Being able to tune your instrument is a necessary skill for any cello player. It may seem obvious, but you'd be surprised by how many people there are who don't even know how to tune a cello properly. It's so important!
Not only does it ensure that your cello is at the same, and therefore correct, pitch as other cellos, but it also helps train your ear to “hear” the proper notes. A cello that is just slightly out of tune, is still out of tune, and when played in concert with other instruments the difference is incredibly noticeable. The good news, however, is that tuning a cello is a relatively easy and straightforward adventure.
Despite its larger size, the cello is a delicate stringed instrument, meaning that it needs special care. But with proper cello maintenance, you can enjoy your instrument for decades.
But what happens if you don’t take care of your cello? You can affect its appearance, its sound, its structural integrity, and eventually, your ability to play the instrument. Here's some things to look out for so you can avoid taking your cello into the shop for an expensive repair job.
We've just added Mike's interview with Edgar Meyer backstage at RockyGrass 2016. They sat down in the ArtistWorks mobile studio (aka the RV) to talk about ongoing projects and other musical topics relevant to both upright bass and cello players alike. They even got a surprise drop in from Sam Bush as he walked to the stage to headline the festival! Check it out in the +Music Area of the Learning Channel or just click here.
In this sample lesson from the Online Cello curriculum at ArtistWorks, Mike Block goes over an important bowing pattern for playing bluegrass cello: the Shuffle and the Push. You may recognize it since it is a common bowing pattern used in bluegrass music to create a certain kind of backbeat. This is a fundamental technique for bluegrass cello which will help you get into the groove of things.