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5 Essential Cello Accessories For Beginners
Below are our top 5 essential accessories for those who are about to start learning the cello!
Looking for some help with finger placement, forming the perfect bow hold or bow placement on the strings? Check out our range of cello teaching aids.
1. Cello Rosin
Rosin creates friction between the bow hair and the strings, allowing the strings to vibrate.
Without rosin, your cello won't produce any sound!
Rosin is something that string players apply to the horsehair of their bow so that the bow grips the string. The constant friction between the string and the bow makes the string vibrate. This vibration is amplified by the body of the instrument to create sound.
Rosin comes as a hard, solid block or cake and when applied to the bow hair, becomes a fine white powder. For beginners, we recommend a good quality student rosin such as Esperanto.
More information on rosin: What is rosin and how is it made? | Which rosin should I use? | How often should I rosin my bow? | Does rosin expire? | Can rosin damage my instrument or bow?
2. Music Stand
Having a music stand helps create a special space at home where the player feels inspired to play.
Like any other discipline, playing the cello requires regular practice, which can come as a challenge for many parents. One of the ways you can help encourage and enable your kids to practice is by creating a dedicated practice space at home.
Using a music stand not only helps to promote good posture and puts the sheet music in a prominent position to read, but it also helps to create that special spot for the player to sit down a play.
For beginners, if you're looking for something that can collapse for easy storage, we recommend the Peak SMS-10.
If you want to keep your music out on display, ready to play 24-7, we recommend something with a solid desk such as the SMS-32 or SMS-20.
3. Digital Tuner
Tuning your cello is something you need to do each time you play, and a digital tuner can make this process much easier.
As a beginner, the thought of having to tune your instrument without your teacher can be quite nerve-racking! However, practice makes perfect, and with the help of a digital tuner, you'll be a pro in no time.
A digital tuner lets you know what note you are playing, and whether that note is sharp or flat, so that you can make the appropriate adjustment. For the most part, you'll only need to use the fine tuners, however if you are keen to learn how to tune with the pegs, we recommend watching our video on 'How To Tune Your Cello' below.
For beginners, we recommend the 'Aroma Rechargeable Chromatic Tuner'.
Click to view our full range of tuners.
4. Cleaning Cloth
It is very important to wipe your cello down after each time you play to prevent the build-up of rosin on your instrument.
When you play, rosin dust falls onto the strings and body of your cello. This dust is very easy to get off when it's fresh, but becomes very difficult to get off if it's left on there for a long period of time.
If left for too long, rosin can even become embedded in the varnish causing irreversible damage.
To avoid damage to your instrument, and to increase the longevity and playing qualities of your strings, wipe down your instrument and strings with a microfiber cleaning cloth after each use. We recommend the 'Tido Instrument Cleaning Cloth'.
5. Spike Stopper
A spike stopper prevents your spike from slipping and also prevents damage to your floors.
The spike (or endpin) of your cello can be quite sharp and can easily damage your beautiful polished floors or carpet. A cello stopper acts as a buffer between the spike and the floor and will prevent your floors from being damaged.
More importantly, a spike stopper will prevent your endpin from slipping. The last thing you want in the middle of a performance is for your cello to start sliding down, out of your hands! A cello stopper gives you that feeling of security when playing, knowing that your instrument will remain in a comfortable playing position at all times.
For beginners, we recommend anything from the Artino range. Artino stoppers all come with a strap which loops around the leg of your chair, providing 100% security. The strap, once set to the desired length, also allows for the perfect playing setup every time! No fussing around trying to work out where the stopper should be placed on the floor.
Many cellists also use a spike protector in conjunction with an endpin stopper. A protector gives you some level of grip, but it's main purpose is to cover the end of the spike so that it doesn't hurt anyone.
Click to view our range of beginner cello accessories packs!
