So, I'm 14 and I'm playing at the local University's ( a small one) orchestra. I play the cello, fyi. Anyways, the music is lovely but I just can't play it. Its so complex. They have three other genius cellists and I'm like the odd little ignorant one. I feel horrible. I've been practicing my butt off since rehearsals began on Tuesday, and they go up so high, up to TREBEL CLEFF. I've been a good girl and have practiced scales immensly, but so far I haven't improved.

I.E: Tonight we ran through some Random Rimsky-Korsakov and it was absolutely insane. Everything was in cut time, 5|4, 4|1, 5|1, and that was on top of having to play this solo with this other person ( but I didn't play it :eek: ) but gratefully our director didn't notice. BTW, the director is an awesome guy and is funny so that takes a load off of my mind. I'm glad he isn't like this stern freaky guy.

And also with my High School 'Orchestra' ( more like chamber group ) I sit next to a genius violinist ( we have been mixing around seating arrangements.) and he seems to get so frustrated with my inablity. And the thing is, I can play it pretty well when I'm by myself, and it actually sounds like music, but when I'm around people its like I've picked up the cello for the first time and I seem to forget fundementals.


So, any absoulutely ANY advice would be EXTREMELY EXTREMELY appreciated.


Much Love,
Rose

Yes! I'm not the only orchestra dork around! Woo!

Okay. You're doing great by not giving up. Most people in your place would just give up. What you need to do is first on your own, play through the whole thing. Then, remember the places where you had a lot of problems. Section those parts off and focus on those only. Play them several times over and over until it's correct. Tedious, oh you bet it is. Also, try getting the "genius" cellos as you call them to help you out with sections. If they won't help, the director will. As far as playing in treble cleff, just practice that part a lot so you get the shifting down. I'm not used to playing in other cleffs because! I play violin....hahaha!

So, my advice is as such:

1. Keep going. Don't give up and quit.
2. Find the major problem spots and spend most practice sessions at home on those spots.
3. Practice in places where others can hear you (to help with nervousness).
4. Get help from others in fingerings, intonation, and rythym patterns.

Progress won't be instantaneous, but if you work on it hard and long enough, improvements will come. Good luck Rose. You can do it!

Raziel

Don't give up. I know how you feel; I've been there before. This (well, last) Summer I went to Interlochen All-State to study harp. There were auditions to get into the orchestra, and to my suprise I got in. We played the Sibelius 1, and the last movement was horrible. It was so hard, I could barely play it. There were just so many notes, and it went so fast. I thought there was NO WAY I was going to be able to learn it in 4 days. Also, the other harpist was a lot better than me, so I felt awful for having so much trouble with the piece. However, there was no way I could give up. In the end, it all worked out fine. I was able to play it smoothly, and I was suprised how far I had come. Raziel had really good advice. I'd like to add:
Always keep going in rehersals. Play what you can and never just totally give up. Make sure to watch the conductor and follow along with the music, even if you can't play every note. It's important that the conducter knows that you know where you are, even if you can't play everything right now.
Like what Raziel said, find the hard parts and the exposed parts in your part, and really practice those hard. Use your metronome, and use practice techniques like practicing in rythems and isolating shifts. Try to remember what parts were really hard to play in rehersals, and work on those in practice.
Play the hard spots for your parents, siblings, friends, or other musicians to get practice playing them in front of others.
Don't panic. I don't know if that's a problem for you, but it was for me. I'd look at the music and I got overwhelmed. Keep a cool head, and play what you can. If you panic, you won't be able to play to the best of your ability.
Most importantly, have faith in yourself. You can do it. Even though it seems impossible now, everything will work out if you put enough time and effort into learning that part. Best of luck, and keep us posted!

First of all give yourself a break! You're playing in a university orchestra at 14. You're obviously doing something right!

Second - I'm a trumpet player which is notoriously testosterone driven. One thing I learned a long time ago - there will always be someone better than you. So what? You actually have the privilege of playing with and learning from some very accomplished players. Take advantage of the opportunity.

