15:39 I vividly remember playing in a church for the first time as an adult beginner with kids from my music school. We performed one short piece we had practiced for months but I only could think: I want 10 minutes alone in this church and try to play my favorite pieces!
My Suzuki student cello is made of plywood, and it’s a really nice beginner cello. It was probably quite expensive back when it was made. I bought it used.
11:53 Hm, but here I see a mistake that I am also prone to make and have been for far too long: just practicing to fast: playing things fast over and over again and wondering why you keep making mistakes. One thing that might have helped the screeching here might have been slowing down until it vanished, research what might cause screeching and then speeding up again without the screeching. Often, bow pressure or bow speed or bow angle can be the culprits but also "superstition". I had an easy violin piece that I practiced when I had begun to self-teach the cello (for fun, not big expectations) where suddenly, after years, always one tone on the A-string would screech horribly! Now, I had three different violins and one was rather cheap, so I first suspected it was the violin. Maybe the string. I change the string, the screech stayed. Tried a different violin, the screech stayed. I was almost panicking when I practiced that very easy piece and got nervous every time I was playing it.Then I googled "reasons for screeching on violin" and one was bow pressure and then it hit me: I had always practiced immediately after I practiced the cello that needed much more bow pressure. And for some reason, I seemed to misjudge that on the A string mainly. So I went back to basic bow exercises for a while and the screech vanished again. Also, I began to practice that piece again note by note, with vibrato, until I got it right in order to lose that nervousness while playing, the expectation that it would screech again.
You r so down to earth for the review! 😘 I was playing a hand me down cello that luthiers won't touch for over 10 years and never had a teacher...and finally upgraded to a better cello and bow, so I totally heard you! On the other spectrum, I found many adult learners focus so much on getting better cello all the time instead of on practice, and can't even make a decent sound of those very expensive cellos and bows.
Thank you! I absolutely agree with your comment about spending more time on practice, instead of getting a better cello. Cellos can be so expensive - I made myself a deal when starting out that if I practiced and 'outgrew' my little plywood cello I could get a better one. That is incredible you have been playing for 10 years, and recently upgraded. Best of luck.
I love this! I learned to play piano on a kid's Fischer Price piano toy when I was a teen. Now I have a digital and an upright piano and best of all, I can play on it! :)
I appreciate you video , I'm an electric bassist for decades . I'm looking at starting for fun ( Maybe recording simple string parts). $700 is alot for a crappy cello especially now. I have a feeling I would quickly outgrow that. A price of $2000 student cello cost more then some of my pro level Bass Guitars . I think the classical instrument industry puts out too many poor instruments for expensive prices . Strings are another thing they gouge viol players on , a Thomastik Infeld set of bass strings can still be found for $75-100.
Yes, really good points. I remember being shocked when I learned the price of even Amazon cellos. It is intense. I am a pianist by trade and my cello costs 4x the price of my 'expensive' keyboard. If you do start playing the cello, maybe a rental would be a good way to go for now ? Especially if you are recording. Having a more expensive cello just has a better sound, and is more easily captured on the mic.
Hi Meghan! This is an update I didn't think you'd post. For a bit I thought it was some sort of repost, you're obviously past the Cecilio, but it did shape your path in some way. Back in the day, I subscribed to your account because of your experience with the cheap cello. Always wonderful to hear your voice. Long & McQuade is pretty much the nationwide music store chain now. There's one an hour away from me (just like pretty much every cello teacher). I still haven't started it. It got complicated even before the big pandemonium... Hope you're doing well. Heard someone with a voice similar to yours 2-3 weeks ago on a Twitter video and boy did I think of you. Obviously not you as she's a red-headed Ontario police officer ;)
Hello! So nice to hear from you. That's a great name for it - pandemonium. I hope you are doing well as well, and thank you for checking in every once in awhile. You are correct - this vid is not a repost, just something I have been trying to create for awhile. Be well.
