His voice is lovely. He was born to teach and coach others. I have no doubt. His voice tone, patience and good articulation and how to explain things that are complex show he really has the skills from birth. It is in his DNA. I wonder if his parents or ancestors were not also teachers.
Thanks Jonathan. I just received my new Jargar strings from Amazon yesterday and will be putting them on shortly. Your video of how to change strings has really helped me to feel confident to do this myself as I moved from San Francisco Bay Area and had Joan Balter from Berkeley and Ifshin in El Cerrito do all my work for me. Now I am at the mercy of online shopping, CZcams and do it myself!!! Just hoping these Jargar will sound good from my old French Stradivarius copy 7/8 Cello that I have had for years. I am Following you and You are AWESOME!!! Update - Just got through putting on my set of Jargar Medium string on my Cello and WOW, what a difference. Had no problem with playing with these strings. My "Old Girl" hasn't sounded this good in a long time! Thanks Jonathan for the info!
I too enjoyed the many luthiers of the Bay Area. From Ifshin to Kamimoto, there are so many quality places to dive deep into our culture. Anyways, glad the video helped you out!
I've loved the cello and wanted to learn for so long. I am 26 now and heard my first cello while flipping through channels on an old radio when I was very young, by some stroke of luck it picked up classical. I live in Georgia, and we don't have much in the way of cello education. Your channel has helped with so many of my questions. Just hearing you play and knowing that you provide so many resources has made me decide that this is my year to finally buy a beginner cello and try. Thank you for everything that you do.
I'm from calhoun. Small town where no one really cares about the cello. I've been working on learning for a while. It's hard with everything going on right now. There are no teachers around and I work a full time job. I wish I had more time or someone experienced to teach me more.
Hey bud! I'm getting back into cello myself and I want to be an orchestra teacher. I'm always happy to listen and give advice:) I say to always focus on tone quality, first and foremost!
A couple months ago when I was just starting my cello adventure, I excitedly took my new-to-me $250 used-from- Craigslist Amazon cello to the nearby luthier. He politely told me that putting Larsen strings on it would be like putting a Porsche engine in a Volkswagen! Point taken. I still want new strings though!
Both the Porsche 911 and Volkswagen Beetle were designed by the same man: Ferdinand Porsche. These two marques LITERALLY shared the same blocks for decades! Funny, how the dude was making a point without making a point. A better auto analogy would be: it's like putting P-Zeros on a Toyota Camry. :-p Anyways, a decent set of Jargar Mediums will do you good, Lela.
I did purchase (again from Craigslist!) a 3/4 cello this week. Same luthier said I got a great deal! Sadly, needs new strings desperately. I will ask for the ones you recommend.
This is EXCELLENT advice . . . and true. I don't have Jarger strings but I understand that for many many players, AND cellos, they are an excellent base line and frankly, the minimum I'd put on any cello. They ARE the "Toyota" of strings and in keeping with that analogy, you just can't go wrong with Jarger strings. Having said that, when a more "expensive" string can DEMONSTRABLY make your cello sound better, THEN it MAY be worth the investment because "better sound" leads to more enjoyment of your cello, which may lead to more motivation to practice which then leads to more . . . well you get the picture : )
Thank you Jonathan. My 10 year old and I are learning cello. We have watched almost all your videos. We live in N CA and hope to be able to meet and hear you play live one day.
In my experience the more expensive strings have transformed the sound of my cello drastically. I used have the Thomastik Dominant (they sound horrible in my opinion!) and then changed to the Pirastro Obligato then Evah Pirazzi.. My God it was the difference between heaven and earth when changed from Dominant to Obligato as it gave a beautiful deep robust sound to my cello. The Evah Pirazzi had an amazing and resonance and powerful projection without losing the warmth of sound.. for my cello Evah Pirazzi strings sounded the best so far
I know this sounds odd, because I am not a cellist. (I’m a violinist and violist). But I discovered the same thing. I use a very small, 19th century viola. Initially I followed the advise of friends for a. More expensive set. This actually took away from the colors and subtle nuances in the instrument. She sounded amazing when I switched strings to a mid-range set that had great reviews online. I found my “perfect string mix” now. Lol Great video. Which again is a bit strange that I’m subscribed since I am not a cellist. Lol
It's so helpful to hear everyone's string stories. I tried to convince my daughter to try the viola a few months ago. She played the violin, and hated the high notes. Unfortunately, she just decided to quit music altogether.
This is a great video with great advice! Thank you! I had three celli so far, my first one was a new one by the time I purchased it from a luthier at Mittenwald. It sounded great with spirocore strings, tried larsen but switched back. Now I still have two Celli aprox. from Markneukirchen or the region, very own individual character and really no bad instruments. Ended up with Silver wound strings (Dominant medium) on c, g. Love the tone, the feel, the thickness and th3e silver shiny look. But I am struggeling with a and d. The celli are both able to put out a strong loud tone, more so than the mentioned Mittenwald one. Like the larsen soloist for now on one of them (i'd say its the one that has a little more objective tone). The other is like a very special individual character, and I tried some old spirocore I had layin around but they sound thin and dont suit at all. Soloist sounded quite well but still not what I am looking for soundwise. Do you have an Idea which strings I could try? Perhaps consider trying the "new" versum strings? Fortunately dont have to struggle for the low strings because price of the higher is much lower😊 Thanks in advance, subbed! Edit: Already subbed😂
Here is my thoughts after playing cello 2 years with the strings that came with it, finally tried “Larsen Magnacore Arioso” set. I feel playability is improved, but is it worth it? … Probably not. I definitely am getting a slightly improved tone. For me the biggest improvement is responsiveness of C string and the pleasantness of open A. On the old strings I found C string much harder to sound and felt behind time, on these new strings response feels instant. The open A string sounds less harsh to my ears. Also if I bow a note and take the bow off the strings there is a really long resonant sustain that I didn’t get before. Possibly those improvements could have been had with a more intermediate set which is probably what I would try next time I change strings.
