knowledge base
Articles on music theory, practising, teaching, playing and performing
Is Cello the Right Instrument for you?
(Part 1)
The cello is a very popular choice of instrument for learners of all ages. It has a wonderful and rich repertoire to explore, a long line of distinguished players from Pablo Casals to Zoe Keating and an evocative sound that is often compared with the human voice. The cello has become very popular in contemporary music settings too: electric cellos of all shapes and sizes are finding their way into pop and rock bands, and cello is often favoured as a solo instrument by film and TV composers. So it really is no wonder that this beautiful instrument holds such broad appeal. If you’re thinking of taking it up as a hobby, the following points may help you to decide whether playing the cello is definitely your cup of tea.
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Go Back to Basics
to Help Develop an Advanced Technique
The problem: You’re studying the repertoire you’ve always wanted to play, practicing hard, and including a healthy dose of technical exercises and studies in your routine, but you can’t get past managing the difficulty and onto expressing the music.
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Improve your Improv:
a guide to basic improvisation for classical musicians
For those of us with classical music training the concept of improvising often inspires feelings ranging from uneasiness to abject terror. We spend so much of our time bound to complex scores laden with incredibly specific instructions that the concept of making it up on the spot is foreign and frightening. Depending on what you do as a musician, you may never be confronted with a situation that requires you to improvise and therefore never feel the need to explore this avenue of music. If this is the case, you may be missing out on an enriching and satisfying experience.
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Elementary Music Theory:
understanding keys in music
Firstly, let’s define three important terms which are easy to get confused and therefore important to be distinguished from each other before exploring how they are related...
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Finding Your First Music Students:
a comprehensive guide for new music teachers
One of the most daunting aspects of starting out as a private instrumental teacher is finding your first students – especially if there are already several established teachers in your area. The good news is that there are a number of effective ways to advertise your service.
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Adding Strings to the Mix:
what bands should know about working with string players
It’s no secret that having a good string player or two in your band has become enormously trendy, and has been made even more desirable by the likes of Mercury Prize winners Elbow, who have no less than a string quartet on stage with them for the majority of their live performances.
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