Very Often, Students Think They’re Not Good Enough—Let’s Talk About It

(3 minutes read)

If something doesn't work — and there is always something that doesn't work (otherwise, why would you practice?) — ask yourself WHY.

Do not accept answers:

• "It's because I'm an amateur."

• "It's because I play a cheap cello."

• "It's because l've only been playing for a year."

• Or the worst one: "I'm not good enough."

Find a real TECHNICAL issue - string crossing creates whistles, the left hand gets stuck while shifting, etc. Don't blame yourself with nontechnical reasons. Yes, maybe you are an amateur, but that doesn't mean you can't identify a problem and work on it. You ARE good enough to practice and achieve your best sound.

One of the things that makes me extremely upset is when a teacher gives feedback to a student like, "That was not good because you don't practice enough." WHAT?!

Something doesn't sound good because it might be out of tune, squeaky, have the wrong rhythm, be too slow, too fast, or not loud enough - and one of the reasons these technical mistakes happen COULD be a lack of practice. But saying something as short and unhelpful as, "That was not good because you don't practice enough," is totally unprofessional. I'm curious: what can a student do with this information? How can they use it to improve?

If you are a parent whose child received a comment like this, fight for your kid, protect them, and insist that the teacher provides detailed, technical feedback.

A young soul must understand that the way they sound on the cello doesn't define their worth or value. They are already amazing because they dedicate their time and effort to learning this big and challenging instrument.

Even if they play just once a week, they are still DOING it — while they could just be scrolling on a screen instead.

If you are an adult learner, please don't treat yourself like a bad teacher. Turn off that critical voice in your head and just find a real, technical problem.

Good luck on your cello journey! 🩶