Akumi

Well, I started in November of last year and I’m quickly getting the hang of it. I’m already two songs away from finishing the 2nd Suzuki Method book and starting a different method for intermediate…

At first I had a lot of difficulty with timing on songs, but a metronome really helps! It was so annoying and frustrating I got headaches, but my teacher made me practice with it, now I even do it willingly at home when learning a new piece.

Bragging time xD : My teacher told me they are in need cellists at the Juvenile Symphonic Orchestra of Puerto Rico and that I should audition by next January - The conductor luckily gives classes where I take, so I already know him, now I just have to practice hard and increase in level.

• Remember: Metronome!! You will thank it later ;)
• www.8notes.com/cello/ —Has free sheet music, and it even states the difficulty

Wow, I’ve done some fast progress. I will be playing Adeste Fideles, Feliz Navidad, Hark! The Herald Angels Sing, and Joy to the World with the elemental level orchestra which are generally people who have been there for a year. It’s been about a month now. We’ll be playing at Bellas Artes, which translates to “Beautiful Arts,” well, point is, it’s a very refined place, they give plays, operettas, operas, and professional orchestras perform there too. I’m very excited, wish me luck ^.

I’m always one of the first to arrive to classes and take out my cello and practice while my teacher gets there. All the teachers have seen how hard working I am. I simply… adore it! Today I played for so long without a break my right leg went numb (by now any finger pain is ignored). I can’t understand those students that are lazy and take about half an hour to actually take out the instrument, complaining all the while.

I know the D major scale, and I can play cute little songs like Mary Had a Little Lamb, Jingle Bells, Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, etc. very well.

Today I finally got the hang of bowing, and I mean the wrist movements. I’m still a little shaky on finger positioning, I start out fine, but once I change strings, I’m prone to closing the hand too much.