Okay. Lately, I've been very angry, !***!ed, and upset with the cello. I think it has to do with my parents. I'm 14, and have played the cello for 9 years. When I was 5, I thought the cello looked kinda cool, and told my parents that, but I guess they thought I liked it. So I started taking 30 minute lessons, then gradually 45 minutes, then finally a full one hour lesson.
Now I'm auditioning for a big high-school level chamber orchestra which plays from september to june, and is funded by the Cincinnati Symphony and UC-CCM. The audition is next month, and I've been practicing at least one hour every day. The problem is, I recently bought a bass guitar, and loved it. I found it frustrating when I was told by my mom to practice the cello. I think I really like the bass guitar more than the cello; I feel like I want to quit the cello. In the past, I've always felt like I never progressed like I should, and felt there were always people ahead of me, never concentrating fully on personal achievements. I was also confused how my parents would buy me a $7800 cello, but would not buy me a $1k bass guitar, telling me that,"We're not rich." when I asked for a better bass. I think they are trying to push me with the cello, but to me, I don't think cello is going to help me at all in the future; I'll never become a professional cellist, so why shouldn't I quit now?
In the words of Little Miss Sunshine, "Do what you love, and f*** the rest."
I think others on here would agree, music is about what makes you happy, and what you enjoy. I think that should apply with anything in life: any professions, goals, hobbies, or whatever.
Although, if your parents won't buy you a better bass, I guess all I can say is that that sucks. There's not much you can do but buy it yourself and/or put up with a cheaper one. You can't make them pay. But clearly you enjor your cheap bass better than a fancy cello.
if you feel that you dont want to become a professional cellist (this is going to be rather blunt) then stop wasting time, money and effort, and chuck it. simple as that
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however, if your parents are willing to support your cello playing, thats quite rare. so take that intop consideration. (god, i just probably really confused you then)
It all depends on whether you enjoy it. If you don't, then there's not much reason to carry on, except that you can get a reasonable job with it later on even if you aren't really good. Alternatively, if you do enjoy it, then stick with it. It helps keep your spirits up, i find - when i've had a rubbish day I come home and play for an hour or two and it makes it all better in a way.
So if you love it, stick with it, if you don't, don't.
Well well well...
Guess the whole forum is gonna hate me now, but I really think you should continue playing the cello. But! That doesn't mean you shouldn't play the electric bass!
I play the violin myself, AND the bass. And the cello. And the piano. The instruments don't contradict each other, on the contrary all instruments support each other a lot. It's just a question of time usage, but if you wanna devote much time to music you could play both cello and bass, as the cello is such a good support for playing the bass. Fingers are strenghtened and musical knowledge is improved by the cello, especially if you are on a relatively high level.
But your parents won't be happy if you quit cello. If you do that I don't think they'd be happy to emmedeately buy you a new bass.
But if you really feel the cello is grossing you out at the moment, then I would suggest concentrating on the bass for a while and let the cello rest some time (like leave out some of the practise sessions). Play more bass, turn up the volume and let it BOOM. You'll feel better. And maybe the cello is gonna come back to you later, and you'll be happy you didn't totally quit.
At the moment I am 17. Three years ago I felt kinda the same as you, but now I'm studying to become a professional violinist. But I also how to play the bass.
and if you are also worried about people being 'better' than you, don't be. in my youth orchestra, there used to be a group of the 'good' players, and not one person ever dared to move them back a few desks to make way for new people, despite the fact that the 'good' people had been sitting on front desk for years. then came along a song, in which all the hard working, practising people could play well, but the 'good' people had no chance. Then the conductor moved them back and the general sound of the orchestra is a hell lot better.
so don't worry about those 'better' people. if you practise often enough, it will be revealed that you are the better player. it just takes time.
It isn't always about how well you play, it is more about how it makes you feel when you play. I started to play cello because I love the sound and the fretless neck. Maybe if you got an electric cello you would feel better? (assuming yours is acoustic) I was always the reverse of you. Everyone in my family plays guitar and I had no desire for playing one so I never learned any instrument until a year or so ago when I found a cheap cello and started messing around with it. If you are unhappy let your parents know and make sure that they understand why you want to make your choice.
I started playing the cello in third grade and quit immediately after ninth grade and ended up deeply regretting it. Decades later I took up the instrument again, studied privately for a few years, and then played three years in a local orchestra.
In ninth grade when I originally quit the cello I had been learning to play the guitar (I already played the piano), very much influenced by Carlos Santana. Oddly enough, it eventually dawned on me that the sound I was striving for on the guitar was essentially the sound that a cello makes.
If it's not too late, I say stick with the cello at least until you graduate high school. In the meantime, you can play the bass guitar too. (I also play the bass guitar and like it a lot.)
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