Ha! Found the right video for my question: how do you know when it’s time to put on a new string? (Apart from when the old one breaks obviously 😂) I think I’ve been practicing on my current ones for at least a year now! Thank you 🙏🏻
I read that 1 hour a day of ordinary playing you should easily get 18-24 months. If you’re thrashing about forte and presto for hours a day, then 6-9 months.
What about which strings for an electric cello? Using an amp, I do not require strings for projection. Which strings for great playing and without wasting my money for features or intentions I don’t need?
I use Larsen because I didn't like the others it came with. But I have noticed cellists here in Germany using different sets, Larsen in two or one string and the other strings with another type. It depends on your "tone" taste. I am ok with the ones I have and I never tried the expensive ones. It takes time to know what you like or dislike in string instruments so I advice people not to waste too much money...in the beginning, you may regret it.
I have a set of Kaplan on my cello. Definitely a game changer. Some of the most difficult or demanding cello excerpts have never been so much easier to play. I've always been a fan of synthetic or warmer strings - Dominants, Pro Arte or Aricore. And it could be my instrument is a bit on the bright side.. Every instrument is different. I think I might try Warchal next time.
@@CelloCoach Aricore are a little bit brighter than the Dominant and short break in time. They last longer than Dominant and warmer sound. Sadly they discontinued a few years ago.
Thank once again for your insight. My new Hidersine cello has a deep bass sound to it and of course overtime (some four years or so I am told) will find its voice. I have been recommended Larsen's as a replacement and here in the UK are around £187 for a set.
I changed out my strings to Larsen Magnicore. $400 later, I found as much as I originally liked them, they were too brassy and projecting for my cello. I went with another brand that had more clarity and warmth.
I had the same experience with my corde sol on the CR5, too metallic so I "downgraded" to regular Larsens. Ha, "downgrade"! More like going from a GT3 to Carrera!
Thank you! So grateful for this information as I am in this exact situation. Haven't played consistent for years, I mean years. I achieved grade 7 when 17 years. I'm 54 now with a desire to play play play and struggling to remember how scales and theory work? I can play the written notes, jus need a lot of practical help and looking for good tutorials in reading the music again.. brain ache🤯 any suggestions appreciated, I v just replaced A string with Jarger for affordability, DGC are Larsen and it's a modern cheap end cello, sounds cool enough for me.
what about what I do, where I dedicate a specific brand to a specific string? For example. I want a nice Medium tention Larsen for my C string. Because i've experienced and been told that Larsens do great for C strings. But for my A string I'd want a Light Tention D-Addario Helicore. Because i've heard helicore for the A string is quite good. For my D string I'd want D'Addagio Kaplan, because i've heard those are good for D strings, for my G string I'm wanting a pirastro evah pirazzi because i've been told by other cellist that they are great for the G. What are your thoughts or experiences with using multiple brand of strings for specific strings? I'd love to know!
What happened to the Prim brand A and D strings..., also silver wrapped gut G and C strings? Thank for the help since I am very old and out of touch with modern strings.
I've been playing a Chinese cheap 500 dollar cello for the past 6 months. The cheap 10 dollar generic string set is crap imo, especially the A string, it's tinnier than tin. I'm no expert and I don't know whether it is the string's fault or my cello(cuz it's cheap). Do you think a string upgrade will help me get a decent sound?
Could I have your help: i have a chinese cello and I want to change its metal strings so my question does the sound of my cello improves for the better? and what strings do u suggest for me ..thank u
anything sounds better than preludes i had to play on. ill take some expensive strings anyday if they are responsive and aren't tinny or Airy sounding .
I am between change my cello to an expensive one, and change just the strings. As you said on the video, it is not worth to change just the strings in my case?
Hi, I recently acquired a cello. since then my A, D string has broken. therefore feel that I need to get a setup in case something unpredictable happens such as a string breaking. I play in a youth orchestra, ensemble. therefore desire strings suitable for it. do you have any tips? worth adding is that I don't have very high ambitions but still want it to sound good when I play. Thanks in advance! 🥰
I think talking about projecting too strongly is a bit misleading. There's almost no situation I can think of when you wouldn't want to optimize projection on an instrument. On the other hand, some strings can be overly bright or harsh for particular instruments, which has little to do with projection and more to do with timbre. I do agree that Jargar strings are excellent, all-around strings (and also quite affordable compared to brands like Larsen and higher-end Thomastik and Pirastro sets) and I recommend them to most of my students.
Relative to the other strings on my cello, yes the Soloist Edition does project too much, and my description was carefully chosen to exactly describe the problem. Not harsh, not bright but too strong. There was an analogy of an motor used that was edited out. If we take any forced-compression internal combustion petrol engine, and only apply the compression on a single cylinder, the power will be unbalanced. Take the Prelude from Suite I, opening bars: the Soloist strings are too much for my cello, demanding I play with less when I go to that single strings. Transitions from C to G to D are like speaking then shouting, then speaking again. Proving true the adage : one can have too much of a good thing.
