Alright, I'm a cellist, and so is fugu, and UofUlawguy. Potentially, also Tom and Hobbes?
Who else here plays cello? (players of other, lesser instruments could also contribute, if they saw fit--shoot, I'm talking like a violinist!)
Posted by Erik Slaine (Member # 5583) on :
<--has a several very realistic string and cello voices on his synth.
Posted by UofUlawguy (Member # 5492) on :
<--wants one of those new, high-tech electric cellos, like these Posted by Hobbes (Member # 433) on :
Hobbes is indeed a cellist, or was anyways. Actually one of my biggest accomplishments in life came in cello form when I got to play at Carnigie Hall.
Hobbes Posted by Megan (Member # 5290) on :
A friend of mine in college had one of those...they're very freaky to play on. It felt to me like playing the cello naked...or playing a naked cello. Just not enough physical substance. The sound was pretty good, though!
Posted by Megan (Member # 5290) on :
Hobbes--wow, cool! When did it happen? What did you play?
Posted by UofUlawguy (Member # 5492) on :
Carnegie Hall, eh? Well, I got to play at the Salt Lake Tabernacle. Twice.
Um. Okay, so it's no Carnegie. But it was cool at the time.
Posted by Erik Slaine (Member # 5583) on :
You need a MIDI pickup for that electric cello!
Posted by TMedina (Member # 6649) on :
I don't play the cello - too sticky and I hate the colors.
-Trevor
Posted by Hobbes (Member # 433) on :
I was a sophmore in high school when it happened. A youth symphoney from Flint Michigan was invited to play there (I'm from Colorado) and they got permession to have auditions for a few other "youths" to join them. I was one of the cellists that made it. It's actually way less impressive than it sounds but... well... I like the way it sounds.
Hobbes Posted by Megan (Member # 5290) on :
I have to say, that's very, very cool! Cello has gotten me some pretty interesting places (Chile, Russia, the closing ceremonies of the 1996 Olympics), but Carnegie Hall...that's just cool.
My only personally distinctive cello moment is that I once played in a master class for Steven Isserlis...only, it wasn't all that great, since I played VERY badly. To this day, I still can't watch the video of it.
Posted by Erik Slaine (Member # 5583) on :
Cello is one of the most beautiful sounding musical instruments yet devised! I understand that when the violin was first introduced, "women swooned." They called it the voice of the devil!
Posted by breyerchic04 (Member # 6423) on :
I am also a cellist. Wow this is interesting. I played in the same school orchestra as Fugu, and that is where i got to know him. I don't think I will be playing near as much now that I am out of high school though.
Posted by maui babe (Member # 1894) on :
I played cello for six years when I was in school, but haven't touched one in over 12 years.
Posted by Papa Moose (Member # 1992) on :
Each time I see this thread I think, "Hey, man, are you cell'in'?" "I'm cell'in' like Magellan."
Posted by Megan (Member # 5290) on :
Papa Moose, you've just reminded me that I need to visit the "Hatrack, here's your chance to vote for commercials you'd like to see taken off tv" thread!
Posted by Dan_raven (Member # 3383) on :
There's always room for cello.
Posted by TMedina (Member # 6649) on :
Megan, congrats on the post.
Take a bow with your cello.
-Trevor
Posted by UofUlawguy (Member # 5492) on :
It's sad spending so much time and energy playing an instrument in school, and then having practically no opportunities to play anymore afterward.
I played from fifth grade through high school. I was not only in my school orchestras, but took private lessons from three really good teachers, played in district and state honors orchestras, and in a really good (though non-professional) community orchestra, and in the pit orchestras for two musicals.
Then I graduated from high school and, since I didn't choose to go the music major route, didn't have many more chances to be in an orchestra. I had no time for the community orchestra. I was really lucky to get into two more pit orchestras, and to play with another informal orchestra at church a couple of times. I have been asked to either solo or play in small ensembles, or to accompany a choir, in church a handful of times, and that still goes on occasionally. I still have my cello, but it only gets out of its case a very few times a year. Sigh.
