Can Cello Really Be Self-Taught?

Hi, I just read your post here, and at the end you wrote you would like to hear from people that are teaching themselves to play the cello. sadly that is the case with my self.

I have bought the cello in 2006 and since I move around a lot for work it has not been possible to stay with a teacher long.

For the next two years now I am fixed in one place, and found one teacher, whose approach had become so stuck on one routine, that other perspectives were not at all possible for him. I lost my interest to the point, where going to his class would be something I’d rather avoid..

I had explained to him at the start, what my goals were. I wanted to learn to play the cello well enough, technically, to play Irish, Scottish traditional tunes solo, and accompanying a group of musicians in these tunes, with my cello.

he agreed to teach me and said that we had to learn the different elements of playing the cello through classical music and as i would get better at playing, we would progress to some of the preffered music of my choice. that never happened.

and though I have repeatedly asked for it, brought music sheets to the lesson and what not, we had to keep the focus on his classical music.

So I stopped. and for almost 5 months now, I have carried on teaching myself. with the help of the internet, imitating fiddlers, practising scales, ear-training and intonation and what not by myself, and I have now learnt to play (pain free I might add) several beginners tunes, that I play along with whistle players from the internet.

In the end, I do wish to perform with my cello, and so i take it very seriously, but I guess I am going for a ‘what feels and sounds right’ approach, more than a ‘what does my teacher think’ approach..

At the end of the day music is a very very personal affair, in the sense that, what works for one, mightn’t work at all for another.. and with the cello, since i listen to a wide variety of groups, players and tunes, my ears have become quite specific to what is ‘good, nice, warm, sharp’ tone, or in another way, what is the kind of sound I’d like to have at what place, what point in the song.. and so I record my self when practising, and play it back, and correct my self from that.

I guess its not ideal, and I WOULD prefer a teacher to guide me.

But since this is not possible here, I carry on myself, and keep looking for an opportunity, to go out and meet other cello players, or individual teachers, to get an incidental lesson, or advice..

If you could tell me, what the obvious downfalls, or problems might be that beginners like my self (I guess I’ve been playing cello now for 10 months, and my practise time is near 3 hours per day, every day, spread out over 30 minute practising per one time..) will surely run in to I would be super grateful,

But I guess that must be, even with all your teaching and training experience, quite impossible, since no student is the same, nor is information picked up or perceived in necessarily the same way as it was intended, by neither teacher nor student..

The love for the instrument comes from its wonderfully particular, highly individual ways for expressing tone, in such an.. overwhelming. I just love it.

OK, I hope this is somewhat like what response you might have found useful? if not, no worries. also, I’m not English, so sorry for my bad English..

good luck and enjoy!