Thanks for the great info. Can you give me some advices on which cello I should get for my son, the Samuel Shen (2019) or Samuel Eastman (2017)? My son has been playing for 4 years now since elementary school and will continue through high school. I want to give him a cello this year that would last awhile, at least he would enjoy playing it for a long time. What do you recommend?
Uh Oh! I just purchased some Jargar Medium for my 7/8 French Copy of a Stradivarius Cello that I have had for years. First time I will be putting on new strings myself. I am a small 72 year old woman. I do have strong fingers but small hands. I hope they work for me. Thanks for your comment.
Hey! Thank you for your video, it really helped me! I had a larsen string on my A string and the sound was incredible. However it was second handed from another student at my school and since i don't play as much as i used to but I still want to play, I've been searching for a more affordable string since the larsen one broke. On the Daddario strings, are the prelude ones good? Thank you so much for this really helpful video!
The type of string should fit your playing style and cello sound, so if you like the Larsens, keep with it. Preludes are a decent string that "do a job" until the replacement Larsens are back
May I ask when you recommend Jargar for beginners, I still have to choose between light, medium and heavy. I’m just playing at home for the first year at least and really don’t need projection. Which should I go for? Cello is a 4/4 size STENTOR Conservatoire and I play violin
After i broke two strings I just ordered ‘Larsen Magnacore Arioso Cello String’ as a relative beginner may be a bad idea but just wanted to try for myself …
@@CelloCoach yes I really liked them … maybe not good value for my skill level but feel like got some tone improvement. For me best thing was C string felt so much more responsive then my previous strings
Hello, here from Paraguay, i have a chinese cello and i have to change the old string...which is better? JARGAR CLASSIC or LARSEN CROWN, both of them are the same price....
Thanks Jonathan, intresting. I have a Cecilio CCO-600, currently with it's factory cecilio strings which are not so good. What string brand do you recommend? This is a student cello. I dont have a specific budget for strings, I was thinking of thomastik belcanto for the Do and Sol strings and larsens for re and la strings. What do you think? Thanks for your help man
I am not a fan nor an active objector to Thomastiks (1951). I prefer Jarl Hansen's Jargar (1950) for students and Laurits Larsen (1990) for myself. I maybe moving towards Jargars in tue future for the sole reason that the company was founded by a cellist to deliver strings designed for cello players' special needs. Back to Thomastiks : good strings that I have not used since switching to Danish strings back in the 1990s. It was night and day, in 1992, when I played my German cello with Thomastiks then with Jargars. The sound was not as shockingly different than the feeling of playing that quality of string. I'll apprehend that it is more prudent to compare Thomastiks against anything Danish. Thomastiks changed the world with their synthetic core Dominant strings, so I take my hat off to this company. Is the expertise of Thomastik in metal core strings or the aforementioned? I cannot make a honest review so I'm going to punt for now. One day, I will review Thomastiks. OK, that was a tangent. My advice : like I mentioned in this video, know your cello, repertoire, ensemble, performance/practice spaces, playing style. Since you are upgrading from factory strings, EVERYTHING will be amazing! My advice : go with a full set on the same type and brand, and variate from there.
The whole cello string industry is an utter rip off enterprise, with a couple of medium quality string sets often being the price of an old but decent used car!! This is ridiculous. It CANNOT cost that much to manufacture a decent set of strings. Someone, somewhere is taking the piss. You're quite right. Some very expensive strings sound no better than a cheaper set. But you won't know until you've spent $xxx before you find out. If you are buying a new and inexpensive beginner cello, re-stringing it will often cost MORE than the whole instrument. Madness.
Excuse me Johnathon, I was wonder I have D’addario Prelude Strings on my DZ Strad Student 101 Cello. They came with the Cello, and I was looking for an upgrade, which strings would you recommend for this. Looking for something with nice warmth. Thanks!
It is a subjective question, for no one pair of strings sound better on any given cello. You have to experiment and find your preference in sound and feel.
Hi Jonathan I hope you are well? I have a question If I may regarding string tension and thought I would run it through you.. I get the difference between tensions and why someone maybe would opt for a high tension or low but is there any difference in the feel of the string? . For example is a low string easier on the fingers than a high one.. I mean is a low tension easier to pull down than a higher tension one? Many thanks, Rob...
I am well and thank you for asking, Rob. My subjective opinion is strong tension means as you mentioned : more effort to pull the string to wood. For our thicker strings - the C (do) - this is ideal if you're using all the same type of string. Yet, and I cannot be firm enough in saying sometimes strong tension is worse than medium tension. Case and point: my new CR5. I thought it clever to use full Larsen Magnacores (most expensive of the brand), opting foolishly for a Sol (G) and Do (C) Strong tension. Though the Do was nice, the Sol sounded too metallic, so I opted for a regular Larsen and all is well. As for differences in the feel, most certainly. One can play with more dominance on a strong tension, so if your cello needs just more of _____________ ( you fill in the blank) then you might profit from a strong tension string. Hope you and yours are having a healthy 2020!
