*TOP 6 MISTAKES* Made by Beginning Adult Cello Players - and How to Fix Them. 

Ms.Hagler Thank you very much for your advice. Will keep your advice in my mind. I started learning cello at my 65 yrs old and 3 yrs have passed. It is the last wish list.The purpose of learning cello is to play it for my wife at her 70th birthday. 4 yrs are left.

I am 78 and about to start cello. Your advice will help me a lot. Thank you.

Thank you for your video. I started cello lessons at age of 65. There were numerous frustrations but four years passed I am still learning to play a better cello.

What a beautiful video. I’m downloading my metronome app now

Thank you for making this video. I played a little violin as a kid and was gifted a full size cello. Unlike your friend it took me 3 months to play cello. 1. Tuning a cello (it’s like Paul Bunyan’s violin, cello seemed way huge. 2. It was so awkward coordination between bow and cello. 3. Even though I know the base clef music I was not familiar with playing it as I “think” in treble clef I have played violin and clarinet so I practiced with cello flash cards app. Somehow vibrato came to me naturally and I fell in love with the beautiful cello tones. I later found out that my cello had previous damage when I took it to a luthier who said it was not worth fixing. Then my husband rented me a 4/4 cello (not the cheapest) and it did not have the pretty tone. Now he rented me a much better sounding 7/8 cello I am renting and I took up the violin again about a year ago. I am 5 ft tall and over 50 years old. I like the 3/4 size violin and the 7/8 cello is so much better for me. My husband expects me to play the cello for friends and family and will not allow me to join any groups (fear of Covid). I can play Suzuki 2 and some of Book 3 (cello). I am playing position pieces Mooney book I was evaluated once by an acquaintance who suggested I start the book and said my bowing was good and my posture was not correct and I learned to make the cello higher (bottom metal piece). I play along (videos) with 2 Cellos and Hauser or whoever songs like Moon River, My Heart Will Go On, The Godfather and Despacito. I am trying to do more Suzuki and Cello Position Pieces training and this is hard as I do not have a teacher. My husband will ask me if I am finished with Suzuki Book 3 and I tell him I do not have a teacher ! (He does not like to hear the violin at all he is so enchanted by the cello). Your video is spot on, when it comes to Cello size matters. Also I have played other instruments and my original old cello is such a different shape and each cello is so individual and different. It is almost like playing a different instrument. The instrument uniformity is gone when it comes to cellos. Each “Cello” may look very different and have its own “”personality” ?

Thank you Mrs Hagler for another great video. I saw one earlier (last year) and kept looking for others. I'll be sure to check your website.

The last was the best advice ever. Congrats and thank you

very helpfully :-) Thank you very much. I was just searching for an advice about the right Cello size for me, so I think I will go for a smaller one now after what you said 🙏

Thank you! One of the most helpful videos I’ve seen in a while!

Thank you; good advice. I am a light cello learner, having begun learning it at about 46. Having the right size cello is so important; I was glad you stress that. And sometimes shape makes a huge difference. I went from a rented, Stradivarius shape and bought a Montagnana cello that felt so comfortable in its fit.

This was awesome, I will know what to look for when I teach

Hello Dear Hagler! Firstly, I would like to thank you for this great video. This is not a cliche :) That is maybe the first time that I did not skipped the time and watched the entire video :) I am a computer engineer whose hobby is the cello and I think your video is really useful and helpful for someone learning the cello as an adult. Thank you!

Congratulations for this video. Great topic with a so rich instructions to open our mind and improve our way to continue studying this beautiful and amazing instrument, cello.

Great video!

Welllllll #5. I am accountable to myself. I live in a very remote area. No tutors🙁. I am taking my time just learning the instrument itself. Really learning the bow and open notes (boy that A string hahahaha). Going to check out your website! Thank you for your great advice! ☮️💜

Especially the metronome for me... but one day I will get there. Thank you for this

Dang, what a reality check. My daughter is learning the cello(middle school). my motivation is to learn with her. I fully intended on making all those mistakes 😂 I’ll slow my roll just a little.