Posted by maui babe (Member # 1894) on :
That sounds remarkably like my experience UofU... I've often regretted that I didn't play piano or violin, or something a little more mainstream.
Posted by Jim-Me (Member # 6426) on :
My sister dated a guy who was playing cello for an arts magnet here and who had a patron buy him a Stradivarius Cello...
I never got to hear it, as my sister broke up with him shortly after I met him Posted by katharina (Member # 827) on :
At least he had the cello to console him.
Posted by Megan (Member # 5290) on :
Wow. He must have pretty good, and have a pretty wealthy patron, for someone to be willing to buy him a Strad. Was he at all famous?
Posted by breyerchic04 (Member # 6423) on :
my guess is that the strad had other things on it's mind than consoling it's owner, they tend to be a little snobbish.
Posted by Erik Slaine (Member # 5583) on :
Coincidence?
Posted by TMedina (Member # 6649) on :
Nah, they just string you along.
-Trevor
Posted by UofUlawguy (Member # 5492) on :
I entered into a prenuptial agreement (okay, it's not written, but it's no less real) to buy my wife a Steinway as soon as it is economically feasible.
The least she can do is get me an electric cello.
Posted by Megan (Member # 5290) on :
The electric cello would be MUCH cheaper. Sounds like a fair deal to me. Posted by Jim-Me (Member # 6426) on :
actually, Stradivarius apparently made some guitars, too... <drool>
The kid was really good, but he was 15 or 16 at the time and not famous to my knowledge... his name was Robin (I never got his last name) and, yes, the patron was wealthy.... I don't remember exactly but I think it might have been Stanley Marcus... I remember he talked extensively of meeting Mr. Marcus. He was a pretty decent kid, too... not nearly the big head you'd expect on someone so blessed...
[ July 01, 2004, 05:06 PM: Message edited by: Jim-Me ]
Posted by BYuCnslr (Member # 1857) on :
quote: (players of other, lesser instruments could also contribute, if they saw fit--shoot, I'm talking like a violinist!)
That's because the rest of you do play lesser instruments, the violin is obviously superior.
Btw UofU: that line of yamaha stringed instruments (violins, violas, cellos and bases -to list by size-) while nice as practice instruments, aren't really good for much else, while they are cheap -and i really want one- they aren't good for actual concert playing...they look damn nice though. Satyagraha
Posted by UofUlawguy (Member # 5492) on :
So when am I going to be playing in a concert?
Anyway, I wasn't really talking about any particular brand, just the kind of instrument. I don't know anything about brands of electric cellos. I just found a site that showed some that looked good.
Posted by Boon (Member # 4646) on :
Which reminds me that I need to take my clarinet in for corks and pads so I can teach it to the kids. Thanks. Posted by Book (Member # 5500) on :
As a violist, I am saddened to see that there is no violist thread, but I freely admit that the cello is the prettier instrument, having more range than any other stringed instrument.
Posted by Synesthesia (Member # 4774) on :
Oooo Cello players. *marries* I love cellos! Anyone ever here Rasputina?
Posted by UofUlawguy (Member # 5492) on :
My cello playing (and ownership) was one of the first things that attracted my wife to me. I remember one of our early dates, when we were just starting to get serious. My family left for the night. I made sweet & sour pork and fried rice. Then, after dinner, I gave her a cello concert/serenade. Swept her off her feet.
Posted by UofUlawguy (Member # 5492) on :
Hey, Book. Should we break out the viola jokes?
Posted by katharina (Member # 827) on :
It's amazing what music can do. Posted by Book (Member # 5500) on :
Go ahead. I sincerely doubt if you have anything new.
Posted by UofUlawguy (Member # 5492) on :
Of course we don't. If you've heard one viola joke, you've heard them all. They're still pretty funny, though.
What's the definition of a minor second? Two violists playing in unison.
Or this one: Why do so many people take an instant dislike to the viola? It saves time.
[ July 02, 2004, 04:28 PM: Message edited by: UofUlawguy ]
Posted by Erik Slaine (Member # 5583) on :
quote: How many string bass players does it take to change a light bulb? None; the piano player can do that with his left hand.