@@CelloCoach thank you so much for your time in replying.. We have certainly missed you on CZcams and glad to have you back from the whole of our community and wishing you a blessed 2020 :) I have only been playing cello for around 6 months now so I'm still very much in the beginner stages.. I was living out in the middle east for 9 years but now I'm back in the sunny UK.. I bought myself a primo200 when I got back here and it's set up perfectly with Larsen Classics medium gauge.. Where I'm living now means even with a mute on the P200 then I wasn't get the practice time I wanted as I live in a apartment block so being totally addicted to cello now I decided to take the Yamaha 110..i am in love with this cello and pushing it through a Marshall 50w Amp then it sounds amazing.. It did need some setting up though and the violin shop close to me scooped the finger board, lowered the nut as this was high, recut the bridge and put me some larsens medium classics on it and it sounds great.. Now I can practise into the early hours with my headphones on and get the much needed practise time I need (your video on the 210 sold it to me so u should ask yamaha for a commission, hehe) Reason I ask about the string tension is I'm finding that after a while I get tension in my left hand from pulling the strings down and also I get a scratchy / sliding sound coming from the bow as if it's not grabbing the string enough and slides over it.. It's a weird sound and doesn't always do it, when it does this sound nothing i can do makes it go away such as pressing down more on the bow pressure, only stop the bow and start again and its good again.. It's weird, if I play with slightly more force on the bow pressure then it doesn't always do this but my smoothness between notes and string changes suffer... Such as it's not smooth anymore and note changes sound blocky if u get me.. I thought about trying a set of low tension strings and seeing if this helps me in my playing but if they vibrate more then I'm a bit worried from getting a buzzing sound as my string heights on the finger board are already set at the lowest they can... Is this smoothness and scratching sound something that goes away with time and should I just man up a bit with the medium strings???
Such a detailed response, Rob, and it seems your are as otaku as I am about cello. As you describe it, you bow arm technique should be analysed in real-time. Do you have a teacher and so if not, ever thought about online courses? Even a single lesson with me will help you heaps. For your consideration, please watch czcams.com/video/hYJY3NCnHEY/video.html and if you feel so inclined, here is my calendar - calendar.google.com/calendar/selfsched?sstoken=UUxiTkRRZ3M0a1VqfGRlZmF1bHR8OTVhZjQ5NjgwOGRhZGFjMThjNWQzNTI0M2MyNDA1ZDI I am glad you found a luthier who was willing to work on your 110, so my thanks goes to them.
@@CelloCoach I think the Luthier was more curious about the 110 and hasn't seen one before hence why he worked on it.. I have recently just moved into the area so I have a couple of teachers In this area that I'm going to touch base with.. I was getting taught in the middle east but since being back in the UK I have been finding my feet here.. I will certainly check your schedule though, just a shame you don't live in Wales, UK..
Oh one more thing Mr. Clever. Larsen soloist have nearly the same price as Larsen standard edition. For example larsen A string $38 and larsen A soloist $44 the difference is $6 or so. So this video is a crap.
Okay guys look this dude is trippin balls. The standard cello string set up is a larsen A and D and Spirocore Tungsten C and G regardless of your cellos age, type, or whatever. If your really not tryyna spend too much money just get a full set of da helicore they work just fine.
So I just spent 3 days in Cremona, talking with master luthiers and playing all sorts of cellos across town. Your perspective is not shared by any of the luthiers of here in Cremona.
Dude, I could litterally listen to your voice to help me fall asleep at night lol 😂😂
Cool! Thanks Matthew!
His voice is lovely. He was born to teach and coach others. I have no doubt. His voice tone, patience and good articulation and how to explain things that are complex show he really has the skills from birth. It is in his DNA.
I wonder if his parents or ancestors were not also teachers.
This guy has no clue what he is talking about.
You have, without a doubt, the most underrated cello channel on the internet. ;)
👍
You're the best!
Thanks Jonathan. I just received my new Jargar strings from Amazon yesterday and will be putting them on shortly. Your video of how to change strings has really helped me to feel confident to do this myself as I moved from San Francisco Bay Area and had Joan Balter from Berkeley and Ifshin in El Cerrito do all my work for me. Now I am at the mercy of online shopping, CZcams and do it myself!!! Just hoping these Jargar will sound good from my old French Stradivarius copy 7/8 Cello that I have had for years. I am Following you and You are AWESOME!!!
Update - Just got through putting on my set of Jargar Medium string on my Cello and WOW, what a difference. Had no problem with playing with these strings. My "Old Girl" hasn't sounded this good in a long time! Thanks Jonathan for the info!
I too enjoyed the many luthiers of the Bay Area. From Ifshin to Kamimoto, there are so many quality places to dive deep into our culture. Anyways, glad the video helped you out!
I just want my cello strings to sound like his voice. Absolute gold!
I've loved the cello and wanted to learn for so long. I am 26 now and heard my first cello while flipping through channels on an old radio when I was very young, by some stroke of luck it picked up classical. I live in Georgia, and we don't have much in the way of cello education. Your channel has helped with so many of my questions. Just hearing you play and knowing that you provide so many resources has made me decide that this is my year to finally buy a beginner cello and try. Thank you for everything that you do.
My pleasure, Brittany. One day, during a live stream, I too will share the moment I was bitten by the cello bug ;-)
have you picked up the cello since then? curious to know because i started out the same way about. would love to know your progress and insight
In what part of Georgia are you located? I too began learning cello in recently in my late 20s (in GA). It's fun to meet fellow adult learners.
