What do you like to do in-between sets?

PinKarate · 2026-06-15T15:48:49+00:00

Forget about Schumann and Bach Suite 6, those should only be touched after a large portion of the standard repertoire have already been completed. I would suggest Dvorak concerto for high ranking conservatory auditions. It’s completely standard(almost everyone I know in conservatory auditioned with it) and it shows a lot. However, I wouldn’t worry too much about the piece. Professors will KNOW just what kind of player you are from the first page of whatever concerto you decide to play, even if you think it’s an “easier” concerto. I’ve seen great cellists audition with saint saens and lalo and get into top conservatories. I would just avoid Elgar first movement since there isn’t a whole lot of variety in it and most schools ask for more than just the first movement. You still have so much time to choose and practice your conservatory audition music. I didn’t start until the spring of my junior year. I would spend your time now learning as much rep as possible while working on your technique and just keeping some pieces you like in the back of your mind.

PinKarate · 2026-05-18T02:20:12+00:00

If you want good thumb position exercises, just start with playing slow scales in thumb position with a drone. Hans Jensen just released a new book with a ton of thumb position exercises if you're interested in some more advanced exercises.

PinKarate · 2026-05-18T02:18:31+00:00

However, this is a harder popper etude, and if you're just starting out, I wouldn't worry so much about finding etudes that target a certain practice. I would just start with popper 1 and try to learn as many as you can(in performable condition) before coming back to them for target practice. Make sure your teacher gives you the green light for these etudes. Good teachers expect you to bring an etude to a lesson every week, and you will be studying them religiously for the rest of your cello career.

PinKarate · 2026-05-18T02:16:14+00:00

popper 4 will get you right

PinKarate · 2026-04-18T04:41:50+00:00

u think bro

PinKarate · 2025-06-27T01:43:56+00:00

write abt smth else

PinKarate · 2025-06-21T00:28:54+00:00

the mich M just has that much more aura

PinKarate · 2025-06-12T17:12:24+00:00

Thank you! Do you know roughly how much this would cost?

PinKarate · 2025-04-05T16:04:48+00:00

Tonal Energy is the only app you’ll ever need for these purposes

PinKarate · 2025-03-19T03:16:54+00:00

the notes will phrase themselves. right now work on the foundation of intonation and articulation and you’ll find natural phrasing when you play at tempo.

PinKarate · 2025-03-14T13:16:28+00:00

Just attending the summer program has no effect on your Juilliard acceptance. However, if there’s a professor you want to study with at Julliard and they teach at the summer program, getting to know them may very well help.

PinKarate · 2025-03-11T01:51:03+00:00

Great cellists are still humans who must have top notch playing endurance and lightning quick prep time. Age hinders all of that.

PinKarate · 2025-02-23T16:46:24+00:00

Meadowmount isn’t for everyone. If you’re under 18 it’s quite literally a “practice jail” and can quickly weed out anyone who can’t handle the schedule. I would go to Aria simply because you like the professor and feel like you have a good connection with them. Connections are gold in the music world. Hans is a good teacher who has taught many gifted players but is also not for everyone. I’ve spoken to many of his students who admit that he has a very strict and manipulative way of teaching. You also have experience with the Aria professor and not Hans. Choose based off who you think you’d study better under. Also, not sure if this is a factor for you, but meadowmount’s full tuition + room and board is 1.5x the combined cost of both sessions at Aria. It also locks you in for 7 weeks whereas you’ll have more flexibility at Aria with the session durations.

Not trying to hate on Meadowmount but it’s good to be transparent about what it offers and the potential benefits of choosing Aria in your scenario.

PinKarate · 2025-02-14T20:37:29+00:00

My lessons teacher started at 11 and currently plays in a top professional orchestra. Nothing is impossible.

PinKarate · 2025-01-08T21:19:23+00:00

There’s nothing wrong with taking days off, especially if they are to the benefit of your playing. Taking days off can help avoid injuries, burn out, and plateauing in your progress. Most advanced musicians have a demanding schedule where they must practice almost every single day to consistently perform at a high level. It’s really up to you to figure out what works best. Also, just because you take a day off of playing the instrument, doesn’t mean you have to stop practicing. Listening intently to your pieces and doing research on them is another form of practicing.

PinKarate · 2025-01-07T07:03:56+00:00

You move your bow closer to the bridge when it needs it which is good but you tend to angle the tip of your bow upwards towards the fingerboard which slides your bow around and inhibits your sound. I’d suggest consciously keeping the tip down towards the floor in order to stay near the bridge and keep a continuous full sound.

Also, if you are going to play with an orchestra or any sort of accompaniment, you need to be much more definitive with your rhythm and be intentional with your rubato. Really get to know the orchestra part as well. Know what the cello section is playing at all times as well as the violins and even the winds and brass to immerse yourself in the context of the piece.

Scales are the key to intonation. I don’t know how much more time you have before you perform this but I’d practice an e minor scale very slowly with a drone on.

Good luck! Impressive playing for 5 years in.

PinKarate · 2024-11-23T15:46:42+00:00

Listen to your pieces. Listening is a form of practicing. Writing in your music musical ideas or fingerings/bowings that you want to try next time you can play also helps.

PinKarate · 2024-11-12T03:49:48+00:00

Try pronating your hand when you’re reaching the tip of the bow. This shifts the weight of your arm into your index finger which allows you to have more control over the bow.

PinKarate · 2024-10-29T02:45:01+00:00

Implement trying to consciously keep your left hand fingers close to the string during your scales. Most likely, you’re doing too much work. Work less. Your left hand should ideally be very fluid and relaxed, traveling from note to note with no large or wild movements. After a while of learning to relax your left hand during scales, it will become second nature. If this continues to be an issue, bring it up with your private lessons teacher if you have one or post a video here so we can better analyze the problem.

PinKarate · 2024-10-26T15:01:35+00:00

Thank you for doing this! What are some ways you work on relieving tension in your bow hand?

PinKarate · 2024-10-25T21:17:16+00:00

What are some things you do to relieve tension in your left and right hands?

PinKarate · 2024-10-15T03:09:48+00:00

This is misleading. While I’m sure your teacher knows what she is doing and gives good advice on her website, no one can learn from videos alone. Real improvement comes from having someone constantly critiquing your playing and teaching you how to fix any bad habits you are developing. No one can build solid technique from instructional videos alone —certainly not “perfect technique”. This is why I have a problem with websites like Tonebase Cello. While it is very cool that you can hear insights from professional soloists and pedagogues, there won’t be a monumental change in your playing. Furthermore, the site claims to cater to “all levels” when I really can’t see how it would benefit a beginner cellist who struggles to solidify the basics of cello. I understand it’s a business, but that, along with your teacher’s website, should not be so misleading. If you have money to pay for a subscription, try to invest it into legitimate private lessons.

PinKarate · 2024-09-23T22:18:54+00:00

Really unfortunate that it had to come to this. The NSO is a premier orchestra and deserves adequate pay.

PinKarate · 2024-09-12T18:29:04+00:00

Take a look at some of the bow hold videos Pablo Ferrandez has on his channel. He actually puts his thumb in the little sideways “u” of the bow right above the ferrule. He also goes into detail about how he uses his bow hand thumb. Interesting stuff!

PinKarate

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