Cello Lessons in Virginia Village, CO. Amazing Teachers.

If you're new to playing jazz cello, or just want to improve your skills, here are a few tips to help get you started.  First, learn the basics. You don't need to know everything, but having a basic understanding of jazz chord progressions, scales and arpeggios will give you a strong foundation to build on. Next, practice regularly. The more you play, the better you'll sound.  And finally, find a jam session or gig where you can apply what you've learned. Playing with others is a great w

Good intonation is much more noticeable for string instruments because we use fretless instruments which must be tuned every time we play. Fortunately, there is a technique which uses the open strings to ensure we are consistently in tune. When combined with good ear training, this technique will ensure good intonation. “Can one learn this technique?” you ask. Certainly, and it can be practiced easily using basic scales and by knowing the cello string names. This article will discuss how the

Learning to use the bow is the least intuitive part of playing the cello. Most beginners are afraid their bow will slide off the strings or they will drop it. I recommend practicing in front of a mirror so you can visually inspect your bow habits. This article cannot replace a teacher’s direct guidance in establishing a bow hold, but I hope to give you some basic advice to improve your current cello bow technique in two areas: the bow hold and the bow use. Cello Bow Hold To set up a good

Congratulations! You have started learning the ways of the cello, welcome young padawan. Let’s talk about how to make sounds other than our open strings, look at a basic cello fingering chart, and talk about positions. On cello we will eventually use all five fingers of the left hand to reach to the farthest extents of our physical abilities, but for now, let’s focus on just four.  On cello, we number our fingers from 1 to 4 starting on our index finger, like so:       The

Where can a cellist go to get easy cello sheet music, and how can you tell if the music is good? My cello students don’t just learn classical repertoire, because if you play the same music every single day then your sound will grow uninspired and stale. Not to say classical is boring (I love classical!), but sometimes you need to practice outside your comfort zone. Some days, you might feel like working on fundamentals in a new genre, like jazz. Other times, you just want to have fun jammin

Pursuing a career in music is a risky decision, because by the nature of the industry few artists can “make it big.” Most artists aren’t pop stars, or even full-time career musicians, and all musicians also teach to remedy this. There are many paths to becoming a professional cello player, and depending on where you start it might be easy or hard to earn a reputation and start making money. I followed an academic path, studying classical music at university and then continuing my research

Let’s face it - the world isn’t always set up to help people who are left handed! If you play the cello, you might be wondering, “can you play the cello left-handed”? The short answer to this question is…well, kind of. However, there are considerations you will need to make before deciding to play in the cello left hand position - or before going out to buy a left handed cello, for that matter.  First, what do we mean when we say “left handed”? Handedness is the sense tha

At some point, your young cellist will grow out of their instrument. Growing out of an instrument is an awkward time for everyone involved and it is not something that happens suddenly. More often than not, finding that it is time to upgrade to a larger instrument is a slow realization that something is wrong in the musical force. If you can consult a professional, please do so! This decision is beneficial for the long run although it presents its own challenges upon the switch.  What Cell

This year musicians have been practicing alone at home more than rehearsing with each other. Even though COVID-19 stopped the multi-musician rehearsals and gigs, I know it is important to keep my technique under my fingers for when they do return. One way to keep up your practice routine while still remaining socially distant is to find cello solo sheet music, or pieces you can practice by yourself. Finding the Music Searching for music online has its pros and cons, as discussed in “Wher

The cello that we have today in orchestras, chamber ensembles, or on stage is not the same cello that our good friends, Bach or Handel once used. Although this evolution has not been incredibly drastic in the way that many other instruments have changed and evolved over the years. Visually, there are only slight differences between the baroque cello and the modern cello.  What Does "Baroque" Mean, Anyway? For those of us that are not familiar with the term Baroque and what that means rega