I’m a new student and spend a lot of time in travelling and in hotels. I have an acoustic cello which I use for my lessons and practice at home, but was wondering if an electric cello would be beneficial to enable me to practice when I travel as it’s easier to transport and more importantly almost silent. What are people views on this forum? Is the technique the same as for an acoustic? Or will this do me more harm than good / confuse me at this stage?

I don't really know anything about electric cellos, but I have a few questions. Have you got complaints about practicing in hotel rooms? Have you tried using a practice mute?

the main purposes of practice are to

a) improve technique
b) learn songs
c) learn how to achieve a good sound

obviously a practice mute alters the sound, and an electric cello would be very different to play than an acoustic. my teacher told me play with a good sound, that you would like to use in concerts, so mutes and/or swapping instruments for practice is not recommended.

But this is when you're very serious about it. If playing cello just for a hobby, do what you like, and whatever's most convenient.

If noise becomes an issue with neighbors and hotel mates, sod them. They're getting an impromtu concert every day, that's no excuse to be ungrateful.

nah just kidding. sorry, ask someone else for some noise lessening techniques.

This is from my friend in the San Diego Symphony . . . .

"Sometimes they are a Blessing, depending upon the player. ha. I have a big old honker silver metal one that silences my fiddle to a whisper. You can play the heck out of your fiddle and the crotchety old coots in the next room of the posh hotel won't hear a peep. It doesn't affect technique, just musicality, but laying off the cello affects the technique tons more than any practice mute ever made. "


<Added>

Another pro player I know says the metal ones are the only ones that really get the sound down. He has tried the rubber ones and thinks the metal ones do far more silencing.