Cello Lessons for Beginners
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The Cello has earned its reputation as one of the members of the violin family used for solo presentations. The cello can be commonly spotted in the orchestra or classical renditions in different parts of the world. Taking a look at its history, it is reported that the cello originated from the Northern part of Italy, very many years ago.
The increasing popularity of this stringed instrument made it easy for the cello to be introduced in many other parts of the world. Currently, it is played in so many countries; the cello is characteristically a stringed instrument tuned at two octaves below -the middle C- in music. Its unique sounds are notably one of the reasons many people are interested in learning how to play the cello.
It is possible to become an expert cello player even if you are learning from scratch. There are notable online courses which have been developed to help everyone achieve their dreams of playing favorite songs with the cello. These online courses are structured to accommodate both the young and the old cello learners. The lessons start from the basics to help beginners form a good foundation which can help them improve their skills and learn how to play the cello professionally or for leisure.
The cello lessons for beginners are easy to access online. However, it is important to have clarity about the goals you need to accomplish before registering for a course. This means you can decide whether an online cello course for beginners is a good match to meet your needs if you are preparing for a music exam, audition, or learning for fun. The common structure used in preparing cello lessons for beginners online makes it possible for everyone to participate in these courses regardless of how busy their schedules are at any time.
These lessons are mostly presented in a mixture of formats which include video lessons, audio files and PDF files to help all students get value and learn how to play cellos even as beginners. After the lessons, students are expected to have the basic knowledge about playing cellos that can help them perform better if they choose to participate in more advanced cello lessons online.
The following cello lessons have been presented as notable options to help you learn how to play the musical instrument even as a beginner.
5 Best Cello Lessons for Beginners Review
1) Artistworks: Cello for beginners with Mike Block
This online program for beginners encompasses a series of lessons and mixed learning materials to help new learners understand all about the cellos. The lessons are also aimed at helping beginners to start playing their first tunes even after a few lessons. The structure of this course is particularly designed to help beginners understand and learn how to play the musical instrument at their own pace.
The lessons presented to students in this course will be most appealing to everyone who has an interest in learning how to play classical tunes with the cello, the lessons also cover the basic instructions and skills needed to play contemporary tunes as well. During this course, students are first introduced to the cello as a musical instrument. The first lessons cover areas such as how to hold and position the musical instrument and some tips on tuning the cello.
Among the first lessons include special rhythmic exercises which have been included to help students understand the different styles of playing the cello. In particular, students who participate in this course will learn how to play cellos from a virtuoso. While the course has been created to cover all the basic areas for beginners, the lessons have been made easy by including special tips for shifting and bowing, as well as instructions on how to use sheet music and backing tracks to improve learning.
The lead instructor for this cello beginner’s course is Mike Block. He has added hundreds of learning materials to ensure all students have enough resources to get value from the course. In addition, this course allows students to record and upload their practice sessions as video files.
This platform makes it possible for Mike to access their performances and make recommendations. Mike Block, the lead instructor, is an established cellist and composer. As a solo performer with the cello, Mike has done recordings with notable musicians such as Stevie Wonder, Lenny Kravitz, Edgar Meyer, and others.
At the end of this course, students are expected to know about improvisation, the scales, majors and minors, arpeggios, and proper methods of tuning the cello according to the desired scales.
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2) Cello Academy: Online cello lessons for beginners
As beginners participating in this course, students are introduced to the proper sitting position while playing the cello. These first lessons prepare students with the skills needed to have encouraging and longer practice sessions. The lessons in this course are for everyone, including students who have never played the cello before.
The instructor for this beginner’s course has created short video lessons to help the students. Each video presented in this course contains special instructions and demonstrations aimed at helping students understand how to play the right tunes with the cello.
Students viewing the instructional videos in this course have an opportunity to study how the instructor tunes the musical instrument to get the right scales. The first lessons in this course are free for beginners.
Students have the chance to study the short videos and participate in the interactive style of learning through this program. The instructors have made provisions to enable students to ask questions during the course to get further clarity about any aspect of playing the cello.
It is easy to determine if this course covers areas students wish to learn about the cello because it offers a table of contents. The instructors have created this feature to show the step by step approach used in creating this online course. All students are given an equal schedule which can be special arranged to fit busy schedules.
The lessons in this course have been prepared by an expert cellist and music teacher named Hans Zentgraf. Known for his master classes in music, Hans has earned a reputation as a prolific music teacher. His understanding of classical composers such as Bach and their works gives students an opportunity to learn helpful tips regarding developing repertoire and playing tunes with the cello. Other areas covered in this course include lessons about the harmonics, three finger and thumb positions, and tuning the cello.