Hm, I would actually save for some time and learn about cello playing at that time and then rent a cello that I COULD buy, but that has a reasonably price such as that $2000. Then, maybe I would find out I don't like cello playing at all. Or I knew I wanted to buy it. Or I could try to take a trial lesson on various instruments. I once thought it would be nice to learn to play the clarinet. Luckily, I was in music school - for hobby players - and could borrow the clarinet because after six months of 2 lessons a week I was relieved to leave that clarinet there. It was soooo exhausting. I started learning the violin with a rather bad violin that had been lent to me by a relative. It was already 70 years old. A couple of times I complained about it but was always told it was a "good" violin. About three or four years later I had the chance to try different violins my teacher was selling - all about the same value, student level full size - and immediately fell in love with one that had exactly the features that mine lacked. I bought that for 800 € and never once thought about an upgrade. The good thing about this: I was very conscious about what my violin lacked and what I wanted from a new one. So, I would suggest only shopping for an upgrade when you can really play a little and have a good idea what you want/ like. That might be something very different from what the next person likes! With cello prices, that could get expensive quite fast.
lol I'm a cellist as well. everyone gets a cecilio cello. that is hilarious. the strings are absolutely horrific on those. but I think preludes aren't much better. it actually doesn't sound all that bad in your recording
I just picked up this cello last week. I hope to learn how to play it kinda my way. I don’t read music and not interested in learning how at this stage of my life.I have played guitar by ear all of my life. I just turned 70. I don’t have any expectations of becoming a great celloist. I will be just for fun and learning something new. I bought this cello at a second hand store. It has never been played. The soundpost is rolling in the bottom., so I will have to install that. I traded a nice guitar that I had bought to resell, and payed 23:46 an extra Twenty Five dollars. MY total investment is $70.00 U.S. I just want to learn simple songs I can sing along with. For such a small investment, I think it is worth a go at it
15:39 I vividly remember playing in a church for the first time as an adult beginner with kids from my music school. We performed one short piece we had practiced for months but I only could think: I want 10 minutes alone in this church and try to play my favorite pieces!
Love this! I bet the acoustics were amazing!
My Suzuki student cello is made of plywood, and it’s a really nice beginner cello. It was probably quite expensive back when it was made. I bought it used.
11:53 Hm, but here I see a mistake that I am also prone to make and have been for far too long: just practicing to fast: playing things fast over and over again and wondering why you keep making mistakes. One thing that might have helped the screeching here might have been slowing down until it vanished, research what might cause screeching and then speeding up again without the screeching. Often, bow pressure or bow speed or bow angle can be the culprits but also "superstition". I had an easy violin piece that I practiced when I had begun to self-teach the cello (for fun, not big expectations) where suddenly, after years, always one tone on the A-string would screech horribly! Now, I had three different violins and one was rather cheap, so I first suspected it was the violin. Maybe the string. I change the string, the screech stayed. Tried a different violin, the screech stayed. I was almost panicking when I practiced that very easy piece and got nervous every time I was playing it.Then I googled "reasons for screeching on violin" and one was bow pressure and then it hit me: I had always practiced immediately after I practiced the cello that needed much more bow pressure. And for some reason, I seemed to misjudge that on the A string mainly. So I went back to basic bow exercises for a while and the screech vanished again. Also, I began to practice that piece again note by note, with vibrato, until I got it right in order to lose that nervousness while playing, the expectation that it would screech again.
Great point!!
You r so down to earth for the review! 😘 I was playing a hand me down cello that luthiers won't touch for over 10 years and never had a teacher...and finally upgraded to a better cello and bow, so I totally heard you! On the other spectrum, I found many adult learners focus so much on getting better cello all the time instead of on practice, and can't even make a decent sound of those very expensive cellos and bows.
Thank you! I absolutely agree with your comment about spending more time on practice, instead of getting a better cello. Cellos can be so expensive - I made myself a deal when starting out that if I practiced and 'outgrew' my little plywood cello I could get a better one. That is incredible you have been playing for 10 years, and recently upgraded. Best of luck.
