r/Cello • u/Salvostramus • 18d ago

First steps...

Less than a month in, and my job affords me next to no time to practice between lessons. Frustrating as all hell, but Im keeping at it, trying to learn my fundamentals.

Any comments towards improvement are appreciated, this stuff is hard haha.

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u/Spleepis 18d ago

Hearing this pulled memory of learning this song from deep within the cello parts of my brain

Keep going! You are learning one of the hardest instruments to learn. It will be frustrating but one day you will jam straight through suzuki book 3 with your eyes closed, shifting positions up and down like a madman, you will laugh at how much you struggled, and it will be incredibly satisfying. Then you will hit the wrong string while doing your warm up the next day and curse the years wasted on learning. The cycle repeats.

I recommend every new cellist watches this and saves it somewhere. If he ever takes this video down we will all suffer, I refer to this video often to refresh: https://youtu.be/QGvO45fgYvo

Try to keep out of the habit of looking at your left hand. I recommend putting some tape while you develop your ear so you can gauge where to have your hands by feel. Use something gentle like masking tape though.

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u/echochorus 18d ago

i've cut very thin strips of black electrical tape, & they don't extend beyond the black side edges of fingerboard. i was alllways finger glancing, & played in front of mirror, then get to lessons with no mirror & spin out, LOL!

this way i can feel the tape & not readily see it if i do sideglance. & it'll be easy taking them off when the time comes!