I'm from calhoun. Small town where no one really cares about the cello. I've been working on learning for a while. It's hard with everything going on right now. There are no teachers around and I work a full time job. I wish I had more time or someone experienced to teach me more.
Hey bud! I'm getting back into cello myself and I want to be an orchestra teacher. I'm always happy to listen and give advice:) I say to always focus on tone quality, first and foremost!
A couple months ago when I was just starting my cello adventure, I excitedly took my new-to-me $250 used-from- Craigslist Amazon cello to the nearby luthier. He politely told me that putting Larsen strings on it would be like putting a Porsche engine in a Volkswagen! Point taken. I still want new strings though!
Both the Porsche 911 and Volkswagen Beetle were designed by the same man: Ferdinand Porsche. These two marques LITERALLY shared the same blocks for decades! Funny, how the dude was making a point without making a point. A better auto analogy would be: it's like putting P-Zeros on a Toyota Camry. :-p Anyways, a decent set of Jargar Mediums will do you good, Lela.
I did purchase (again from Craigslist!) a 3/4 cello this week. Same luthier said I got a great deal! Sadly, needs new strings desperately. I will ask for the ones you recommend.
Jargar Set - amzn.to/2E4o5zX
This is EXCELLENT advice . . . and true. I don't have Jarger strings but I understand that for many many players, AND cellos, they are an excellent base line and frankly, the minimum I'd put on any cello. They ARE the "Toyota" of strings and in keeping with that analogy, you just can't go wrong with Jarger strings. Having said that, when a more "expensive" string can DEMONSTRABLY make your cello sound better, THEN it MAY be worth the investment because "better sound" leads to more enjoyment of your cello, which may lead to more motivation to practice which then leads to more . . . well you get the picture : )
great observation
Thank you Jonathan. My 10 year old and I are learning cello. We have watched almost all your videos. We live in N CA and hope to be able to meet and hear you play live one day.
In my experience the more expensive strings have transformed the sound of my cello drastically. I used have the Thomastik Dominant (they sound horrible in my opinion!) and then changed to the Pirastro Obligato then Evah Pirazzi.. My God it was the difference between heaven and earth when changed from Dominant to Obligato as it gave a beautiful deep robust sound to my cello. The Evah Pirazzi had an amazing and resonance and powerful projection without losing the warmth of sound.. for my cello Evah Pirazzi strings sounded the best so far
Such a great comment! THANK YOU!
Johnathan, you are the bob ross of cello.
Love this comparison! He had cooler hair :-)
@@CelloCoach talking about hair: don't ever change your hair color. It is so beautiful! I wish I had that color 😢💔
As a Toyota FJ cruiser owner, I love your Toyota reference!
I know this sounds odd, because I am not a cellist. (I’m a violinist and violist). But I discovered the same thing. I use a very small, 19th century viola. Initially I followed the advise of friends for a. More expensive set. This actually took away from the colors and subtle nuances in the instrument. She sounded amazing when I switched strings to a mid-range set that had great reviews online. I found my “perfect string mix” now. Lol
Great video. Which again is a bit strange that I’m subscribed since I am not a cellist. Lol
It's so helpful to hear everyone's string stories. I tried to convince my daughter to try the viola a few months ago. She played the violin, and hated the high notes. Unfortunately, she just decided to quit music altogether.
This is a great video with great advice! Thank you! I had three celli so far, my first one was a new one by the time I purchased it from a luthier at Mittenwald. It sounded great with spirocore strings, tried larsen but switched back. Now I still have two Celli aprox. from Markneukirchen or the region, very own individual character and really no bad instruments. Ended up with Silver wound strings (Dominant medium) on c, g. Love the tone, the feel, the thickness and th3e silver shiny look. But I am struggeling with a and d. The celli are both able to put out a strong loud tone, more so than the mentioned Mittenwald one. Like the larsen soloist for now on one of them (i'd say its the one that has a little more objective tone). The other is like a very special individual character, and I tried some old spirocore I had layin around but they sound thin and dont suit at all. Soloist sounded quite well but still not what I am looking for soundwise. Do you have an Idea which strings I could try? Perhaps consider trying the "new" versum strings? Fortunately dont have to struggle for the low strings because price of the higher is much lower😊 Thanks in advance, subbed! Edit: Already subbed😂
Happpy to help you
Here is my thoughts after playing cello 2 years with the strings that came with it, finally tried “Larsen Magnacore Arioso” set. I feel playability is improved, but is it worth it? … Probably not. I definitely am getting a slightly improved tone. For me the biggest improvement is responsiveness of C string and the pleasantness of open A. On the old strings I found C string much harder to sound and felt behind time, on these new strings response feels instant. The open A string sounds less harsh to my ears. Also if I bow a note and take the bow off the strings there is a really long resonant sustain that I didn’t get before. Possibly those improvements could have been had with a more intermediate set which is probably what I would try next time I change strings.
great story
Ha! Found the right video for my question: how do you know when it’s time to put on a new string? (Apart from when the old one breaks obviously 😂) I think I’ve been practicing on my current ones for at least a year now! Thank you 🙏🏻
I read that 1 hour a day of ordinary playing you should easily get 18-24 months. If you’re thrashing about forte and presto for hours a day, then 6-9 months.
