How To Select A Music School For Cello Lessons

The cello is a member of the violin family, although you may be surprised by its huge size, as it is a much larger version. To play the cello you need a bow and the cello with four strings which are somewhat different from the violin, because the highest sounding string is A then D, G, and C. Because of its unique qualities you really must be interested before taking up this type of lesson.

For those people that are interested in taking cello lessons, they need to decide on the right type of music school for these lessons. There are actually two methods of cello teaching that are popular today, the traditional method and the Suzuki method.

In the traditional method the student is taught to read music, practice chords and learn bow movement all at the same time. Often he is not exposed to real musical pieces for several months or years, instead he is taught very classical student practice pieces in the beginning. This is a method that many adults feel comfortable with. The music is interesting and varied for them, while at the same time they learn traditional music for the cello.

The Suzuki method is a better teaching method for children and the method itself suggests that children start as early as 3 years old. In this method, the idea is that the child be surrounded with music, and especially music from the instrument he intends to play. For instance, in this method the child is exposed to the musical piece he is going to start to learn.

So before starting to practice the piece he has to listen to it the way it should be played and then listen to other more advanced students play. The idea is that if the child is surrounded by the music he will become a proficient player. Listening and participating are more emphasized in this method, than learning to read music in the beginning. This is especially true for the very young learners.

Once you have decided on the method you need then it is time to decide on what type of school you want to learn at. There are actually many different options here. You can choose personal classes with a good teacher, and you can also join a group class in which a teacher is present. There are also new teaching schools located online and these teach through video, chat and email.

Which is the Better Choice?

This really depends on what you need and who it is for. Your best option is to find a good music school that is located near you. The cello is difficult to learn so a physical class is better. This is because you can physically see the small changes and nuances that make for successful cello playing. However, there are students who use a combination of a physical class and online lessons.