Renowned for its deep and sonorous low registers to its virtuosic capacity as a solo instrument, the cello is a versatile instrument that plays an important role in solo, chamber and orchestral repertoire. Due to the size of the instrument itself and the physically demanding nature of the cello, learning to play the cello will take a significant amount of effort and dedication. Although all instruments are challenging in their own respects, cellists usually progress faster than other instruments, such as the piano or the violin.
The cello is a demanding instrument that will require approximately a year for the musician to grasp the technical and theoretical basics of the cello and play simple songs and melodies. After 3 – 5 years of playing the cello, cellists should reach an intermediate level of performance, playing a wide genre of music and have a strong rhythmic foundation when playing in ensembles. Cellists can reach an advanced level of performance after around 7 years of playing the cello, playing works from the standard repertoire within 10 years of practice. However, like all instruments, it will take a lifetime to master the cello with consistent practice and dedication.
How Long It Takes to Play Simple Songs
Beginner cellists will first begin their musical studies by first focusing primarily on the physical aspects of playing the cello. As the cello is a physically large instrument, cellists will need to be aware of the placement of their legs in relation to the cello, alongside the angle and placement of the end pin. After cellists are physically comfortable with the instrument, they will begin to concentrate on learning the technical aspects of playing the cello, which include bowing, finger placement and intonation. Beginner cellists will often start out by playing musical scales to consolidate basic finger patterns and bowing technique in a variety of key signatures and rhythms.
In order to create a strong and holistic foundation, cellists will also need to learn how to read cello sheet music and understand basic music theory. Although most works composed for the cello is written in the bass clef, there will be instances where cellists will be required to read in treble, alto and tenor clefs as they progress.
Beginner level pieces cellists typically play include simple folk songs such as like Lightly Row and Song of the Wind. More renowned pieces such as Beethoven’s Minuet in G and Dvorak’s Humoresque Op.101 No. 7 is often played in approximately 1 to 2 years of practice.
How Long It Takes to Play Intermediate Level Works
Musicians regularly practicing the cello typically reach an intermediate level after 3 to 5 years. At this musical level, cellists should be technically and physically familiarized with the instrument and be fairly comfortable with the general basics of the instrument. As an intermediate level cellist, musicians will be required to learn slightly challenging techniques such as shifting across the fingerboard of the cello, thumb position and vibrato. Furthermore, cellists will also need to learn how to articulate their sound by learning advanced bowing strokes such as martelé, hooked stroke and staccato.
Works intermediate level cellists can look forward playing include Faure’s Sicilienne, Saint Saëns’s “The Swan” and Squire’s “Tarantella” after 4 years of consistent practice. More musically and technically challenging pieces such as Faure’s Élegié and Squire’s “Danse Rustique” take approximately 5 years of playing the cello to be played at an intermediate level.
To complement musical and technical progress, cellists are encouraged to join orchestras or string ensembles in order to receive a holistic musical education. Joining musical groups will improve the technical dexterity of cellists, alongside provide new opportunities to play the cello in a group context. This is particularly important for cellists, as cellists typically act as a rhythmic foundation for ensembles and thus require a comprehensive sense of rhythm and meter.
How Long it Takes to Reach Advanced Works
Unlike other instruments like the violin or piano that take around 8 years to reach an advanced level of performance, cellists can play works from the advanced, standard repertoire after 6-7 years of consistent practice. At this level of proficiency, cellists should be very comfortable with the instrument and will have the technical capacity to perform most works without much difficulty. In order to reach an advanced level however, cellists will need to master left-hand techniques such as double stopping, thumb positioning, false harmonics and glissando. Cellists must also be well-versed in their bowing arm, being comfortable with a wide variety of bowing strokes and patterns, which include sul ponticello, sul tasto, spiccato, detaché and legato. As the cello in particular is a physically large instrument with thick strings, advanced cellists will notice callouses in their fingers after years of dedicated practice.
Advanced level cellists typically play technical etudes and exercises by Popper, Piatti and Duport to consolidate their technical prowess, alongside musical scales and arpeggios in all key signatures. In terms of repertoire, advanced cellists can look forward performing works such as Saint Saëns’ Cello Concerto in A Minor and Elgar’s Cello Concerto in E minor after around 6 to 8 years of practice. After 9 or 10 years of playing, cellists can look forward to playing the pinnacle of cello concertos, the Dvorak Cello Concerto in B minor. Outside the concerto repertoire, advanced cellists often play the Bach cello suites, Cassadó’s Requiebros and Bruch’s Kol Nidrei.
Why Should You Learn the Cello?
Besides the musical gratification and enjoyment a musician can receive from playing the cello, there are a variety of other benefits that come from practicing an instrument renowned for its deep and sonorous sound.
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Playing the cello improves overall body posture and physique
As a physically demanding and large instrument, having good posture is integral for creating a beautiful sound on the cello. Although cellists are required to sit when playing the cello, cellists develop good back posture habits and strengthened finger and arm muscle strength after years of practice. Furthermore, cellists will find that they have improved strength in their legs and thighs, as cellists are required to grip the instrument between their legs when playing.
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Learning the cello enable musicians to develop transferrable skills in other string instruments
Although the cello is one of many string instruments, the technical skills musicians learn while playing the cello can be applied to other string instruments, such as the double bass or the violin. As fingering and bowing patterns are similar across string instruments, cellists can quickly learn other string instruments at a significantly faster rate.
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Playing the cello will improve skills in adaptability and teamwork
As the cello acts as the backbone for all ensembles, cellos are indisputably one of the most important parts of orchestras and chamber groups. Due to the versatility of the cello, cellists will need skills to adapt to different parts of an orchestra, whether it be supporting the melodic line of the violins or reinforcing the bass line of the violas. As a result, playing the cello in group settings will help to improve skills in adaptability and teamwork.
What Skills Do You Need to Learn the Cello?
Skills that cellists require include physical strength, rhythm and intonation.
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Skill #1: Physical strength
Due to the physically large size of the cello and the way it is positioned on the human body, cellists will need to have the physical capacity to play the instrument. Although all instrumentalists need time to warm up before practicing, cellists in particular will need to take time stretching their fingers, arms, shoulders, back, neck and wrist before practicing the cello.
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Skill # 2. Rhythm
Rhythmic sense is a crucial aspect of playing the cello, as the instrument acts as the rhymical foundation for many musical works. Consequently, cellists will need to have a strong understanding of tempo, rhythm and meter and ensure they do not rush and maintain a consistent speed for other instruments to follow.
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Skill #3. Intonation
Similar to the violin, the cello is a tricky instrument to play due to the volatility of intonation and the difficulty of playing in tune. Cellos have an extra layer of difficulty due to a greater presence of wolf tones, which are undesirable sounds that are produced from the cello due to strong resonant frequencies of the instrument. Cellists will need to learn how to control these wolf tones and know their instrument in particular in order to avoid playing wolf tones in their performances.
Equipment Needed When Playing the Cello
#1. The Cello and Bow
The cello and bow come in a variety of sizes and are allocated depending on a person’s height, length of arm and overall size of body. From the age of 15, most cellists use a full-size cello. The cello also consists of strings which need to be changed every few years.
#2. Endpin stopper
The endpin stopper is a tool that is placed between the endpin of a cello and the floor in order to prevent the instrument from slipping. There are two main types of endpins, black hole cello mats and endpin anchors, and both work to prevent the cello from slipping when playing.
#3. Wolf tone eliminator
Due to the prevalence of wolf tones in the cello, many cellists choose to place a wolf tone between the bridge and the tailpiece of the instrument to reduce the frequency of wolf tones when they play.
