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Royal tune

11 Comments

Princess Aiko, front center, plays the cello during a concert of the Gakushuin University's alumni in Tokyo on Sunday.

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Never had tapes on the fretboard and never heard of anyone doing that. Agree with the hours practice everyday. Making the time is the hard part.

Dang! That's so old school, I respect that. It makes you a better player all around and feeling comfortable with your intonation instead of trusting the tape. Must've had a really good teacher. But I think, they wanted this concert to be perfect and since most of them are beginners, they didn't want ANY mistakes, the tape will ensure that. Not my method, but in this country perfection means everything. Also, you need to factor in the prestige that goes along with playing a cello, violin, viola or Piano. I don't think they would ever allow the princess to play a trumpet or tuba. She's a lady and she should play an instrument that in their opinion reflects that and that means usually stick to string instruments. I'm so busy now these days, but I would love to study the bassoon, love the instrument and one of my favorite woodwinds.

@fukuppy

I envy you.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

I got my first cello complete with bow and handmade corduroy carrying case for $75 dollars which I found in the newspaper ads (pre-Internet days). Never had tapes on the fretboard and never heard of anyone doing that. Agree with the hours practice everyday. Making the time is the hard part.

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Excellent post bass4funk! I'm a wind player (brass and reed) so I have different issues to deal with, but I agree that it comes down to practice. Just keep on keeping on until you can do it. And then you start working on the 'music'. It's a hard journey but with a great ending. Playing is great and I wholeheartedly recommend it. You can definitely start a new instrument at any stage in your life, and it's so rewarding so go for it!

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As a trained musician, I specialized in the Upright Bass, Cello and Violin been playing for 35 years. I played in an Orchestra for a few years, it's fun, but it's a lot of work. Anyone can learn, but the first two years are really tough, particularly with the Cello and Bass, you have to really practice a lot of stretching to build up your dexterity with your left hand and you have to practice bowing and keeping it as straight as possible with the right. Once you got that down, it starts to get a tad easier. I used to and still try to practice at least 2 hours a day, now with a family, it's more tough to find the proper time. I can tell by the photo, they are all beginners. The way they hold them, it's a clear indicator. They have reference intonation points taped to their fretboards to help guide them, otherwise they would be all off. Once you get to that point where you have developed a decent perfect pitch and you know every note front, back and center, the tape comes off and you should have great memorization of the fretboard and where you need to go, you won't even need to look at it, because intonation is the key, if you don't have that, you're not a good musician. There are other issues like cost, care and maintenance. A cheap low price Cello can run you about ¥180,000 all the way up to ¥6 million, some higher and then you have your in-betweens, the bows are separate, they can go for ¥40,000 to over ¥100,000 Then you have the case hard or soft and depending on the maker ¥30,000 and up. The case for my upright was ¥120,000 if I want to take it on the plane, I have to buy another seat as a carry on. Uprights are totally different ball game when it comes to pricing and caring. It's fun, I love playing and performing, but the main thing is, be determined, practice, be disciplined and the rest will naturally come, that's what it calls for. Age doesn't matter, practice does.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

google vid "Sorea" she uses old and new music, fusion.

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-parents must pay for these things and the costs can add up. A young Rostropovich is needed.

Beautiful playing, as expected from the master himself, but those costumes look really cheap and tacky, like something you'd get free to carry fruit in.

I'm jealous. I've always wanted to learn to play the cello.

Well, there's no reason why you couldn't learn an instrument as an adult. The learning experience might be a bit different from what it would have been as a child, but it is certainly possible.

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I'm jealous. I've always wanted to learn to play the cello.

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her- she

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Play on, Princess Aiko! Play on!

I hope her an all the other students in Japan and around the world have a great school year.

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And those happi things look really cheap.

-parents must pay for these things and the costs can add up. A young Rostropovich is needed.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LU_QR_FTt3E

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Leave the poor girl alone!

And those happi things look really cheap.

-4 ( +0 / -4 )

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