So, my wife absolutely blew me away this Christmas by giving me my very own cello. I’ve wanted one for years, and many of my songs have cello parts (in my head, anyway), so this was huge. The two songs I’m currently working on will both have cello parts…i.e. I’ll need to learn to PLAY the instrument fast if I ever want to finish the new songs.
So far, pretty quickly, I’ve learned:
- Cellos don’t have frets. Are you kidding me?? How do I know where my stubby fingers should go?
- Cello bridges are not attached to the cello. Once again, guitarists have it easy. Cello bridges must be expertly placed in a "sweet spot" known…to cellists. (The same goes for mandolins and banjos, actually.)
- Rosin is crucial. In the beginning, I failed to produce any sort of sound from my cello. Rosin produces friction between bow and cello which makes for good vibrations.
- A "beginner’s book" does not suffice for a beginner. I bought "The Art of Cello Playing", and was completely stumped as to what to do next with it.
Fortunately, I recently made a new friend who happens to be a cellist. Amazing luck. Thanks to her, I now 1) have a correctly placed bridge, 2) can produce sound (thanks to rosin), 3) can find the notes (thanks to little pieces of tape showing me where they are — you can see them in the photo), and 4) know how to hold the bow thingy. Total sweetness. Yo-Yo Ma, watch out.
Expect to hear a real, live cello in my next track, albeit poorly played. Wish me luck…
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