Thank you so much. I watched your videos and successfully changed my strings with little trouble. Hurray.
Yay!
What about which strings for an electric cello? Using an amp, I do not require strings for projection. Which strings for great playing and without wasting my money for features or intentions I don’t need?
I use Larsen because I didn't like the others it came with. But I have noticed cellists here in Germany using different sets, Larsen in two or one string and the other strings with another type. It depends on your "tone" taste. I am ok with the ones I have and I never tried the expensive ones. It takes time to know what you like or dislike in string instruments so I advice people not to waste too much money...in the beginning, you may regret it.
Thanks for sharing! Great advice
I have a set of Kaplan on my cello. Definitely a game changer. Some of the most difficult or demanding cello excerpts have never been so much easier to play. I've always been a fan of synthetic or warmer strings - Dominants, Pro Arte or Aricore. And it could be my instrument is a bit on the bright side.. Every instrument is different. I think I might try Warchal next time.
I want to get into synthetics, so how's the Aricore compare to the Dominant?
@@CelloCoach Aricore are a little bit brighter than the Dominant and short break in time. They last longer than Dominant and warmer sound. Sadly they discontinued a few years ago.
Thanks for the advice Jonathan ! I'm a noobie, so I went for a Jargar set.
Good choice!
As far as I m concerned, this video is pure ASMR !!
Really?
Jonathan Humphries yea your voice is so nice and smoothing
THANK GOD you tell people the more expensive strings do NOT by fiat make your playing improve. Thank you
Thank once again for your insight. My new Hidersine cello has a deep bass sound to it and of course overtime (some four years or so I am told) will find its voice. I have been recommended Larsen's as a replacement and here in the UK are around £187 for a set.
I changed out my strings to Larsen Magnicore. $400 later, I found as much as I originally liked them, they were too brassy and projecting for my cello. I went with another brand that had more clarity and warmth.
I had the same experience with my corde sol on the CR5, too metallic so I "downgraded" to regular Larsens. Ha, "downgrade"! More like going from a GT3 to Carrera!
HI, im from Brasil. Im a begginer cello student and i just say tk you, because help me allot to chose the correct strings.
You are welcome
Thank you! So grateful for this information as I am in this exact situation. Haven't played consistent for years, I mean years. I achieved grade 7 when 17 years. I'm 54 now with a desire to play play play and struggling to remember how scales and theory work? I can play the written notes, jus need a lot of practical help and looking for good tutorials in reading the music again.. brain ache🤯 any suggestions appreciated, I v just replaced A string with Jarger for affordability, DGC are Larsen and it's a modern cheap end cello, sounds cool enough for me.
Watch my Basics of Cello playlist
what about what I do, where I dedicate a specific brand to a specific string? For example. I want a nice Medium tention Larsen for my C string. Because i've experienced and been told that Larsens do great for C strings. But for my A string I'd want a Light Tention D-Addario Helicore. Because i've heard helicore for the A string is quite good. For my D string I'd want D'Addagio Kaplan, because i've heard those are good for D strings, for my G string I'm wanting a pirastro evah pirazzi because i've been told by other cellist that they are great for the G. What are your thoughts or experiences with using multiple brand of strings for specific strings? I'd love to know!
Thank you ,again I really needed a tip like this.
Hope you make an informed decision prior to spending too much money.
What happened to the Prim brand A and D strings..., also silver wrapped gut G and C strings? Thank for the help since I am very old and out of touch with modern strings.
I answered your question in this video - czcams.com/users/live7MZCXwU_3GU?feature=share
I've been playing a Chinese cheap 500 dollar cello for the past 6 months. The cheap 10 dollar generic string set is crap imo, especially the A string, it's tinnier than tin. I'm no expert and I don't know whether it is the string's fault or my cello(cuz it's cheap). Do you think a string upgrade will help me get a decent sound?
Could I have your help: i have a chinese cello and I want to change its metal strings so my question does the sound of my cello improves for the better? and what strings do u suggest for me ..thank u
Something from Denmark will be best, like Jargars, if not, Thomastik or D'Addario brands are good.
anything sounds better than preludes i had to play on. ill take some expensive strings anyday if they are responsive and aren't tinny or Airy sounding .
good point
I am between change my cello to an expensive one, and change just the strings. As you said on the video, it is not worth to change just the strings in my case?
Better quality is good, but the strings must match the character of your cello
Hi, I recently acquired a cello. since then my A, D string has broken. therefore feel that I need to get a setup in case something unpredictable happens such as a string breaking. I play in a youth orchestra, ensemble. therefore desire strings suitable for it. do you have any tips? worth adding is that I don't have very high ambitions but still want it to sound good when I play. Thanks in advance! 🥰
I'm a beginner who has an electric cello and looking to get new strings, what would you recommend??
Larsen Auroras, Helicores or Jargars
I think talking about projecting too strongly is a bit misleading. There's almost no situation I can think of when you wouldn't want to optimize projection on an instrument. On the other hand, some strings can be overly bright or harsh for particular instruments, which has little to do with projection and more to do with timbre.
I do agree that Jargar strings are excellent, all-around strings (and also quite affordable compared to brands like Larsen and higher-end Thomastik and Pirastro sets) and I recommend them to most of my students.