3) Olga Redkina: Online cello lessons for beginners
In this online cello course for beginners, students are introduced to a simple approach to learning and playing the cello. The lessons in this course are a mixture of music theory and practical sessions. However, the instructor has created a curriculum for students which make it possible to spend more time practicing and improving cello skills during the course.
The lessons have been made to be interactive; students have a chance to view and study the premade videos presented by the instructor. These videos are presented in a structure which covers the entire course.
Learning how to play the cello through this course is easier for beginners even when they may have never played the musical instrument before. After learning how to hold the cello, and the right sitting positions, students are introduced to the scales, and octaves, as well as how to tune the musical instrument following the right instructions.
The aspects of music theory added to this course covers areas such as learning the scales, the minors and majors, arpeggios, improvisation, and how to use sheet music. For new learners, there are special tips on how to understand and practice the right-hand positions while playing the cello. Others with a particular interest in the left-hand positions are also provided with the adequate learning materials in this regard.
Overall, the course has been designed to help students learn and become cellists at their own pace. The creator of this course is Olga Redkina, an experienced music teacher whose passion is to help students achieve their dreams of playing cellos and improving their skills. Students also have an opportunity to schedule private Skype lessons with Olga during the course.
4) Stringlessons.com: Cello lessons for beginners
The content of this online beginner’s course comprises fourteen video lessons to help new students understand how to play the cello. The lessons start from the basics, and they include simple instructional guidelines to help students understand how to play the musical instrument.
Everyone interested in becoming a cellist can participate in this course because it has been created with a structure to accommodate all students including the young and older learners. The lessons start from the basics to form a good foundation on which students can learn and improve their skills.
At the start of this course, students are presented printed learning resources which are important; they form a reference base to help and guide students during the latter part of the course. There are also simple instructions to help students understand how to hold the cello. Following these tips can help students master the right sitting positions and how to produce their first tunes without missing the octaves.
Students participating in this beginner’s course to learn and master the cello are also introduced to the bow arm techniques. These initial lessons provide students with essential skills and confidence to focus on their preferred areas while learning how to play the cello. The practical aspect of this course includes short videos which feature practice instructions to help students start playing tunes with the musical instrument.
Other areas covered in this course includes learning about the harmonics, the thumb positions, how to change bows, the principles of shifting while playing the cello, and how to practice the string crossings.
There are also lessons that teach students about the left-hand techniques and how to play the cello from vibrato. In addition to this course, students are also provided with multiple materials about reading and using sheet music. These lessons for this cello online beginner’s course have been prepared by John Stuart. He is a master cellist and experienced music teacher.
5) Master the cello: Online Cello lessons for beginners
The approach used in presenting this online cello course for beginners incorporates the Dounis learning method. It is a learning approach used in music. The Dounis approach is particularly applied to string instruments, and it is suitable for students of all ages who are interested in learning how to play the cello.
The lessons in this cello course for beginners follow a structure that helps students tap into their natural talent for playing the musical instrument. It is based on an instinctive and intuitive learning process that helps students become more confident in their skills while playing the cello. While a little focus is on music theory, a major part of this online course for beginners is focused on the practical aspect and practice sessions.
Students are guided on the best approach to using the bow techniques while playing cellos. Through the Dounis method of learning, the students participating in this course have a chance to play the cello following the right instructions for the bow techniques which have been used for many years. This cello beginner’s course will also be helpful to students who are interested in learning how to master the vibrato.
The course is also a source of valuable information, tips, and hints which have been packaged by the creator in a structure to make it easy for students to study and comprehend. There are over fifty videos in this course; students also have access to as many as one hundred different exercises which are based on the Dounis learning method for stringed instruments.
Two professional cellists and music teachers have prepared this entire course for beginners. They are George Neikrug and Byron Duckwall. They have been primarily credited for presenting the learning materials in this course in a format which makes comprehension easy for students of all ages and levels of exposure.
All the exercises presented in this course have also been carefully backed up by explanations to help students understand the knowledge and principles. At the end of this course, students are expected to have better skills regarding tuning the cello, playing the right tunes and improvisation.
Choosing the Best Cello Lessons for Beginners
Similar to all stringed instruments, the cello requires constant practice. Beginners can start playing tunes after a few days; however, these skills need to be improved over time through dedication and commitment. It is therefore important to choose an online cello course that has a flexible learning structure. Many of these courses for beginners offer short video lessons. This makes it easy for students to create a few minutes each day to participate in the program.
It is also helpful to register for a cello course for beginners that offer unlimited access to the learning materials provided by the instructor. This type of program makes it possible for the student to carry out individual research, when necessary, during the course. Many instructors also make it possible for students to interact with them during the learning program easily. Interactive courses are important because they make it easy for students to get clarifications about different aspects of their lessons regarding music theory or the practical sessions.