# How is my playing? (cello)



## cellogrl

I'm a 17 year old cellist and I would love to get any second opinions about my playing. I started at school when I was 9 and couldn't really read music till I was 11. I started lessons at 11 so I'm kind of behind in that way compared to a lot of my peers. But I love music very much and I want to go to college for it. Do you think I could become a professional, hopefully in chamber music or even alternative music? Usually people tell me I have good expression and maturity but my technique is lacking. How can I improve?


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## Jaws

There is a thread on here about music college and professional playing. I would suggest that you read that. 

The only way to improve is with efficient practice. 

Now about playing professionally. You don't get to be a professional performer by going to college and getting good at playing. You get to be a professional performer by getting a job playing music. The music industry at the moment is saturated. It is extremely difficult to earn enough money to live on by playing music. So you have got to have a plan B and you have got to realise that it is most likely that your job will be the plan B one not the playing music. 

If you want to study music at college because you want to know more about the subject and you want to improve your cello playing because you are interested in that then go ahead. However if you want to go to college in order to become a professional player, you have to know that this is extremely unlikely to happen however good you are as a player.

I am based in the UK. We have 8 music conservatoires here. There are only a very few vacancies for players every year. These are open to players from the rest of Europe as well as the UK. So of all the people at the music conservatoires only about 1 each year will become a professional player. The rest will have to get another job. 

You also have to consider this. A music conservatoire may have something like 10 places for cellists. Of the 10 who pass the audition the college may only consider that one of them will ever get to a high enough standard to even get the chance of passing a professional audition and they know that none of the others will. However they have to take the other 9 people because if they don't they won't get the money needed to keep the college open. So effectively 9 of the people are there just for their money.


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## Ingélou

Hi, Cellogrl - I am new to classical music so my opinion is worth little, but I'd just like to tell you how much I enjoyed listening to your playing. I thought you have great feeling and tone on the Bach piece - much as you say that you have been praised for your good expression and maturity. 

As you will have gathered, music is a very competitive business and even if you get a college or conservatory place, it doesn't guarantee a career as a professional. One of my violin teachers wanted to be a professional performer but has had to be satisfied with teaching.

However, I believe it's always best to try for what your heart prompts. I am a retired teacher of 16-18 year old students, and too many times I've seen students apply for something sensible, like business studies or law, and then either drop out or move to what they really wanted to do, English Literature or Art. It's so much easier to work hard at what you love, and you can end up regretting it if you don't at least try. But you do need to accept that it may not happen for you, in the end. 

If you need to improve technique, you need to find a teacher, or a summer school, or a mature talented cellist to mentor you. You can get better advice there about what to do, too. Work cheerfully towards improving your technique, make all the music you can, and seek advice from musicians and teachers. Go forth with joy. I wish you luck.

But I did want to tell you that I enjoyed your playing & to thank you for posting the links.


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## Taggart

I enjoyed your playing. You have a good tone and nice vibrato. If you want to improve your technique then that's down to practice and teaching. You could, as I'm sure you have, look at the internet for tips and tricks to help improve your playing and add that to what you are doing in lessons.

If you want to study music at college then you need to look at the sort of music school you could go to and study their entrance requirements and make sure your SAT score is suitable. You need to consider what audition requirements they have and if you could meet them. Basically - go for it.

As to becoming a professional musician - getting a job playing music - that's a horrendously competitive field. As before, go for it, but prepare for disappointment and have a plan B. 

Best of luck with your playing and your plans for college and a professional career.


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## Ukko

Ah, _cellogir_l, you have lived 17+ years. Are you ready to make music and the cello your _avocation_? Never mind 'plan B'. Figure out what you can do to make a good life, with music in it to make it better. Plan A.


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## Jaws

cellogrl said:


> I'm a 17 year old cellist and I would love to get any second opinions about my playing. I started at school when I was 9 and couldn't really read music till I was 11. I started lessons at 11 so I'm kind of behind in that way compared to a lot of my peers. But I love music very much and I want to go to college for it. Do you think I could become a professional, hopefully in chamber music or even alternative music? Usually people tell me I have good expression and maturity but my technique is lacking. How can I improve?


I have just listened to the Bach and it is a good attempt.

Now I will ask you some questions about it. No one on here needs to know the answers but you do.

OK here we go. What do you know about Bach? You know that he is a baroque composer? Do you know how music developed from the Renaissance to the Baroque period and the new ideas that Bach introduced? Have you ever seen any music that doesn't have bars in it but is just notes without bars to break it up? Now remembering about the unbarred music do you know about baroque phrasing and how it relates to the unbarred music?

As I said I don't need or want to know your answers I just want you to be sure that you have thought about all of this.

Now when it comes to playing a piece of music you have to try to play what is on the music and not what comes easiest out of your instrument. So long notes are only louder than short notes if they are in an important part of the phrase and you work out where the important part of the phrase is by reference to the historical context and style of the piece that you are playing. This also applies to high long notes. To make a piece of music sound interesting some notes have to have more stress than others. Now generally speaking if you have two half notes (or quavers) and the first half note is a low note on the beat and the second half note is a higher note between the beats you have to play the lower note louder than the high note. This might be very difficult to do but that is one of the reasons why having a good technique is very important.

How to get a good technique. You have to work out what you find difficult on the cello. Scales and arpeggios are very important because you have to be able to play all of the notes on the same tone, the same length and the same volume. Start slowly listen very carefully and speed up gradually. Studies are for learning how to do certain things so going back to the Bach you may find that there is a study that helps you to learn how to play low notes louder than high notes even when there is a big range between them. Don't leave a study until you can play it up to speed and correctly. Studies are there to help you learn the techniques that you need to play pieces better.

Most important of all. Concentrate when you are practicing and don't spend all your time playing pieces that you know. Get to grips with cello studies.


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