Thank you for not calling it a Violin. And apple should make a cello emoji
I love this! I learned to play piano on a kid's Fischer Price piano toy when I was a teen. Now I have a digital and an upright piano and best of all, I can play on it! :)
Great point! That is wonderful you learned to play piano on a kid's Fischer Price toy - I always wondered if that were possible. Take care :)
The truth is always a breath of fresh air❤️ thanks👍🏽
I appreciate you video , I'm an electric bassist for decades . I'm looking at starting for fun ( Maybe recording simple string parts). $700 is alot for a crappy cello especially now. I have a feeling I would quickly outgrow that. A price of $2000 student cello cost more then some of my pro level Bass Guitars .
I think the classical instrument industry puts out too many poor instruments for expensive prices .
Strings are another thing they gouge viol players on , a Thomastik Infeld set of bass strings can still be found for $75-100.
Yes, really good points. I remember being shocked when I learned the price of even Amazon cellos. It is intense. I am a pianist by trade and my cello costs 4x the price of my 'expensive' keyboard. If you do start playing the cello, maybe a rental would be a good way to go for now ? Especially if you are recording. Having a more expensive cello just has a better sound, and is more easily captured on the mic.
Hi Meghan! This is an update I didn't think you'd post. For a bit I thought it was some sort of repost, you're obviously past the Cecilio, but it did shape your path in some way.
Back in the day, I subscribed to your account because of your experience with the cheap cello. Always wonderful to hear your voice.
Long & McQuade is pretty much the nationwide music store chain now. There's one an hour away from me (just like pretty much every cello teacher). I still haven't started it. It got complicated even before the big pandemonium...
Hope you're doing well.
Heard someone with a voice similar to yours 2-3 weeks ago on a Twitter video and boy did I think of you. Obviously not you as she's a red-headed Ontario police officer ;)
Hello! So nice to hear from you. That's a great name for it - pandemonium. I hope you are doing well as well, and thank you for checking in every once in awhile. You are correct - this vid is not a repost, just something I have been trying to create for awhile. Be well.
I have heard I have a few doppelgängers before - but never a doppelgänger for my voice :)
Hm, I would actually save for some time and learn about cello playing at that time and then rent a cello that I COULD buy, but that has a reasonably price such as that $2000. Then, maybe I would find out I don't like cello playing at all. Or I knew I wanted to buy it. Or I could try to take a trial lesson on various instruments. I once thought it would be nice to learn to play the clarinet. Luckily, I was in music school - for hobby players - and could borrow the clarinet because after six months of 2 lessons a week I was relieved to leave that clarinet there. It was soooo exhausting.
I started learning the violin with a rather bad violin that had been lent to me by a relative. It was already 70 years old. A couple of times I complained about it but was always told it was a "good" violin. About three or four years later I had the chance to try different violins my teacher was selling - all about the same value, student level full size - and immediately fell in love with one that had exactly the features that mine lacked. I bought that for 800 € and never once thought about an upgrade. The good thing about this: I was very conscious about what my violin lacked and what I wanted from a new one. So, I would suggest only shopping for an upgrade when you can really play a little and have a good idea what you want/ like. That might be something very different from what the next person likes! With cello prices, that could get expensive quite fast.
Thanks I appreciate your honesty my friend. Take care, and keep playing!~John
Thanks John! You take care as well :)
Good Luck
lol I'm a cellist as well. everyone gets a cecilio cello. that is hilarious. the strings are absolutely horrific on those. but I think preludes aren't much better. it actually doesn't sound all that bad in your recording
So true. That's good it doesn't sound bad! I did upgrade the strings in these recordings.
You look very nice
I just picked up this cello last week. I hope to learn how to play it kinda my way. I don’t read music and not interested in learning how at this stage of my life.I have played guitar by ear all of my life. I just turned 70. I don’t have any expectations of becoming a great celloist. I will be just for fun and learning something new. I bought this cello at a second hand store. It has never been played. The soundpost is rolling in the bottom., so I will have to install that. I traded a nice guitar that I had bought to resell, and payed 23:46 an extra Twenty Five dollars. MY total investment is $70.00 U.S. I just want to learn simple songs I can sing along with. For such a small investment, I think it is worth a go at it
Absolutely! The best of luck to you!
I have 16 Hours Scool.
you play so well and you're so pretty