Things to do · Arts and crafts
Learn the cello
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Beginners' cello music is written in the bass clef, and a first term covers holding the bow, posture and left-hand fingering in first position. Adult beginners can learn in a group class and go on to cello ensembles and late starters' weekends.
Demanding£100 to £500 / $130 to $650A year or moreIndoorsWith othersUK and US
What the first term covers
City Lit's Cello 1A, an 11-session evening course for complete beginners, covers holding and using the bow, left-hand position and fingering in first position, posture, reading the bass clef and listening skills for solo and ensemble playing. It also covers looking after, insuring and travelling with a cello, and it leads on to Cello 1B the next term.
You usually need an instrument from the start. City Lit asks students to bring their own cello, bow, rosin and case, and suggests hiring one if you do not own one. 92NY's beginners' class in New York, for absolute beginners and returners, says students must provide their own cellos and lists a bow, case, endpin strap or stopper, music stand and rosin.
Playing with others comes early. Laramie County Community College's beginners' orchestra takes adults new to the violin, viola or cello, and says reading sheet music helps but is not required. In England, Benslow Music's Late Starter Cello Retreat is a weekend workshop in a large group for adult beginners and improvers, with music sent about a week ahead.
What beginners pay
| Where | Course | Cost (as last listed) |
|---|---|---|
| City Lit, London | Cello 1A: 11 Wednesday evening sessions from 16 September 2026; bring your own cello | £229 |
| Laramie County Community College, Cheyenne, Wyoming | Adult Orchestra - Beginner: six Monday evening sessions for violin, viola or cello, autumn 2026 | $56 |
| 92NY, New York | Cello Beginner: weekly 55-minute Sunday class, February to June; students provide their own cellos | $785 |
After a year or so, groups such as Eastman Community Music School's Adult Cello Class in Rochester, New York, open up; it asks for at least one year of playing and lists $261 a semester.
How to start
- Hire a cello if you do not own one, with a bow, rosin and a case.
- Book a class for complete beginners, such as City Lit's Cello 1A in London or a community college adult strings group in the US.
- Practise little and often; City Lit recommends at least 20 minutes, four times a week.
Where to go
- City Lit: Cello 1A, for complete beginners (London) UK
- Benslow Music: Late Starter Cello Retreat UK
- 92NY: Cello Beginner, for adults (New York) US
- Laramie County Community College: Adult Orchestra - Beginner (Wyoming) US
We opened these links on 8 November 2026 and found them to be what we say. Dates, places and prices are on the official page, where they stay up to date.
Plan this
Pick a day, or a month, and we will set out how to get ready, step by step, with a date and a reason for each. Courses and classes have start dates and can fill up, so the plan begins with finding and booking one. Kit comes after the first session, once you know what you need.
Questions people ask
Do I need my own cello for lessons?
Usually. City Lit and 92NY both ask students to bring their own; City Lit suggests hiring one if you do not own a cello.
Do I need to read music to start the cello?
No. City Lit's Cello 1A teaches the bass clef, and Laramie County Community College says reading sheet music helps but is not required.
How much should a beginner cellist practise?
City Lit recommends at least 20 minutes, four times a week.
Where can adult beginner cellists play with others?
In beginners' orchestras such as Laramie County Community College's, and on late starters' courses such as Benslow Music's Late Starter Cello Retreat for beginners and improvers.
Where this comes from: City Lit, Cello 1A (ME140A); Benslow Music, Late Starter Cello Retreat; 92NY, Cello Beginner; Laramie County Community College, Adult Orchestra - Beginner; Eastman Community Music School, Adult Cello Class. Opened 8 November 2026.
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