hi. theres a cello teacher down the road and was thinking about taking it up.
Ive been playing piano for 2 years and was wondering if i should get better at piano first. also is it a hard instrument to play?

The bad news is that it is very hard to learn.

The good news is:

1) that you have good taste.
2) it is a useful instrument to have, Orchestras rarely have enough cellos, most chamber ensembles require 1
3) it may be hard to play, but it will always be providing new challenges.

thanks i guess ill consider it!!!

I started my cello lessons one year ago at age 23, with no musical background at all. I knew, that I won't be able to play my favourites (Apocalyptica, Bach) after 2-3 years of leatning, but 10 or more. So I totally prepared myself, that I won't be able to play anything "meaningful" until I become 30. But it was a very nice experience, when I could first play my childhood songs, and then, when I had my first semester exam from a very simplified version of the Hymn to joy plus two simple Lee etudes.Althoug it is still pain for my neighbours, I'm practicing the Canon-D from Pachabel for months now. On the other hand, as more I "know" I see more, how much there is to learn.

So, I fully agree with PhilOShite: it is not an easy instrument, but the most beautiful one without a question (ok, maybe I'm a little lopsided ;-) ).

And, pleae correct me if I'm wrong, but my experience according to musician friends is, that the composers was evil enough to find the bounderies of each musical instrument and go beyond that. Meaning: each instrument has its difficulties, e.g., You can not play phoney on a piano, but it is serious problem on the cello in the first years; on the other hand, a cello sheet is much easier to read, since You have usually only one note to play at a time, not 8 ;-)

hello! i just want to make friends with the cello players! haha! because i have none...

I am a professional cellist and have done a degree in performance on the cello. The cello is a difficult instrument to learn but no harder than any other instrument. The piano has difficulties of its own and if you are interested in learning the cello you may find that the piano is a useful aid. The reason being is that one of the hardest things with any (unfretted) stringed instrument is that the intonation is very difficult to get exactly right.The piano can really help you to fine tune your ear to the subtleties of tuning when the cello is involved.

It is a beautiful instrument but it takes time as with any instrument to get great. Like most instruments you aren't going to be able to play to concerto standard in a week. You need patience and a positive attitude. One of the the biggest pieces of advice i can give to you though is if any part of you begins to hurt (whether its your shoulders or wrists) or any other part of your anatomy don't play through the pain. you can get things like repetitive strain injury or tendonitus (both very painful) and they can take months to recover from. That's one of the best pieces of advice i can give, also if self teaching yourself make sure you try to learn in a mirror, keep your shoulders relaxed and sit up tall to the ceiling like your being pulled up to it from a piece of string with a straight back. (sitting on the edge of your seat can help with this) Hope that helps!

thanks! this really helps! i didnt know you could strain yourself!!!!!
i might take it up next year depending on stuff!!