How to Learn Cello at Home by Yourself
The Cello is a musical instrument that belongs to the string family of instruments. It is featured prominently in several different genres of music. If you are someone who likes classical and orchestral style music you will likely be familiar with the Cello. There are many professional Cellist around the world that have been entertaining crowds all across the globe.
If you are interested in going about finding what it takes to learn how to play the Cello, we have included a lot of information in this article for you. Below you will find details about five of the most popular methods currently used by people today when wanting to learn how to play the Cello.
5 Methods on How to Learn Cello at Home by Yourself
1) How-To Video Lessons on YouTube
Watching How-To videos online by far is the most popular way to learn how to do just about anything imaginable. By going to YouTube.com and doing a search for learning to play the cello, you will likely find hundreds of free to view video clips.
2) Online One on One Tutoring
Online tutoring is the newest way that today’s would-be musicians are using to learn how to play a musical instrument at home. By using today’s new digital technology and video chat services like Skype and Facetime, anyone can work with a tutor to learn the Cello even if they are half the way around the world.
3) Online eBook Digital Training Guides
Digital e-books have become the new instructional guides for learning how to play musical instruments. Like the old hardcover or paperback versions of yesterday, these new digital ebooks have full-color pictures, illustrations, and charts to help make it easy to learn to play the cello.
ArtistWorks is an online resource for people to use in order to learn how to play a wide range of musical instruments. By signing up for a membership on Artistworks you will have access to the whole massive database of video-based lessons. As a member, you will be able to search through the database for the cello. One of the top results from a simple search would be Mike Block. He has been associated with some of the top orchestras in the United States. He has several hundred video lessons that are currently part of the ArtistWorks database.
5) Udemy Cello Online Lessons
Udemy is an online university-style website that offers training courses that cover a wide range of topics including how the play the cello at home. After signing up for the course all students immediately have full access to all of the course materials. All that is necessary to complete the course is to have a reliable Internet connection.
9 helpful tips for improving your Cello playing
- Set up a realistic practice schedule
Practice is a very important ingredient when it comes to learning how to play a musical instrument like the Cello. So, to be sure that you set aside enough time for the practice sessions you want to be sure you make sure each and every session includes a specific amount of time to practice. The more time that you can dedicate to practice the quicker you will be able to get better.
- Set realistic goals
Goal setting is one of the best ways to keep track of your progress. Unfortunately, some times people don’t go about setting goals correctly and that frequently leads to failure. When it comes to learning how to play the Cello, be sure that you set up realistic goals. If you find that you are not reaching them you can always re-evaluate your goals and make any necessary changes.
- Take time to listen to music
Imitating the sound that you hear when listening to your favorite music is one way for you to get better. So, the more time you can set aside to simply listen to music and pay close attention to the parts of the music that feature the Cello will be extremely helpful to you in the long run. If you have a good recorder you should also record your practice sessions so you can self critique your music.
Having good equipment to go along with your Cello is very important. It all starts with the bow and to be sure that your bow is in good playing condition you need to be sure that you keep it rosined. If you are no familiar yet with what rosin is, it is a white powdery substance that is used to prevent moisture build-up on the bow. Also, be sure that your bow is tight and remains taut throughout your session.
- Be sure the endpin is sturdy
The endpin at the bottom of the Cello should be securely attached in order to prevent the Cello from slipping while you are playing. If you are having an issue you can purchase an after-market Cello anchor that can be attached to the bottom of the Cello and attached to the leg of your chair to prevent it from slipping while you are playing. The strap that is part of the anchor is adjustable to make it fit for everyone.
- Practice your scales
Knowing the basic musical scales of the Cello is an extremely important part of learning to play the Cello. By focusing on the basic scales regularly you also will be sure to practice your bow positioning. By practicing this way can also help to ensure that you are making full contact with the entire bow on the strings.
- Do not rush yourself
Be sure to not rush yourself to learn too fast, it is far better for you to be slow and deliberate. The more careful you are the easier it will be for you to get all of the benefits from your practice time. Rushing to show that you are able to learn to play a musical instrument like the Cello is not a good idea, it will likely cause you to take even more time to get it right.
- Keep your Cello tuned
As with all instruments that are part of the String family it is very important you keep your Cello tuned properly. If you accidentally forget to tune the strings before each session you will likely discover that the sound being produced will be off. Since it does not take a whole lot of time to tune it, you should take care of it as soon as you pull your Cello out of its case and before you get started playing.
- Stay inspired all the time
Staying inspired is really important if you are truly wanting to be successful. To help keep yourself inspired to try to find some music that features the Cello from some of the popular musicians. By staying inspired you are far less likely to give up on your goal to learn how to play the Cello.
Steps to Self-Taught Cello
Music has been a huge part of the culture in America and all around the world for that matter. For generations parents and grandparents have been taking their kids and grandkids to music teachers in order to have them learn how to play a wide range of musical instruments. Things have changed dramatically for people who happen to be wanting to learn to play a musical instrument like the cello. Today’s digital technologies have made it possible for more people to have access to lessons and training courses that are designed to teach them how to play the cello like the masters.