Relative to the other strings on my cello, yes the Soloist Edition does project too much, and my description was carefully chosen to exactly describe the problem. Not harsh, not bright but too strong. There was an analogy of an motor used that was edited out. If we take any forced-compression internal combustion petrol engine, and only apply the compression on a single cylinder, the power will be unbalanced.
Take the Prelude from Suite I, opening bars: the Soloist strings are too much for my cello, demanding I play with less when I go to that single strings. Transitions from C to G to D are like speaking then shouting, then speaking again. Proving true the adage : one can have too much of a good thing.
Thanks for the great info. Can you give me some advices on which cello I should get for my son, the Samuel Shen (2019) or Samuel Eastman (2017)? My son has been playing for 4 years now since elementary school and will continue through high school. I want to give him a cello this year that would last awhile, at least he would enjoy playing it for a long time. What do you recommend?
involve you son in the selection process so he can choose the cello that best fits his playing style
I'm not looking for a Ferrari, but I don't want a Toyota either. What's a good "BMW"?
Thomastik-Infeld are innovative, Austrian (sorry not German) and great strings too.
Thank you! Very clarifying
Anytime, Fábio! (like you name too)
great, clear informative / educational video; thanks!
Glad you enjoyed it!
Ook! [I used Jargar, but they were really stiff and it hurt my fingers. I switched to Larsens.]
Uh Oh! I just purchased some Jargar Medium for my 7/8 French Copy of a Stradivarius Cello that I have had for years. First time I will be putting on new strings myself. I am a small 72 year old woman. I do have strong fingers but small hands. I hope they work for me. Thanks for your comment.
Jargers Mediums, the "Toyota of Cello Strings" :-) Wise choice, Julanna!
Thank you for this information it's very good.
Hey! Thank you for your video, it really helped me! I had a larsen string on my A string and the sound was incredible. However it was second handed from another student at my school and since i don't play as much as i used to but I still want to play, I've been searching for a more affordable string since the larsen one broke. On the Daddario strings, are the prelude ones good? Thank you so much for this really helpful video!
The type of string should fit your playing style and cello sound, so if you like the Larsens, keep with it. Preludes are a decent string that "do a job" until the replacement Larsens are back
May I ask when you recommend Jargar for beginners, I still have to choose between light, medium and heavy. I’m just playing at home for the first year at least and really don’t need projection. Which should I go for?
Cello is a 4/4 size STENTOR Conservatoire and I play violin
I like evah pirazzi gold. They're perfect.
After i broke two strings I just ordered ‘Larsen Magnacore Arioso Cello String’ as a relative beginner may be a bad idea but just wanted to try for myself …
and you like them now?
@@CelloCoach yes I really liked them … maybe not good value for my skill level but feel like got some tone improvement. For me best thing was C string felt so much more responsive then my previous strings
Hello, here from Paraguay, i have a chinese cello and i have to change the old string...which is better? JARGAR CLASSIC or LARSEN CROWN, both of them are the same price....
Valuable as always!
What strings on my yamaha electric cello.
There is a string guide online to the various colours on either ends. Should be able to decipher the brand at least
Thanks Jonathan, intresting. I have a Cecilio CCO-600, currently with it's factory cecilio strings which are not so good. What string brand do you recommend? This is a student cello. I dont have a specific budget for strings, I was thinking of thomastik belcanto for the Do and Sol strings and larsens for re and la strings. What do you think?
Thanks for your help man
I am not a fan nor an active objector to Thomastiks (1951). I prefer Jarl Hansen's Jargar (1950) for students and Laurits Larsen (1990) for myself. I maybe moving towards Jargars in tue future for the sole reason that the company was founded by a cellist to deliver strings designed for cello players' special needs. Back to Thomastiks : good strings that I have not used since switching to Danish strings back in the 1990s. It was night and day, in 1992, when I played my German cello with Thomastiks then with Jargars. The sound was not as shockingly different than the feeling of playing that quality of string. I'll apprehend that it is more prudent to compare Thomastiks against anything Danish. Thomastiks changed the world with their synthetic core Dominant strings, so I take my hat off to this company. Is the expertise of Thomastik in metal core strings or the aforementioned? I cannot make a honest review so I'm going to punt for now. One day, I will review Thomastiks.
OK, that was a tangent. My advice : like I mentioned in this video, know your cello, repertoire, ensemble, performance/practice spaces, playing style. Since you are upgrading from factory strings, EVERYTHING will be amazing! My advice : go with a full set on the same type and brand, and variate from there.
@@CelloCoach very interesring Jonathan. Thankyou very much for your time and advice. I'll keep in touch and let you know what I went for.
I have a question what size should I get like what is 4/4 and stuff like that ?
The whole cello string industry is an utter rip off enterprise, with a couple of medium quality string sets often being the price of an old but decent used car!! This is ridiculous. It CANNOT cost that much to manufacture a decent set of strings. Someone, somewhere is taking the piss. You're quite right. Some very expensive strings sound no better than a cheaper set. But you won't know until you've spent $xxx before you find out. If you are buying a new and inexpensive beginner cello, re-stringing it will often cost MORE than the whole instrument. Madness.
Truth
Hi Jonathan, i have a question what is the Lowest note on the cello?
яοοςє • It’s a C
Are DAddario Helocre strings decent?
Thanks for info.What about domunguez çello strings,they are very cheap,its around 10 dollars?!
Maybe too cheap. Try them and see for yourself?
