Tips for potential players and the mildly curious (Cellos)

Member Name: JonnyM79

Product:	Cellos
Date:	27/03/02 (469 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Satisfaction, Beautiful tone, Great social life

Disadvantages: Size, Cost, Time to learn

First the basic facts. The 'cello (full name Violoncello) has been part of the concert orchestra since the 16th century. It's a member of the string family, being larger and deeper in range than the violin and viola, but smaller and higher than the mighty double bass. It's made of wood (usually maple, spruce or pine) while the strings (of which there are 4) were traditionally catgut, but are now typically metal. The bow is made of wood with horse hair strung across it.

The 'cello was solely an orchestral instrument until the time of JS Bach when his 'cello suites showed its potential and popularised it as a solo instrument. Its second great development was in manufacture, developed by the famous violin maker Stradavari in the early 1700s. His size, shape and design produced such a fine quality of tone that they became (and still are to this day) the standardized pattern, while instruments made by him himself fetch multiple millions of pounds at auction. Solo writing for the 'cello became ever more popular and (in my opinion) reached its peak at the turn of the century (oops that's the LAST century now) with the Elgar 'cello concerto; a standard in every performer's repertoire and perennial top 10 placing in Classic FM's charts of most popular classical peices. The 'cello is versatile enough to also be used in rock and swing. 'cellists often also play double bass which opens up the whole world of jazz.

So what do you need to know if you or one of your children (you can start at any age betweem 5 and 100; typically many children take up an instrument when they start junior school) is thinking of taking up the 'cello? First, let's be honest. It's expensive. A starter 'cello is going to be several hundred pounds while with instruments suitable for advanced amatuer/semi-pro players it's a question of how many thousands. Add on a couple of hundred for a basic bow,
another couple of hundred for a case and strings at 20 quid a time and it's a major financial investment. The good news is that (as well as lasting a lifetime or several) a well cared for 'cello, particularly an older one, is only going to gain in value, since they actually improve in tone if played regularly. For young players they come in 3/4 and 1/2 size. If you're getting one of these, get a cheap one and save money for when the young player grows into a full one that they can keep long term.

For new players thinking of taking it up there are several ways to avoid this outlay. Many schools have a collection of instruments that they'll give to beginners (they'll be crap but good enough to get started on) and music shops will happily lend instruments on trial or even rent them. Another thing to say about music shops is that (if you go to a specialist string instrument maker/seller) they tend to be extremely helpfull in assisting you in choosing the right one for you, and would genuinely rather see you happy than make a larger profit (just think the exact opposite of 2nd hand car salesmen and you'll get the idea), because they are almost always instrument players and music lovers themselves.

After this you need someone to teach you. Lessons are available from £10 an hour up to whatever you'll pay. A source of cheap lessons from quality players is your local university's music department and its collection of skint students, or otherwise personal recommendations and Yellow Pages are a good place to start looking. It takes a few months when learning to master the basics so persevere. As for fully mastering the instrument, well I've been playing for 15 years and I'm nowhere near doing that! Practice in between lessons speeds up progress enormously. Here the best way is little and often with 5-10 minutes a day being preferable to 2 hours just before your next lesson. I managed to get throug
h Grade 8 (the highest) on less than a 1/2 hour a day (although it took 10 years - that's about normal) so the time commitment is long term but not enormous.

So what is the benefit of all this effort and expense? Well just playing the 'cello is enormously satisfying, with the pleasure of attempting and mastering succesively more difficult works. However one of the most enjoyable things you can do is join an orchestra. These come in all shapes and sizes from school and university orchestras to amatuer groups and (for the talented) semi-professional groups who hire themselves out and make a bit of money. The way to go is definitely to join an orchestra where the playing is of a slightly higher standard than you - it's a great way to improve. The social possibilities of post-rehearsal pub visits, post-concert parties and even foreign tours are just about endless (and for us gentlemen I should point out that the majority of musicians, especially string players, tend to be ladies, always a bonus).

Obviously I'm very much a fan of the 'cello and would go so far as to say that mine is my most precious posession (if you stick with one for several years it almost becomes part of you), but in the interests of balance I need to think of some negatives so here they are. For a start it's not the smallest instrument and lugging it about can be awkward. It's too big for smaller car boots and generally requires its own seat. Secondly it's not something you get good at from day 1. Although practising and improving are enjoyable in their own right, a masterful rendition of Elgar's finest is going to take several years of regular (as in daily) practice before you're up to that standard. The cost can be prohibitive, although hopefully I've suggested some things that'll help you get round that. Dejection at the length of effort required to become skilled is not unusual, and I'll be eternally gratefu
l to my parents who, when I experienced this, gave me a good kick up the arse and refused to allow me to give up, since I would have missed out on so much. If you experience this join an orchestra fast! Your first succesfull concert will remind you how much fun it can be.

Personally I would give the 'cello a 5-star rating (and a 6th if I could) but given that the effort required will put many people off I suppose I'm duty-bound to give only 4. Give it a go: it might be the most fun you ever have with something between your legs!

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