'Cello Lessons!

Am I too old? I'm an adult and have always wanted to play the 'cello, but haven't touched an instrument since Primary school recorder!

What books do I need?

How much are the lessons?

Why have you spelled cello as Violoncello?

Available lesson times are (as at April 2008)

Due to my busy school, home teaching and performing work I have limited spaces available at the moment:

Monday 5.00
Monday 6.00
Tuesday 4.30
Wednesday 5.45

Where are the lessons held? I teach at my home in Bentleigh/ Moorabbin. Back to the Top

But I don't have a 'cello!!! You will need to have a 'cello to practise with at home. I have several 'celli available for hire (varying from 1/8th size for a small child through to fullsize), and there are a few places in Melbourne that will hire instruments as well. If you haven't learnt before I would advise hiring first, then if you enjoy it you should consider buying your own. Back to the Top

I'm an adult and have always wanted to play the 'cello, but haven't touched an instrument since Primary school recorder! Good on you for wanting to give it a go!! Learning an instrument like the 'cello is a challenge as an adult and I admire anyone who is willing to try. Many people believe that if they didn't start to learn as a child that there's no hope. People what to play for their own enjoyment and you are never too old to do that! I didn't start to learn until I was twelve, which many people consider too old to be successful as a string player!

You may wish to check out the following:

http://www.geocities.com/conniesunday/FAQ.html#4

http://www.ethanwiner.com/AdultBeg.html

I believe that adults are very critical of themselves as learners, so you need to be very patient with yourself - you will make lots of mistakes at the start. I have taught adults who have never learnt to read music and take pride in being able to watch them play music. There are several sites on the internet that can help note-reading skills:

Music Arrangers,Music Theory,Practise Spot

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What books do I need? If you already have books, bring them along to your first lesson, otherwise I will discuss what books you will need in your first lesson. Back to the Top

How much are the lessons? I charge $28 for a half hour lesson. Unless you are an advanced student, a half hour lesson is ample.

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Why have you spelled cello as Violoncello? Ah - I'm glad you asked! I used to think it was Violincello - makes sense, after all the 'cello is a member of the Violin family, right?

Wrong! The family is actually the Viola family. Back in the 17th century it was decided to 'choose the word 'viola' as the central pillar...: from there it branched out in both directions to provide names for the smaller and larger 'violas'. This was accomplished by the use of the Italian diminutive (-ino) and augmentative (-ono or -one) endings, hence: violino=small viola; and violone=large viola.

Had there been only three sizes of instruments in the violin family at that time, as there are today (violin, viola and violoncello), then this terminology would have proved accurate and complete. There were three different bass violins, and the word violone can account for only one instrument larger than the viola.".

The smallest bass ..............was given the name of tenor......: and the middle-sized bass was simply called a 'little violone' (i.e., 'little large viola'). The Italians accomplished this by adding a diminutive ending to a word. Thus, if 'violone' was the augmentative of 'viola', then to get a 'little violone' the simple thing was to add on a diminutive ending to 'violone', link it with a connecting consonant, and presto: violoncino. Some Italian dialects used -elo or -ello as a diminutive ending, and z sometimes replaced c as the linking consonant, so that in the 1640s we find the smaller violone - our 'cello - variously indicated as violoncino, violonzelo, violonzino, violoncelo and violoncello. It was, of course, this latter version which eventually stuck and which became the name by which we know this instrument today. The shortened version 'cello' was used as early as 1765.' (William Pleeth, Cello) Back to the Top

Email me at keryn_ml@dodo.com.au

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