@@CelloCoach i will try,and i will write result here
What do you do about Wolf tones? Mine makes a crazy vibrating sound on F sharp. Will changing strings help?
wolf tuner
Excuse me Johnathon, I was wonder I have D’addario Prelude Strings on my DZ Strad Student 101 Cello. They came with the Cello, and I was looking for an upgrade, which strings would you recommend for this. Looking for something with nice warmth. Thanks!
It is a subjective question, for no one pair of strings sound better on any given cello. You have to experiment and find your preference in sound and feel.
What type of rosin do you recommend for a good price?
Piastro Olive Evah
Hi Jonathan I hope you are well? I have a question If I may regarding string tension and thought I would run it through you.. I get the difference between tensions and why someone maybe would opt for a high tension or low but is there any difference in the feel of the string? . For example is a low string easier on the fingers than a high one.. I mean is a low tension easier to pull down than a higher tension one? Many thanks, Rob...
I am well and thank you for asking, Rob. My subjective opinion is strong tension means as you mentioned : more effort to pull the string to wood. For our thicker strings - the C (do) - this is ideal if you're using all the same type of string. Yet, and I cannot be firm enough in saying sometimes strong tension is worse than medium tension. Case and point: my new CR5. I thought it clever to use full Larsen Magnacores (most expensive of the brand), opting foolishly for a Sol (G) and Do (C) Strong tension. Though the Do was nice, the Sol sounded too metallic, so I opted for a regular Larsen and all is well.
As for differences in the feel, most certainly. One can play with more dominance on a strong tension, so if your cello needs just more of _____________ ( you fill in the blank) then you might profit from a strong tension string.
Hope you and yours are having a healthy 2020!
@@CelloCoach thank you so much for your time in replying.. We have certainly missed you on CZcams and glad to have you back from the whole of our community and wishing you a blessed 2020 :) I have only been playing cello for around 6 months now so I'm still very much in the beginner stages.. I was living out in the middle east for 9 years but now I'm back in the sunny UK.. I bought myself a primo200 when I got back here and it's set up perfectly with Larsen Classics medium gauge.. Where I'm living now means even with a mute on the P200 then I wasn't get the practice time I wanted as I live in a apartment block so being totally addicted to cello now I decided to take the Yamaha 110..i am in love with this cello and pushing it through a Marshall 50w Amp then it sounds amazing.. It did need some setting up though and the violin shop close to me scooped the finger board, lowered the nut as this was high, recut the bridge and put me some larsens medium classics on it and it sounds great.. Now I can practise into the early hours with my headphones on and get the much needed practise time I need (your video on the 210 sold it to me so u should ask yamaha for a commission, hehe)
Reason I ask about the string tension is I'm finding that after a while I get tension in my left hand from pulling the strings down and also I get a scratchy / sliding sound coming from the bow as if it's not grabbing the string enough and slides over it.. It's a weird sound and doesn't always do it, when it does this sound nothing i can do makes it go away such as pressing down more on the bow pressure, only stop the bow and start again and its good again.. It's weird, if I play with slightly more force on the bow pressure then it doesn't always do this but my smoothness between notes and string changes suffer... Such as it's not smooth anymore and note changes sound blocky if u get me.. I thought about trying a set of low tension strings and seeing if this helps me in my playing but if they vibrate more then I'm a bit worried from getting a buzzing sound as my string heights on the finger board are already set at the lowest they can... Is this smoothness and scratching sound something that goes away with time and should I just man up a bit with the medium strings???
Such a detailed response, Rob, and it seems your are as otaku as I am about cello. As you describe it, you bow arm technique should be analysed in real-time. Do you have a teacher and so if not, ever thought about online courses? Even a single lesson with me will help you heaps. For your consideration, please watch czcams.com/video/hYJY3NCnHEY/video.html and if you feel so inclined, here is my calendar - calendar.google.com/calendar/selfsched?sstoken=UUxiTkRRZ3M0a1VqfGRlZmF1bHR8OTVhZjQ5NjgwOGRhZGFjMThjNWQzNTI0M2MyNDA1ZDI
I am glad you found a luthier who was willing to work on your 110, so my thanks goes to them.
@@CelloCoach I think the Luthier was more curious about the 110 and hasn't seen one before hence why he worked on it.. I have recently just moved into the area so I have a couple of teachers In this area that I'm going to touch base with.. I was getting taught in the middle east but since being back in the UK I have been finding my feet here.. I will certainly check your schedule though, just a shame you don't live in Wales, UK..
Are 13dollars strings on aliexpress good enough ? Theyre Alice806
what c string goes well with soloist larsens, so stupid there isnt a soloisst c,
❤❤❤❤
Oh one more thing Mr. Clever. Larsen soloist have nearly the same price as Larsen standard edition. For example larsen A string $38 and larsen A soloist $44 the difference is $6 or so. So this video is a crap.
entitled to your opinion - thanks for the hate view
A lu-tee-ay
oui
Okay guys look this dude is trippin balls. The standard cello string set up is a larsen A and D and Spirocore Tungsten C and G regardless of your cellos age, type, or whatever. If your really not tryyna spend too much money just get a full set of da helicore they work just fine.
So I just spent 3 days in Cremona, talking with master luthiers and playing all sorts of cellos across town. Your perspective is not shared by any of the luthiers of here in Cremona.
Jonathan Humphries well the strad in your most recent video has that set up on them!🤷♂️
What is your problem?