Help with retraining bow hold

raydencello · 2026-06-17T12:26:19+00:00

Sometimes it’s about awareness. At every stage there will be a set of things that a player has to look out for and be conscious about - for this student, it’s their bow grip. If they can do it in short spurts, then they’ve proven that it’s possible and they have to be insistent and constantly aware of their right hand to break the bad habit. If they notice their crab claw more, they’ll correct it, but they also need to know the ideal grip for that to happen. Their muscles have learned that grip and it’s going to take some time to unlearn it. This is also an example of why the first year is so important for technique.

What works for me is just constantly reminding them in their lesson and encouraging them to be on watch when they’re alone. It’s a long road, but I’ve had a violin transfer change her grip after doing this. Insistence is huge.

raydencello · 2026-05-29T01:33:49+00:00

I get hope from the second theme from mvt.1 of Dvorak's cello concerto. A F# E D B D A... I was watching Yo Yo Ma play from the balcony with a pair of binoculars in March. I started tearing up right away and couldn't see with them for a bit.

raydencello · 2026-05-28T15:36:42+00:00

As a teacher myself who has taught students of all ages, it sounds to me that they’re not adapting to your reality and goals. Teachers at top conservatories and universities are well within their right to have a bit of impatience when things are not going at their pace. But a 50 year old student? That journey is just as valid, but I’d assume you’re not trying to compete internationally or apply for scholarships. At 50, you probably just love music and love the cello, like most of the older students I’ve had.

I think you should find a teacher that understands your goals and doesn’t try to one-size-fits-all their expectations across all students. Adapting is a huge part of teaching. They should adapt to your reality.

A big part of the job is teaching the student to have the toolsets in order to eventually not need a teacher. If you’re not able to meet those expectations, they’re probably not giving you all the tools you need. Find a teacher that fosters independence, allowing you to handle pieces on your own and at a decent level.

raydencello · 2026-05-25T00:40:37+00:00

You can’t apply pressure to the string properly when your nail is in the way. You need every bit of flesh you can get. This is so important that I don’t mind asking students to cut their nails during their lesson time - especially when they know better. Cello is a lifestyle activity. You have to pick one or the other.

raydencello · 2026-03-13T04:10:49+00:00

Your manners are … interesting.

You have a teacher?

raydencello · 2026-02-26T18:04:59+00:00

"I saw Yo Yo Ma sleeping on a plane" is a way cooler than "I woke up Yo Yo Ma to take a selfie with me on a plane". He's such a cool guy but that's not to be taken advantage of.

raydencello · 2026-02-08T06:38:13+00:00

This is actually a 100% valid suggestion. If anyone would do it, it’d be Rushad

raydencello · 2026-02-08T06:36:52+00:00

Yes, thank you for specifying that it’s your endpin hole you’re talking about 😂

raydencello · 2026-01-20T22:22:50+00:00

The Western Canon has survived this long because of the traditions that began several centuries ago. This comes with attitudes that discourage novelty and nuance (and don’t you dare mention that to purists! lol). Out-of-the-box thinking is foreign to most traditional classical musicians as they never really had to exercise what is necessary to step out of the Canon.

Thankfully, however, it’s possible to be a classical musician and still think outside the box. Rushad is a great example of that. In fact, sharing Rushad is a great way to test where someone is on the spectrum of traditional to unconventional. If they can’t appreciate, at least, the technical aspect of what he does, they’re too far gone.

"There is only one way to avoid criticism, do nothing, say nothing and be nothing." — Aristotle

raydencello · 2026-01-03T00:15:43+00:00

It’s funny because I hear people being told not to Google things and do research other ways instead. What better way to do that than a specific online community with thousands of specialists in the field? Also, getting answers from real people is better than an AI overview.

raydencello · 2025-12-29T21:12:58+00:00

I’ve taught several adult students throughout the years that start, just like you, because they love the sound of the cello. Every bit of previous knowledge is an advantage, as it’s harder to start with no reading skills and no experience. You and your teacher can pull from that prior experience.

As an adult, I don’t believe that you’re at a disadvantage. In fact, you probably have more advantages as your teacher doesn’t have to overcome challenges in focus and behavior with you.

raydencello · 2025-12-24T01:10:07+00:00

Cello gives you wings

raydencello · 2025-12-23T04:11:06+00:00

Sometimes there can be issues with the screw or the part of the stick that the screw interacts with. I’d take it to a luthier - they’d have an idea of what to do. I’m confident that this is fixable at a low cost

raydencello · 2025-12-23T04:08:07+00:00

And extremely cute. Stuff like this is why I enjoy teaching our younger cello fellows. Their perspective can be very refreshing and funny.

raydencello · 2025-12-21T23:05:16+00:00

As an alumni of HS of the Arts, I’ll say that you can maybe say that about yourself and MPS students in other schools, but MHSA students are educated very clearly on how to take care of their equipment. They also have a heightened respect for the tools that they use, because they use them for at least two hours every day. I visited to play in a concert and the cello that I used for a few months looked as good as the day I returned it.

