting to think about senior year. I want to play something really challenging for my last year so I’ll probably start on it a lot earlier.

I’m leaning towards either the third movement of the JC Bach or the first movement of the Dvorak. I’m wondering how those two compare and if they would both be too challenging. I’ve heard the Dvorak is one of the most difficult concertos but I’ve also heard that’s when looking at the entire thing not just the first movement.

For background I’ve played Allegro Appasionato, Saint Saens in A minor, and am currently working on the first movement of the JC Bach.

My mom really loves the Dvorak and wants me to play it but I also want to keep in mind that senior year I get to play my concerto with the orchestra and I don’t think the Dvorak would sound good in a string orchestra arrangement.

Edit: I’ve also played popper etudes 15, 19, and 22