I've been playing cello for 4 years now (I'm quite bad at it), I'm going to do my grade 4 exam but I need to memorise my scales... any tips?

Also, how do you do vibrato? I find it really odd to do vibrato when playing anything, it just puts me off

It is probably not the best idea to teacher yourself. I did that and it really messed me up. I contacted http://www.musikalessons.com and they got me all straightened out. Good luck!

MEMORIZE scales??? Did you mean the sharps and flats?

once you learn vibrato you'll realize how easy it is, after a certain point, it just comes naturally

I have the exact same problem as you... I'm doing my GCSEs this year and I have 15 minute lessons once a week. My mate's on grade 5 and we used to be in the same class but I'm still stuck on grade 3. If I carry on with my lessons I have to go to production practise but from previous experience it takes chunks of lesson time... I really love the instrument and everything but since I feel like I'm so rubbish shouldn't I just quit?

How I remember my scales it by fingering numbers. Like C for example start on open C and open first third fourth open first third fourth. Then when you have sharps and flats just think low first high first. I've been playin cello for only a year but I play violin for four so I am already up with the four year cello students in the orchestra. That has been my method hope it helps

I think I'll try that but I'm not sure if I should carry on playng anyway. I quit the violin after playing for 4 years because my teacher kept on telling me off - I'm rubbish at keeping with the rhytmn...