Into book #2

Hello everyone,
It has been sometime since I last posted. I am at the end of the Suzuki book 1. My next visit with my cello teacher I will be starting book #2. I am also learning to play some spirituals in first position. I am also doing hand extensions. G to G#

I am getting my cello repair from the incident that I had previously. So I am playing another instrument until it gets repair.

Well gotta go. The bed is calling my name.

Cello rushed to the emergency room

Hi all,
It has been a while since I last posted and I apologize for that. I am still in book one of Suzuki. I am practicing the Minuet in C . I had an incident last week which really just crushed me. I realized that it was an accident but I was not happy not at all.
I was practicing in my room that I use as my office and my practice area. I received a phone call and laid the cello on the floor on its' side to answer the phone. The phone call was for my husband instead of him answering the phone in the kitchen he comes into where I was at and did not look down and STEPPED/TRIPPED on my cello. AARGH! the agony of it all. The Scroll broked off . I was beside myself. I scream like he had injured me! It is not a clean break. I took it to the rental place where I got it from and hopefully it can be fixed and it wont be that much. I have another one in the meantime. Let me tell you I purchased a nice stand when it is not in the case so I wont have to lay it on the floor. Have any of you guys had any accidents with your cello?

The Happy Farmer

Let me just say that I am still I have just working on this piece call The Happy Farmer in book one. On all of the pieces in book one I wish I could play them at the rapid pace they should be played. The Happy Farmer is one of the pieces. This piece is not an easy piece for me. Also, I am still working on my bowing technique, tonalization and scales. Peace be still!!! I wish I could practice more. I am still forging on this endeavor.

Learning the cello is like solace for me. A couple of months into learning the Cello, my son was murdered. I cannot help but to think that this was something that God place before me to help me in my grieving. I never knew why I would feel a certain why before he died. I know that God was preparing me for his death. It is a mysterious thing how events in your life transforms and takes place.

More Etudes and Tonalization

You know how you practice at home and feel pretty good about your practice until you go to your lesson and find out your playing is not quite right like you thought. For that reason along, I am glad I have a teacher instead of trying to learn on my on. I am almost at the end of book 1 of Suzuki Cello. So back to more practicing.

Happy Celloing Cellists

Pernambuco bow

Let me just say I would like to thank you guys for your comments. You guys are great and and give me such encouragement. In my city we do not have any String instrument places to go to that just specializes in strings or a place that have a variety of string instruments and bows. There are Indianapolis and Elkhart and Chicago which has such place. But I did hear about a place that have a variety of band (school) instruments. So I decided to go there and the gentleman that serviced me was very nice. Their main store is in Elkhart. I told him I originally had a Glosser bow and wanted to try another Glosser and that I did have a budget that I wanted to stay in. He stated he may have a Brazilwood and he knew he had a Glosser. Any other bows he could get next week. So he went in the back and came back with 3 bows. So he brought out a Glosser $70.00 bow, $100.00 Brazilwood not sure of the maker, and a $200.00 Pernambuco bow. I asked him if I could try the bows out so he brought out a 3/4 Cello -that's all he had-and I sat down and tested each bow. I probably spent about a total of 20 minutes or so playing the Cello with each bow.
You know I was not sure if I would be able to tell the difference between the bows because I have not been playing that long. Happily, I could tell the difference. I went back and fourth with each bow starting with the similar one I had. There was not much difference between the Glosser bow and the Brazilwood but, I did like the Glosser bow better. My bow stroke was basically what I was used to .
The Brazilwood was like $40.00 more than the Glosser and it did not felt quite as good and there was not much difference in the sound.
When I picked up the Pernambuco bow it felt better in my hand, the sound and my stroke was better but, it was about $100.00 more.
So here was my dilemma do I stay with the same bow I had previously or do I upgrade with a better bow. My daughter did give me money to help on the bow purchase for my Mother's day present so, Pernambuco bow it was. I am happy with the purchase. He even gave me a 15% discount off the bow. I feel that was money well spent.

New Bow

The Cello that I presently have, I am renting and I had to obtain a new bow because I found out I had been placing my bow in my Cello case in the wrong direction which cause the velcro that kept the bow in its' place to catch on to the hairs. This went on for a while before I became aware of the cause. Now, little old naive me thought that I would just go get another bow and it would be alright. Wrong! The music store replaced the bow but, it does not feel the same. The bow feels lighter and it skips or bounce. I did rosin the bow several times (a number of times) and it is better but it still skips every now and then. I never had that with the other bow. So I am going to a Violin shop in the Indianapolis area when I visit my daughter or to the Chicago area when I visit my sister to find an inexpensive but good bow. My price range is $60--$100 maybe. I dont want to spend a lot on the bow. I am still a newbie mind you. Anyone have any good suggestions on a good inexpensive bow?

Tonalization

I met with my teacher today. It went quite well. I learned quite a bit. I could not quite understand how to get the different pitches of sound, forte, mforte, p -hard to soft-. You use the weight of the bow not apply weight with your hand. My bowing is also improving.