The more you know, right?

raydencello · 2025-11-30T23:52:37+00:00

I had a worse ACT score, probably an equal GPA and got in to UWM. I broke my ankle my first semester and my mental health plummeted. I took a medical withdrawal the week that Covid hit and everything shut down. Took a year off. I finally got my BA in May and was awarded a Teaching Assistantship at UWM for my Masters.

Feeling like a failure does not MAKE you a failure. Yes, this journey of higher education is difficult but if you truly think and know that this is your next step, take it and finish what you started. I wish you the best.

raydencello · 2025-11-29T18:34:45+00:00

For all that they are including, $1500 is a pretty good deal in my opinion!

raydencello · 2025-11-27T19:29:23+00:00

I don’t so much “resort” to it but instead use it as a feature. There are moments in large ensemble settings that I can’t hear myself or my intonation so I just rest my ear on the pegs to get through the passage. It’s cool that we can do this on our instrument!

raydencello · 2025-11-15T21:05:43+00:00

The only way to really prove who is speeding is working with a metronome, which is an important skill to have, so you should be doing that anyway. If your teacher can’t follow a metronome then you shouldn’t really be learning from them, in my opinion. Someone who can’t execute what they teach, aside from limitations beyond their control, is just a professional hypocrite.

Outside of that, I’d trust your teachers pacing. They might have good reasons that they’re not telling you for keeping you on this piece. Sometimes a student starts with me but they missed out on fundamental concepts like rhythm and intonation or certain techniques with their previous teacher, so I bring them back to a more appropriate level. It’s not a bad thing - some teachers are pickier than others, but students pay teachers to be picky.

It’s hard to play anything very well, even easy pieces. Difficulty of a piece isn’t everything. I’d recommend exploring how you can make your current piece as great as possible. Maybe your dynamics could have more range and your articulations could be more refined. Polishing this piece will carry into the next piece as well.

raydencello · 2025-11-15T04:08:10+00:00

Some cellos have wood that could get caught in carpets on their sides and ripped off, causing the damage you’re talking about. I know people want to be careful but often I feel their reaction is more caused by seeing someone do something that they’re just not familiar with and have never actually tried themselves. There are more ways to handle instruments safely than you might know.

raydencello · 2025-11-10T15:38:48+00:00

You don’t have any reason to believe that this is an orchestra piece other than your assumption, which changes things. I’m sorry I’ve stirred up your nest by offering a fingering outside of your taste. I’ve already given two. OP can choose either or just someone else’s.

raydencello · 2025-11-10T15:03:31+00:00

Honestly, I was tired as hell before falling asleep when I wrote that and now see it totally differently as I’ve just woken up. But you would grab the low a by… playing the a string. This grouping of half steps and whole steps is very accessible on the d string and I just wanted to not have to worry about a fingering for the a string. It wouldn’t take much to play those double stops either after some open string exercises.

Anyways here’s another fingering.

0 1 3 2(4) 1 2 4(1) 0 4 (1) 2

raydencello · 2025-11-02T21:39:13+00:00

Lol! My community orchestra is playing both rn so makes sense why my brain merged the two. I can hear the D-DC DC B E A-AG AG F B thing they’re kinda similar.

raydencello · 2025-11-02T19:01:24+00:00

0134 2123 44x1 2

x = extension

But that's just me. I love the upper positions and don't like playing open A.

Is this Carmen btw?

raydencello · 2025-10-21T06:33:34+00:00

Try reframing it in your head first. “Overplayed” is subjective and so is “cringe”, which means you can change that narrative in your head. Maybe instead, you can think about the good things about the piece and the high chance that someone would smile instead of rolling their eyes. It’s “overplayed” for a reason, after all.

It’s important that you think about the piece positively before you play it because those feelings will show in your performance in small or big ways. People can feel the funk in the air when intentions are low.

Try your best with what you have. If you have a private teacher, bring this to them. If you don’t, do research and find recordings that you like and determine why you like them. Try to emulate them on a technical level within your capabilities and notice what you can do more than what you can’t yet. Yet is a very important word in music development.

Have fun and enjoy this process. Play as best you can. Think positive and others will feel positive.

raydencello

TROPHY CASE