What's wrong with my CELLO!?! Rosin? Weight? Bow?

Discussion in 'Free Thoughts' started by USS Athens, Sep 13, 2007.

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Which Orchestra Instrument do You Play?

  1. Violin

    1 vote(s)
    10.0%

  2. Viola

    0 vote(s)
    0.0%

  3. Cello

    1 vote(s)
    10.0%

  4. Bass

    0 vote(s)
    0.0%

  5. I do not play an orchestra instrument...

    8 vote(s)
    80.0%
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  1. USS Athens

    USS Athens Very Special Senior Member Valued Senior Member

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    Okay, so every time I try playing after a few bow movements the friction on the bow from the rosin causes the string to resist vibration for a nano-second (or screetches; weird note).

    My orchestra instructor says it may be one of these reasons that it is doing so:

    1: Too much rosin

    2: Something wrong with rosin

    3: Putting too much weight on bow

    But I've tried lessining the weight I put on the bow, but thats not it...

    SOMEONE!!! PLEASE HELP?!?​
     
    USS Athens, Sep 13, 2007
    #1

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  3. Read-Only

    Read-Only Valued Senior Member

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    Your instructor is right. And the main reason IS usually too much pressure. You might not have reduced it enough - try simply pulling the bow and see what happens. Also, your stroke may not be perfectly seamless but I'd still go with pressure as the most likely cause.
     
    Read-Only, Sep 13, 2007
    #2

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  5. USS Athens

    USS Athens Very Special Senior Member Valued Senior Member

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    Tried that, the cellos at my school don't do what my cello does...
     
    USS Athens, Sep 13, 2007
    #3

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  7. draqon

    draqon Banned Banned

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    buy a new cello
     
    draqon, Sep 13, 2007
    #4
  8. USS Athens

    USS Athens Very Special Senior Member Valued Senior Member

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    Ahem, but this is a new cello. Just bought it a few months ago too... So It must be the rosin... But it seems to have gotten worse after the past few days...
     
    USS Athens, Sep 13, 2007
    #5
  9. draqon

    draqon Banned Banned

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    listen to me...

    instead of spending countless days and night...and neurons on this issue. Sell the rosin online on ebay with 75% of the price. Buy a new one.
     
    draqon, Sep 13, 2007
    #6
  10. Read-Only

    Read-Only Valued Senior Member

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    Yes, you've narrowed it down.

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    Not all rosins are created equal and what you have evidently is more tacky at normal temperatures than it should be. Could be a manufacturing defect or whatever. Throw it away and by the brand used at school. If it happens to be the SAME brand, you just got some from a bad batch.
     
    Read-Only, Sep 13, 2007
    #7
  11. USS Athens

    USS Athens Very Special Senior Member Valued Senior Member

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    Sadly once again, I am using new rosin now, the initial rosin I used seemed to be the problem, now I'm using the Jade stuff. But I need to get the old crap off...
     
    USS Athens, Sep 13, 2007
    #8
  12. James R

    James R Just this guy, you know? Staff Member

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    The rosin's job is to increase friction between the bow and the strings. Too much, or too sticky and you get too much friction, which prevents the strings vibrating properly.
     
    James R, Sep 14, 2007
    #9
  13. Borsviek

    Borsviek ****** Registered Senior Member

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    Its best if there's no moisture in the rosen or any other major parts of the Cello.
     
    Borsviek, Sep 14, 2007
    #10
  14. rian.wrenn

    rian.wrenn Registered Member

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    Get a new bow and soak it in Mayo. then apply rosin, after whiping it off. The gel in the mayo gives it a hyperplain for the rosin to soak to, then play. Really works, i have to really be cautious to friction cuz i play double bass
     
    rian.wrenn, Sep 16, 2007
    #11
  15. USS Athens

    USS Athens Very Special Senior Member Valued Senior Member

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    Thread over! Case Closed! Yadda yadda Yadda! Nothing wrong at all! It was me!

    That's what my Orchestra instructor said anyway. He played on it and said it was fine.
    :shrug:​
     
    USS Athens, Sep 19, 2007
    #12
  16. USS Athens

    USS Athens Very Special Senior Member Valued Senior Member

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    :bugeye: "Shortest Thread Ever" :bugeye:​
     
    USS Athens, Sep 19, 2007
    #13
  17. Fraggle Rocker

    Fraggle Rocker Staff Member

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    If it sounds okay when the teacher plays it, then there cannot be anything wrong with the instrument or with the rosin. What's left then? That leaves you as the only possible source of the problem. Are you sure your pressure on the bow is correct? I don't know how long you've been studying, and I don't play bowed strings, but that always seems like the biggest source of problems for violin students. It's difficult to develop a consistent technique with the bow; one week they've got it perfect and the next week it's all screeches. Could that be the problem here? Is there more than one cello; can you try playing somebody else's to see how it sounds?
     
    Fraggle Rocker, Sep 20, 2007
    #14
  18. USS Athens

    USS Athens Very Special Senior Member Valued Senior Member

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    He said it was probably the feel I had for it...
     
    USS Athens, Sep 20, 2007
    #15
  19. Fraggle Rocker

    Fraggle Rocker Staff Member

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    Did he give you some help, suggestions, exercises, for improving that? That's what teachers are for, after all!

    Do you play any other size viol? Maybe the cello isn't right for you and you'd be more natural with a bass viol, or even a viola. I played the guitar for twenty years before I found out that I was born to play the electric bass guitar instead.
     
    Fraggle Rocker, Sep 20, 2007
    #16
  20. USS Athens

    USS Athens Very Special Senior Member Valued Senior Member

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    No, I have to use a full (4/4) all others don't work. Because I am too tall for any others.

    Viol? Base Viol (do you mean viola?)? Guitar? I fail to see the relevence.

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    Last edited: Sep 23, 2007
    USS Athens, Sep 23, 2007
    #17
  21. USS Athens

    USS Athens Very Special Senior Member Valued Senior Member

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    List of other things to do:
    1. End this thread
    2. Succeed in life
    3. Don't get moved to back seat in orchestra class (I enjoyed being in front for... Hmmm... Certain reasons... :xctd:... Heh heh heh...)
    4. Delete this post

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    USS Athens, Sep 23, 2007
    #18
  22. USS Athens

    USS Athens Very Special Senior Member Valued Senior Member

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    Hmmm... Is thread over? Should be. I don't have a problem anymore. I declare this thread over. But is anyone going to listen to me? H*ll no. So. Naturally. People are going to keep posting here, for absolutely no reason. So use this thread for any one using an orchestra instrument for random things, or if they have a problem. Why I'll even start a poll.
     
    USS Athens, Sep 23, 2007
    #19
  23. Borsviek

    Borsviek ****** Registered Senior Member

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    How do you delete posts?
     
    Borsviek, Sep 23, 2007
    #20
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