Hi there. :D

Well I am going to get my cello tomorrow, and I have a few questions on how I should be using this.

I bought something called Dampit because I live in a place where their are temperature extremes.

I've played Violin previously, so I'm starting to read bass clef and my band teacher at school is going to be my instructor. Can I use the same rosin I put on my bow for violin on the one I use for my cello? I suppose the Cello would come with some rosin, but in case it didn't I was wondering if that was OK.

Are their any special types of strings or bow I need either? Obviously as a beginner I don't want something really fancy and expensive, just something to let me get to know what the cello is about.

Thanks in advance for the replies.

Well good luck on your cello ventures!

As for the rosin, lots of the lower-grade rosin is for violin/viola/cello. It depends on what kind you have. violin rosin would be less sticky, but for a beginner, I don't think it'll matter too much if you don't want to get any cello rosin or if you can't afford it.

Strings: Your cello should come with them (obviously). You need cello strings (obviously). The less obvious points: cello strings break less than violin strings, it's far less necessary (and more expensive- $100 USD a set)to keep an extra set around. As with any strings, you should replace them regularly; as the string stretches and wears out, the sound will be affected. Try to do this about once a year. You may consider putting new strings on your cello once you get it, depending on if it's a new instrument or not. If it's new, it probably has new strings. If not, ask the owner when they last changed them. Also ask if they know what kind of strings are currently on the cello: if you like that sound but they're old strings, stay on the safe side and get the same kind again. Lots of people like Larsen brand, Jargars are also popular (although I don't know if I'd recommend them on a beginner cello, they're rather mellow and/or muted. I use Helicore with a Jargar A. I had excellent results with Prims on my old cello. The biggest thing to keep in mind is that every cello sounds better with a certain string setup. I put Jargars on my old cello and couldn't stand them for more than five minutes. My low-quality "cheese-cutter" Prims, as someone called them, were amazing on that cello. I wouldn't dream of putting them on my current cello.

Bows- the cello should come with a bow. Your violin bow won't work. Well, it'd TECHNICALLY work, but neither the bow nor your arm would appreciate it. Make sure your bow has plenty of hair. You'll hold it different than a violin bow (are you taking lessons or will you have a teacher to demonstrate?).

Also, you might want to get a rock-stop or strap to hold the endpin in place. A rock-stop you just put on the floor. A strap has a loop that the chair leg goes through with a loop or cup on the other end, and it adjusts. You should get one or the other. Of course, I've seen lots of pieces of wood with holes, pieces of string, belts, folders, and shoes all used... but let's not go there. Many cellists have a sharp enough endpin to just stick it in the floor. However, that puts holes in the floor, and the owner of whatever floor might not like that. Or your endpin might not even be sharp enough. So get one just in case.

Hope my essay helps : ) Let us know how it goes!

Thank you very much for the reply!

Well my teacher got the cello's today, and I'm getting mine tomorrow. I'm not going to bother with changing strings and all, since the cello won't even be mine! It's a school cello (So I'm not expecting it to be very good), and I won't even have it during the summer. I'll only have this thing for 9 months, and I don't want to give the next person who has this free strings.

So I think I'll try this instrument out, and then maybe next year sometime I'll buy myself my own cello. I've always wanted to play it because it sounds and looks very interesting. I'm going to assume it has rosin though, and I would be pretty mad if it didn't come with a bow. x.x

I disagree about rosin. The cello has thicker strings than the violin and needs special rosin to allow your bow to grip them properly. Rosin is not expensive, and, anyway, buying separate rosin for the violin and the cello is not really incurring additional expense (no matter how small) because the more you use your rosin the sooner you'll have to replace it.

Thanks for the reply.

Well I got the cello and I've been practicing on it for a few days. I made a video on the sound of it. I hope the strings don't sound TOO bad, well here it is:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=WqAy7hfDEWA