If only I sounded this good in my first year of playing in the 5th grade! Some adult beginners like yourself are able to bring a level of focus and discipline to their practice that most kids just can't match. Very good stuff. I agree with the other commenter about experimenting with bow speed & pressure, that'll pull a more full sound out of your instrument.
Thank you so much! I think it gets easier to learn different skills with age (not only cello), as you build up on your previous experience and also are aware of how to acquire knowledge and how to practice optimally (& determine your weaknesses). Yes, I agree too. I did a second version with better dynamics (Day 277 : th-cam.com/video/mgpG68IJNlQ/w-d-xo.htmlsi=g8YZJHB1i5UL8SQo )
@@Cello_Journey Why do I recommend this? Because what makes the cello ‘speak’ is the bow, not the intonation.... beginners often make the mistake of becoming obsessed with intonation, and ignore the dynamics of the bow. Without them, the music sounds completely flat. This very piece you played is extremely expressive. But in your playing there was no dynamic sound at all, it sounded as if you were counting notes. I know you are a beginner, and that's precisely why you should pay attention to that. The sooner you start to educate your right hand, the faster you will be able to make progress. Because as I said, without bow dynamics, the music will sound flat, and therefore, it will be dead.
@ Thank you for explanation. I am aware of lack of dynamics and it is exactly what we worked on yesterday with my teacher, when I showed her this first draft. It is the first “real” slow and melodic piece I have played between all of the etudes and Rome wasn’t built in a day. Everything is a struggle right now - both intonation, sound, new clef and (imitation of 🙈 )vibrato, but all those things have my attention and will eventually get better. Do you have any specific exercises for the bowing that you could recommend? (composer & opus).
@@Cello_Journey simply play open strings creating dynamics, from mezzoforte at the heel of the bow to forte at the tip of the bow and vice versa. Do not use weight but speed. Do more and more extreme dynamics until you go from piano-pianissimo at the heel of the bow to forte fortissimo at the tip of the bow. This is not something that will come quickly, you will need a lot of time and practice for the hand to get used to it and above all for the sound to be regular and rounded. Doing it with open strings will allow you to concentrate on the right hand. If you get boring of the open strings, just play easy scales while you do it.
🎉🎉🎉🎉
If only I sounded this good in my first year of playing in the 5th grade! Some adult beginners like yourself are able to bring a level of focus and discipline to their practice that most kids just can't match. Very good stuff. I agree with the other commenter about experimenting with bow speed & pressure, that'll pull a more full sound out of your instrument.
Thank you so much! I think it gets easier to learn different skills with age (not only cello), as you build up on your previous experience and also are aware of how to acquire knowledge and how to practice optimally (& determine your weaknesses).
Yes, I agree too. I did a second version with better dynamics (Day 277 : th-cam.com/video/mgpG68IJNlQ/w-d-xo.htmlsi=g8YZJHB1i5UL8SQo )
nice intonation. But If I were your teacher, I would have you do bow exercises with open strings
Thank you! Why would you recommend this (and what kind of exercises?)
@@Cello_Journey Why do I recommend this? Because what makes the cello ‘speak’ is the bow, not the intonation.... beginners often make the mistake of becoming obsessed with intonation, and ignore the dynamics of the bow. Without them, the music sounds completely flat.
This very piece you played is extremely expressive. But in your playing there was no dynamic sound at all, it sounded as if you were counting notes. I know you are a beginner, and that's precisely why you should pay attention to that. The sooner you start to educate your right hand, the faster you will be able to make progress. Because as I said, without bow dynamics, the music will sound flat, and therefore, it will be dead.
@ Thank you for explanation. I am aware of lack of dynamics and it is exactly what we worked on yesterday with my teacher, when I showed her this first draft. It is the first “real” slow and melodic piece I have played between all of the etudes and Rome wasn’t built in a day. Everything is a struggle right now - both intonation, sound, new clef and (imitation of 🙈 )vibrato, but all those things have my attention and will eventually get better.
Do you have any specific exercises for the bowing that you could recommend? (composer & opus).
@@Cello_Journey simply play open strings creating dynamics, from mezzoforte at the heel of the bow to forte at the tip of the bow and vice versa. Do not use weight but speed. Do more and more extreme dynamics until you go from piano-pianissimo at the heel of the bow to forte fortissimo at the tip of the bow.
This is not something that will come quickly, you will need a lot of time and practice for the hand to get used to it and above all for the sound to be regular and rounded.
Doing it with open strings will allow you to concentrate on the right hand. If you get boring of the open strings, just play easy scales while you do it.
@ That’s great - going to try it out. Thank you!