The Best Free & Paid Resources for Learning the Cello Online

Strings:

• Cello String Color Code – for those who can’t ever remember what strings are on their cello. 🙂
• Thoughts on selecting strings
• Great pricing on strings here!  (There are lots of places to purchase cello strings, but Shar has excellent sale pricing several times a year).

Bows:

• Coda Bows – great info on carbon fiber bows.
• How to select a bow – this is from my YouTube channel. It’s a detailed explanation.
• This is the Incredibow. It’s VERY lightweight and very inexpensive.

Cellos:

• Quality cello rentals/purchases here &  here.
• Great article in Strings Magazine on how to select a cello.

Metronomes / Tuners

• This is the Soundbrenner Pulse metronome. It allows you to feel the beat vs. hearing the beat. 
• A pendulum metronome is a classy little thing for those who like to see the movement of time along with the sound. 
• The TE (Tonal Energy) tuner is a great metronome app.
• Piascore is an easy to use tuner for those who don’t need any frills.
• This Korg is a metronome with a big speaker so you won’t run the risk of outplaying your metronome!
• The Snark is a popular tuner among those folks who like to have the tuner attached to their instrument while tuning.

General Supplies:

• This is my favorite endpin holder. Sticks like mad!
• This is a strap endpin holder. It’s a must for every cellist.
• This is a really good portable music stand. Great for everyday use or travel. I prefer this to the wire stands.
• The “Tush Cush” for those cellists who need additional support without sacrificing the correct sitting angle.
• The SMS-40 and the SMS-50 is a music stand highly recommended by a Cello Discovery member.
• This is a tried-and-true, quality cake of rosin. It’s what I always use.
• If you have an awful wolf-tone in your cello (and if you do, you totally know what I’m talking about), the Krentz Modulator is the best wolf eliminator around. It is quite expensive, but it’s a brilliant device. More on wolf tones here.
• This cello guard is great if you want to keep your cello safe between rehearsal breaks, practice sessions, etc.

Tuners

• Info on the TE (Tonal Energy) tuner – the gold standard app.
• Intonia App – a very detailed tuner for practice.

Education

• Smart Music – This program tells you when your notes are in-tune or out of tune.
• Learn the cello note names! This awesome resource was created by a Cello Discovery member.
• My Pianist  – Wow, wow! This is the coolest thing ever! When you reach a more advanced level, here is an app where the pianist follows your tempo and tempo changes!!
• Tomplay – Professionally recorded music with interactive scores. Buy individual pieces.

Education

• Cello Bello is a non-profit website for ALL things cello. Outstanding resource.
• The Cello Museum is an educational, interesting new website. SO many great cello reads in here. Do explore!
• “Fun for the Curious Cellist” has loads of geeky-awesome info in this website.
• Amit Peled teaches at the Peabody Institute and is a dynamic teacher and performer. 
• Jamie Fiste is a master cello teacher with a fun approach to learning the cello.
• Learning the Cello is a website by Suzanne Dicker with lots of great information.
• Here is another website with lots of misc. cello info.
• The Cello Mind is a very thorough book on mastering the left hand and on learning excellent intonation. It’s more geared for advancing students.
• “Cello Technique” is (in my opinion) the ULTIMATE cello technique guide. I loved this book but it is quite dry reading for those who don’t geek out on the intricacies of technique and the physics of…
• Dolmetch – All things music – huge resource list.
• LOTS of Cello Blogs in one location.
• Some free YouTube lessons from Kayson Brown.
• A friend & colleague in the Austin Symphony has started a website for online cello lessons. He would be great for those wanting to learn advanced literature. TakeCelloLessons.com

Community Orchestras Around the Globe

• New Texas Symphony Orchestra in Dallas, TX (USA)
• LADSO in Los Angeles, CA (USA)
• ECCO in Portland, OR (USA)
• Puget Sound Symphony Orch. in Seattle, WA (USA)
• New Horizons Symphony in Las Cruces, NM (USA)
• Bury St. Edmunds Friendly Orchestra in Suffolk, England
• Great list of community orchestras throughout the UK. Not sure how up to date it is.
• WELLSO – in Wellington, NZ
• DeKalb Symphony Orchestra in Clarkston, GA (USA)
• Jonestown Community Strings Program in Jonestown, PA (USA)
• Brockport Symphony Orchestra in Western NY (USA)
• Greece Community Orchestra in Rochester, NY (USA)
• Geelong Community Orchestra in Australia
• Heart of Appalachia Community Orchestra in Lebanon VA (USA)
• Fermi Community Orchestra in Batavia, IL (USA)
• The Virginia Cello Ensembles in Fredericksburg, VA (USA)

Performance

• Who doesn’t love Yo Yo Ma? Here’s his website.
• Sheku Kanneh Mason is an extraordinary rising star.
• If you don’t know Sol Gabetta, you must hear her!
• Crazy hand exercises to help with dexterity!

Music Theory

• Music Theory Minute (Short, helpful clips on understanding music theory.
• Hello Music Theory – Lots & lots of great music theory info.
• Music Games & Quizzes – all kids of fun stuff in here!
• Music Theory – Free online music theory.

Note Reading

• Hello Music Theory (also a great site for those trying to make sense of the US vs.UK terms for rhythm).
• Sight Reading Factory – good app for additional reading practice.
• 8 Notes – 8notes.com has so much music to practice and there are nice accompaniments.

Ear Training

• Theta Music Trainer – Some interesting & free ear-training practices.
• I love this YouTube Video on examining how chords sound with the different tuning systems applied.

Free & Almost Free Sheet Music

• IMSLP– Lots of music for download here. Mostly public domain.
• MuseScore.com – Subscription-based. Independent music transcribers share music here. Some good ones, some not so good…