He, he. Posted by Book (Member # 5500) on :
I'm pretty sure on a lot of "Insulting a specific group" jokes you can change the group to just about anything. Like, on a few of those I could change "violists" to "Mormons" and find myself promptly banned from this website. It's kinda funny how formulaic these things get. The best ones are more complex. They have to do more with what the group is or does.
Example of a bad one:
quote: Why don't violists play hide and seek? Because no one will look for them.
[ July 02, 2004, 04:34 PM: Message edited by: Book ]
Posted by Dan_raven (Member # 3383) on :
Go ahead, fiddle with those jokes. See whom you can string along.
Posted by Erik Slaine (Member # 5583) on :
Okay, this one's really clever:
quote: What does a German Hammond organist do in his life's most tender moments? He puts his Leslie on "slow".
Points to the first person who can describe a Leslie....
Posted by Book (Member # 5500) on :
I really like this one.
quote: How do you get a dozen violists to play in tune? Shoot 11 of them. Shoot all of them. Who the hell wants a dozen violists?
Posted by Jim-Me (Member # 6426) on :
<raises hand for Leslie description>
Posted by Jim-Me (Member # 6426) on :
how can you tell when a bass player is at your door?
<sound of knocking>
"Domino's Pizza"
What's the difference between an oboe and an onion?
No one cries when you cut up an oboe...
Posted by Erik Slaine (Member # 5583) on :
*steals bass player joke*
Last call for Leslie description....
Posted by Jim-Me (Member # 6426) on :
Two speakers, one low and one high, that are on rotating mounts in a speakerbox (usually on which is mounted a hammond B-3 organ) which are independantly adjustable as far as rotation speed goes, allowing for a wide variety of freaky phasing effects.
[ July 02, 2004, 05:27 PM: Message edited by: Jim-Me ]
Posted by Erik Slaine (Member # 5583) on :
*awards points* Posted by TomDavidson (Member # 124) on :
I'm actually amazed by how many Hatrackers were cellists. Posted by breyerchic04 (Member # 6423) on :
It doesn't suprise me much. We all know that hatrackers are smart, and that musicians are smart. So it isn't much of a suprise that many hatrackers were musicians in high school or something like that. If you split the hatrackers up, it also isn't suprising that this many were cellists.
Posted by TMedina (Member # 6649) on :
Fah, you're celling yourself short.
-Trevor
Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
I mentioned this thread to my mom, who used to play the viola. It turns out the reason why she hasn't played it in ages is simply that she needs new strings.
When she looks online, she finds a huge range of prices and brands -- and she doesn't have any idea what is a reasonable price or good brand.
Can any of you stringed-folks help?
Posted by Megan (Member # 5290) on :
Rivka, I would send her to Shar to buy the strings, since they tend to be pretty reasonable, but I don't know what a good set of strings for a viola would be. (Here are their viola sets.)
Usually you'll want to pick strings based on the core that they have, which will change what kind of sound the instrument produces. Steel core strings will produce a brighter sound, while perlon and synthetic core strings produce a warmer sound (I think). When I bought string sets for my cello, I would usually buy a perlon A and D (the upper strings) and an alloy C and G. I like Larsen, but they're a bit on the pricey side. Thomastik Dominant, a perlon set, might not be a bad idea, depending on how much/how publically she's planning on playing.
Edit: Oh, and just to toss in my favorite viola joke: How do you know when you've got a herd of violists at your door?
They don't know when to come in, and they can't find the key.
[ July 04, 2004, 09:35 AM: Message edited by: Megan ]
Posted by mr_porteiro_head (Member # 4644) on :
Q: What is the difference between an oboe and an english horn? A: An english horn burns longer.
Q: What is perfect pitch? A: Throwing a viola into the toilet without hitting the rim.
Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
Thanks, Megan. I emailed my mom a link to that set. And these are entirely for non-performance use. My mom just misses playing.
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It's actually way less impressive than it sounds but... well... I like the way it sounds. ![[Frown]](frown.gif)
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