I still struggle with the proper bow hold, partly it's due to arthritis in my hand and as I age, it gets worse. I had a spinal epidural surgery at the end of 2021 and for a while, I couldn't properly use my left hand, it would not open all the way and the strength wasn't there. There was nerve damage, but with physiotherapy and constant exercise, my left hand is back to normal now, but I developed an almost crippling pain in my right wrist. After watching your video about doing stretches before practicing and playing, things are getting better. Plus I have been wearing arthritic gloves, they really helped a lot. I use the metronome, I got a Korg MA-2 and I love it, I even bought one for my great nephew who loves playing the drums, he struggles with tempo; he gets excited and goes faster and faster. It has an earphone jack, so he can put one ear bud in his ear and play along with the tempo on the metronome. My biggest stumbling block is trying to learn on my own. I used to go for lessons, but I couldn't afford it anymore and then my work schedule was erratic. Since my surgery and recovery, I've been trying to get back to practicing, but I always thought it would be better if I had someone to do it with. I have a friend who is interested in learning the cello and since I have 3, I could teach him the basics and we could learn together. It would also help him as he suffers from depression. I suffer from depression as well, but music is my anti-depressant, so I think this would be a good idea to help him as well.

I am a retired viola teacher. I used a yoyo to help with wrist flexibility on the bow hand. I don't know if that works on the cello.

Thank you for your lesson. My name is Andrea, and I live in Argentina🥰

Thank you for this video. Greeting from Netherland. 🥰✍👌

I just got my cello back from setup! I'm excited to start to relearn how to play! I haven't played since 7th grade where I didn't try hardly at all. But after years of wanting to get one I finally have! Even if I sound terrible trying to enjoy every note will be the hardest. But that I think is the best take away from this video. Enjoy the all rough sounds and horrible notes cause I'm going to make a lot of them. Thanks!

Grazie per il suoi saggi consigli, può essere un vantaggio avere gia studiato violino ?

i’m in highschool and want to learn the cello, but i’m conflicted between different school electives. An instrument in orchestra, an instrument in band, Theatre or Technical Theatre.. such hard choices, i really want to be in something related to theatre, because i LOVE theatre, but i also have been really fascinated with learning the drums, or cello as well!! I don’t know what to do😭

This quite strange to me some would have a hard time doing extensions with a full size cello. I have L&C carbon fiber cello. This cello is quite large and I’ve had it for now 12 years. Then I bought a traditional cello that has a short scale fingerboard but a full size body. I kinda regret getting it because the back of the the bottom part of pegbox runs against my shoulder. I would have to take the end pin almost all the way out in order for the pegbox not run into my shoulder. When I trade in this cello, it’s going to be a full size and I’m only 5’ even. I think that doing extensions takes a lot of practice and proper technique because in the beginning I sure had a hard time getting it.

Thank you very much for your video and sound advice. Given your thoughts on using a metronome, what is you advice about using something like the Snark ST2 Clip-On Chromatic Instrument Tuner?

About to dive headlong into learning in my 50's. As a member of the working poor, I cannot afford (yet) any one-on-one lessons. But, I could afford a Udemy course (on sale), several beginning cello books, including a DVD course and another with online video instruction. Hopefully, by the time I can get through those, I will be able to afford the real deal and will have some semblance of a foundation to build on. Knock on wood, there'll be a raise somewhere in my future. Adults can have an advantage over the young, however. Those of us who have been to Hades and back know our strengths, our weaknesses, and the power of self-discipline, patience, and sheer stubborn determination. Once you've slayed dragons, a squirmy lizard ain't so bad. If you want it, you'll find the way... or invent the way. And heaven help any obstacle that gets in your way. LOL

You kinda look like Carole King. I love your videos

I was sent to your video from a cello group. I was excited that I had won a 1/2 cello (don't have it yet) but everyone was saying it would be too small for me. I can't afford a bigger one and I also lost my house (fire, total loss +2 furbabies). So I got super discouraged. And now having buyers remorse that I couldn't afford a bigger one.

I enjoy the journey but in my 70s I'm afraid of running out of time. My first cello teacher told me I didn't have enough time to learn the cello

Adult cello teacher here. Adults can learn faster, due to their enhanced congnitive and life skills . Adults are far more impatient, so your first port of call is bowing - let's get a nice sound! You showthem YOUR sound and how you get it and encourage them to make the "nicesound". You push the bow into the string and then move the bow with a nice steady speed, and now a nice basic G major and D major scale. You must always work on the bow first, becuase adults have sound in thier heads, and even the simple open string exercises must sound good.

Oh good...I bought a 1/2 cello 🤣

Sexiest instrument ever❤!