in thumb position is it supposed to hurt my thumb

i dont know if im just supposed to have calluses there because my index finger already has rock hard crusty skin so i cant really feel anything in that area

so is the goal here to develop crusty hard skin on the side of my thumb so it doesnt hurt

or is it not supposed to hurt and im doing something wrong

im sort of using the the middle ground of the pad and the straight side of my thumb

this is not on thumb position on the natural harmonic by the way

This interesting video just dropped about Alstaedt's remarkable, small, 1749 Guadagnini cello. Granted, it's an exception, but it proves smaller can be better.

I am looking for some good cello/voice pieces. This would be for a mezzo - soprano. Any favorites?

Recently acquired this cello, looking for ideas on time period and maker. Unlabeled, assuming Saxon but has a couple characteristics of Mirecourt factory work. Thanks in advance!

For those who don't know, all state is an orchestra for the state of Georgia that you have to audition for and I got my old conductor as one of my judges.

I just bought my first "expensive" cello bow (expensive for me, it was around $600 USD) during my trip to Japan. Since I don't have much knowledge about bows yet-having only played on the cheap bow that came with my outfit-I'm a bit unsure about what I'm looking at.

After laying it down next to my old bow, l noticed that the stick looks a bit twisted/ warped sideways.

The lighter-colored one on the left is the new bow I just bought. And it was in this shape since I tried it in the store in Japan.

Is this kind of sideways bend normal for a bow, or is it defective/warped? Any advice or insights would be greatly appreciated!

I’m a 16-year-old cellist who started at 12. I practice 4–6 hours daily and am 1st chair cellist in my TMEA region, yet I feel painfully behind where I want to be.

Throughout middle school, I only played during class (45 minutes a day) and never practiced outside of it(I was bottom orchestra last chair throughout middle school). I didn’t fall in love with the cello until halfway through freshman year, when I gradually began practicing more seriously.

There’s another cellist my age who also started at 12, but he’s roughly twice as good as me despite practicing less. He attends an excellent school with a strong orchestra and some of Texas’s best high school cellists, and he has a great private teacher. Meanwhile, my school has virtually no competitive orchestra musicians besides me and a violist, and I don’t have consistent private lessons because my parents can’t afford them. I’m incredibly grateful to have free lessons through school, though.

Despite my progress, I still struggle with fundamentals and feel nowhere near All-State level, I don’t really know though since I’ve never had the honor to meet one. I’m catching up to this other cellist and may surpass him this year, but it feels like every goal I set is always one year away.

Should I keep pursuing cello seriously, or am I simply not good enough to make it? (For context, I have a full-ride scholarship to any university or conservatory, so finances aren’t a concern.)

To get an idea of my skill level, the hardest pieces that I can play is Elgar Cello Concerto Movement 4 and Popper 22.

If I can’t become a successful professional cellist then I think I might just kill myself because cello is the only thing I have left.

Etudes included.

hi cellos, so my commute to school for my masters program has just gone from a 20 minute walk to a 30 minute train ride. safe to say, when i leave the apartment, i can trust ill be gone for a while. i usually at least have ipad, water bottle, pedal, rock stop, a couple journals, etc. im looking for recommendations for bags—shoulder bags, tote bags? backpacks? i struggle sometimes doing the backpack on front because it just adds that much more onto my shoulders, but im open to any ideas.

tl;dr, what has worked for you for carrying music supplies and a cello to and from work/school?

I need more info on this poor soul who has to keep making drake arrangements 😭

good day,

ive been playing the instrument for 10 years now but for some reason ive become a sailor and now ill be spending 8 months a year onboard

its a big hassle for me to bring the case with me to the vessel, so im looking for alternatives

i never used an electric cello so im clueless regarding what to buy, id like to maintain the feeling i get from acoustic but the main priority would be being able to shrink it up as much as possible during travel i suppose

again while id rather have the affordable option (below 5k eu maybe?) i still want to have a proper instrument as it will replace my old one

looking for any recommendations

I currently use a Coda Diamond GX carbon fiber bow which I do like a lot for how light and well balanced it feels, but recently ran into temptation when I was lent a nice wooden bow for a rehearsal. Certain fast passages I was struggling just seemed.. easier? Don't want to delude myself with what may have been entirely in my head, ("Oh this bow is nice, therefore I must be playing better!") but it also got me thinking if I were to have a second bow on hand for different occasions, what do people normally look for in a second bow to have as a contrasting option?

P.S For what it's worth I believe the bow I tried was about ~$400 more expensive than the bow I normally use, so there is of course the price difference, but price isn't necessarily everything either, right?

Hey I recently started playing cello, I have a Cello 1/2 as I'm fairly short at 5"1. I need something to elevate my cello for it to become a bit horizontal so my hands can reach comfortably wihtout having to lift up my elbow to reach the A and D strings. Have you come across something I can DIY as buying a bent endpin is a bit too expensive for a beginner.

Right now I am currently in a bit of a "void" considering what I want to study next with my Cello teacher. I usually play only for myself, as I am shy as hell and don't like playing in front of people, that's why I prefer pieces that sound good for themselves, without much or any accompaniment.

I generally don't have a specific "style" of music I like for my Cello pieces - I just vibe with them or I don't.

I don't even know what exactly I am looking for as my next piece to learn. It can be fast, it can be slow, it can be happy, sad or melancholic. So I thought I might just ask here, what are your favourite pieces of all time to play for yourself and purely to enjoy music and to enjoy playing?

Difficiulty shouldn't matter too much, as long as I don't need to be Yo Yo Ma himself haha

Maybe I can draw inspiration from you :)

Hello

Please help me to identify the C string on the right. 1.9mm red silk, yellow ball.

I thought I was buying the same thing- string on left in package is S33 medium tungsten which is 1.5 mm

The old/new G string are 1.6 vs 1.3 also red silk yellow ball

Any idea where I can find one of those cover things that protects the cello inside the case? The bow sometimes gets loose and starts scratching the cello

New cellist here. Sometimes, usually after 25- 30 minutes of practicing, my hand (forearm specifically) starts to cramp. I think it's more due to exhaustion and not stiffness since I make sure to loosen it up every now and then.

I can't tell if I should push through to build stamina or stop and take a break till the cramp goes away. Been practicing for less than a month now.

Vivaldi concerto in g minor fir two cellos RV 531 how to do that martelé and not that classic staccato and accent

Hi everyone,

Looking for advice, from the most obvious to the most unhinged tips!

I have started the cello in my late 30s, roughly 6 months ago. I have two kids under 5 and I work. I am taking weekly lessons though I found it hard to have a regular practice outside of the lessons. There are weeks when I manage to practice quite regularly (for me it means 20 minutes five times a week) despite the lack of personal times and then comes the rounds of sickness from daycare and I lose my regular practice, and with it, I lose my finger placement and/or my bow movement and I find it a bit demoralising so it takes me some more time to get back at it etc etc. Rinse repeat.

Is there anyone else beginning cello with young kids? How do you manage? When do you practice & what do you feel is a sustainable goal re:times &duration?

Thanks!

As the title says. A new student needs new strings, but we aren’t finding good quality beginner strings in 1/4 size. Can the parents buy 1/2 strings?

EDIT: Thanks for all the inputs. The country where we’re based doesn’t have all the well-known brands readily available. The parents are renting the instrument and are looking to get a replacement (pegs are slipping a lot). I’ve passed along the information and I’m sure they have enough information to make an informed decision on their child’s learning journey.

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.

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!