Third - mostly what these "geniuses" have on you is time. They've been playing and practicing for longer than you. With the same effort and time you'll play as well as them before you know it. I once asked my guitar teacher how long it would take before I was any good. He said "how long do you want to take?" Translation - you can go as slow or as fast as you like. It's up to you.

As for your violinist friend - if he wants to be Diva fine. Part of the joy of music is creating with other musicians. Hope he likes playing solo because that's what happens when nobody wants to play with you. Don't let his attitude affect your resolve and love for what you're doing.

Hmmm, When I play music and the Difficult parts come along, I take that part and slow it down. I will play the part slow so my fingers will memorize what to do and I can get through the piece a bit easier, it worked for me so hopefully it will help you, this is my first time giving advice so I'm sorry if I said something bad.

Well, this morning our community had some Civil War thing going on and I was playing my violin with a bunch of other people, and my dad was talking to my director and he said that I have a really good ear. Which is way beyond me because my intonation is like waaay waaay off. But, I guess he's been doing this thing longer than I have, so I guess he may know what he's talking about. Which makes me a bit happy :D

Here's my input. This year will be my ninth year of being a violinist. Unfortunately, not all of those years were spent with hardcore dedication like the past few were.

I used to be a pretty terrible violinist, mostly because I didn't care. However I became best friends with assistant concertmaster this past year (second chair out of about 40 violins. Yes, he's that good). That was what sparked a difference in me. I started practicing up to 3 hours a day. I saw how beautifully he could play and I was sick of just coasting along and not being able to play everything that was thrown my way.

Now, don't think I'm saying you don't care, because obviously you do. My point is this: The three hours of practicing per day and the change of attitude I made towards my playing made a completely changed my ablilities to the best. I moved up about 30 chairs in 2 years.

If you have the drive and the practice in, you will be where you want to be. It takes a lot of patience and time, but you just have to keep going at it. There will be frustrating moments, but just keep trying them. Don't be afraid to seek help from peers, teachers, or private tutors.

So basically, you have the drive, so you have to just keep practicing your ass off and I have total faith you'll blow everyone away. :)

One other word of advice I have to offer: Play everything you can't play mind-numbingly slow. You want to perfect the notes before the tempo & dynamics. By playing slowly, you'll eventually get it, and as you eventually get it, you'll gradually speed it up. It's human nature to do so.

If I can help with anything else, just PM me. :D Best of luck to you!

I play several instruments myself, and I can tell you bar-none, the only advice that matters in this case (and we've all heard it a million times) is that practice makes perfect.

I've improved SO much in such a little amount of time from doing this music. I mean, its a challenge, but a fun challenge. I've taken a better outlook on this situation and I've been able to do better.

But the thing that baffles me is that in HS orchestra I completely tense up and I play horribly, but with the college orchestrta I completely let it out and I sound halfway decent. But its worse in my little 3 person cello group I have after school on mondays is when I'm with my friend who is an absolute angel on the cello and I feel so lowly. She's also in the college orchestra. Like today I was playing something I played really well by myself yesterday. Its really weird.

Well I can sympathize in more ways then you know what it comes to this.

You seem to realize that you just have to stick to it and practice practice pratcice,so I won't tell you that. I'll just say, RELAX...people improve at different rates, so you may practice for hours yet feel like you haven't improved even if you have. BABY STEPS. Don't let the music snobs get you down, because there are A LOT of them. I'm glad your teacher is cool though, that would be bad if he was really anal.

You'll be fine...I can tell you're dedicated to improving yourself, so I believe you will improve more then you will realize.

GOOD LUCK.

Ok...


So...It makes me very frustrated. I can make music come out of my cello when there is nobody else around. But when I'm in orchestra rehersal or any other type of rehersal with other people other than me, I tottaly FREEZE, and the sound is horrible. It makes me sound incompetent (sp) and ignorant. Its like a mental block I have, I just can't get it. Even if I tell myself to relax, and I do, it dosen't work. I hate it.
But I'm not, I just I was able to show it to other people.


I'm getting really frustrated about this.