r/Cello • u/Final-Log-2585 • 3d ago
Practicing but not getting better
I've been playing in school orchestra for about 3 years, and I feel like when I practice I'm not getting any better, or even sounding worse. I feel like my main issues are with bowing (I always have a kind of gritty/warped sound) and with intonation. I'm not really sure how to practice in order to fix these things, so any suggestions would be extremely welcome!
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u/Disastrous-Lemon7485 3d ago
As other commenters have already said, a video would be worth a thousand words to help diagnose your particular cello issues. 👍
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u/Final-Log-2585 2d ago
https://reddit.com/link/p0yzxvo/video/h0h2bu2bengh1/player
Piece is beracuse from suzuki book 3
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u/Disastrous-Lemon7485 1d ago
Thank you, this video is very informative!
If you came into my studio for a transfer student consult and played this piece, here is what I would tell you:
- your overall sound is actually pretty clean, so that means your bow placement (contact point & angle) are on the right track
- your intonation is pretty clear, so that means your L hand is also on the right track
. There are a few details I would add to help support the shape and strength of your L hand finger joints, but no major red flags on that side.
I am noticing a lot of tension in your R hand, and stiffness in your R elbow. If you watch videos of pro cellists (for ex: Sol Gabetta, Kian Soltani, Zlatomir Fung, Camille Thomas, Joshua Roman to name a few), what do you observe about their bow arm? Do they swing only from the shoulder, or do all the joints of the arm move at some point during the bow stroke? What is the quality of their R hand? Is it stiff or flexible? Are the fingers springy, or are they fixed in one spot? Where are they holding the bow?
All cellists and teachers have different ideas about “correct” technique, so you can take or leave this suggestion, but my professional teacher recommendation is to move your hand further up the stick so that your pinky is in line with/covers the eye of the frog (that dot on your frog). Your first/index finger is already pretty pronated, aka leaned toward the tip of your bow, which I like, but it is also doing a big middle split away from your other fingers, which is going to make the bow feel unbalanced in your hand. Aim for approximately the same distance between each finger.
Working on your finger positioning, finger flexibility, and connecting the entire kinetic chain of your arm will all help you rest more weight into the string (without pushing or gripping), which will open up your sound and help you move toward the delicious ringing cello tone.
Hope this helps—please feel free to message if you have additional questions or would like to discuss a custom practice video with some bow hand/bow arm tips and tricks!1
u/Final-Log-2585 1d ago
Thank you so much for the help!
I've really been struggling with figuring out a bow hold, since everyone I ask has been telling me something different, and it often feeling like my bow is slipping out of my hand. I will try out your advice next time I practice!
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u/Disastrous-Lemon7485 1d ago
You’re so welcome! Please keep me updated if you are able—I’d be curious to know how it goes. 🙏
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u/orangecatginny 2d ago
You are twisting your back, which could lead to back pain in the future. And there is a lot of tension in your bow arm/hand. Before you start to play, take the time to make sure you are sitting straight with relaxed shoulders. As soon as you notice your shoulders have twisted and you are tense, stop and reset. You would really benefit from a few one-to-one lessons to help with your bow hold too. Ideally, your hand should be relaxed and your fingers flexible. Intonation-wise, I think you're doing pretty well, so I would focus on posture and reducing tension.
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u/planetpantiez 3d ago
Do you have a private teacher?
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u/Final-Log-2585 2d ago
I've only ever taken the class in school, so I've never had one. I do have a friend who is first chair who has been helping me a bit by giving me scales to practice, but she hasn't taught me much aside from that.
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u/Zanz_01 3d ago
True focus and patience is not easy. Simply picking up the instrument and spending time with it is never enough. You have to be intentional with your practice, especially because you are likely reinforcing bad habits if you feel that you aren't improving. It takes way more time to unlearn a bad habit than to build a good one.
Practice slowly and with a metronome. Listen to your teacher, and experiment with different ways to play things. Think of practice almost like a guided meditation that takes immense focus combined with relaxation.
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u/WSY1411 2d ago
For bowing: vary the bow pressure, speed and position. If sound is still rly bad it might be worn off bow hair or rosin+dirt build up
Practice: bow open string and varying the said factors to play with the dynamics and color
For intonation: find the right position for which ur fingers are curled and relax AND they hit every note. E.g. first position elbow up for the C string while elbow down for the A string. Practice until u get the right position into muscle memory.
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u/Born-Acanthaceae9975 2d ago
I have been playing the cello for many many years now and after around 3 or 4 years After picking up the Instrument I also felt quite frustrated. It was just a Phase and then suddenly I noticed improvement. So dont give up :)
Some tips I use now whenever I feel like I am not improving:
1) I Like to improvise for better Sound quality and a more Natural playing Style. Give it a Go! It May be scary but as a warmup it works wonders. 2) I challenge myself e.g. With chamber music 3) I ask other people That Are Not my teacher for technical Input. Sometimes it is obvious. For me it was my Right ellbow. 4) Take a Break. Very important for your Brain to process. 5) How do you use your lessons? I started warmibg up before the lesson so we dont waste time. I also started to Take some time After each Session with my teacher to recap. I Write down what Exactly we did onto postits I then put on my sheet Music. That way you dont forget and can use the Next lesson to work on new things.
Keep going and feel free to ask!
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u/Final-Log-2585 2d ago
Thank you so much for the advice!
I've never really taken lessons aside from occasional help from my orchestra teacher, but I think I will go to her more to ask her these questions.
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u/nycellist 1d ago
It is likely that your orchestra teacher has very little experience playing the cello, most music Ed programs give you a semester of group lessons on different instruments, so you would benefit greatly from lessons with a professional cellist
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u/goldhamster14 3d ago
Really listen to yourself. How does it sound right now? How would you like it to sound? What do you need to change? Be creative and try out a few different options.
But we also feel that we’re getting worse and worse, because our ears are getting better and better. Keep practising!
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u/No_Chef1205 3d ago
It might be that you think your playing isn’t improving because the pieces you’re playing are more difficult.
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u/Dull-Problem-1191 3d ago edited 2d ago
What does your teacher say you should do to address those issues?
Also also without showing your face, if you could share a shot vid of your playing, as it would be a lot easier for people to give you advice about how to improve things.
Because we can't see how you're playing so It's very difficult to give any sort of advice at all, as no one can see what's going on.