Strings        Rosin        Metronomes        Tuners        Endpin Anchors Strings Strings should be replaced every 6-12 months, depending on how frequently you play your cello Prices vary by the materials used in the string.  Usually, more advanced (and therefore more expensive)   strings will be more resonant and be capable of a greater variety of tone qualities. Not all strings sound good on all cellos or with all players.  You may have to test several varieties or   combinations before you find the perfect match Not all strings come in smaller sizes; 1/8 and 1/4 cellos are particularly limited in choices. Many strings come in different tensions, described as: soft/weich, medium/mittel, or heavy/stark/forte.  Always   buy the medium tension, unless your teacher or luthier has told you otherwise. Rosin Many experts say that rosin should be replaced every 1-2 years Higher quality rosin will give your bow more grip with less dusty residue New bows are very difficult to rosin if your rosin is also new.  Try breaking your new rosin in with a bow that   already has rosin on it, and always rosin a new bow with a rosin chunk that's been used. WARNING FOR DOG OWNERS: Dogs have been know to chew on or even consume rosin chunks, so watch   your pets whenever rosin is out, and always put it away in a safe place. Metronomes The newer digital metronomes have many features that can assist with counting, such as the ability to mark different rhythms and accent specific beats.  Some of these, however, may mark the beat with a higher -     sounding beep, which not all cellists can tolerate, so listen to the model in which you're interested before     buying it.            *Combination tuner/metronome Tuners Cellists must have a chromatic tuner.  This means a tuner that can detect all the different pitches, rather than a guitar/bass tuner, which will only detect the pitches of a guitar's strings. Cellists need a higher-quality tuner than many instruments, because our two lowest strings are in a register that many less expensive tuners have difficulty detecting. To get the best bang for your buck, look for a tuner that will do three things: tune a pitch automatically (will tune any pitch played into it), manually (will tune only a specific pitch), and will play pitches as well.            *Combination tuner/metronome Endpin Anchors The devices that hold your endpin in place go by many names: rock stops, slip stops, enpin straps When choosing an endpin anchor, consider whether you want one that's small and portable, or something     bulkier with a strap, but more secure.

Great Products for Cellists

Below are some of my favorite cello-related products.  Everything listed here has been sampled by me at some point, and I regularly use many of these items.  If you know of something that ought to be listed here, tell me about it!

Brand/Type	Appropriate level of player	Description
Super Sensitive/Red Label	Beginning	Basic student string, available in smaller sizes
D'addario/ Prelude	Beginning	Basic student string, available in smaller sizes
Pirastro/Chromcor	Beginning	Higher quality student string, available in smaller sizes
Pirastro/Chromcor Plus	Beginning/Intermediate	Same as above, but has a coating that helps soften the metallic sound. Only available in 4/4 size
Prim	Intermediate	Big brassy sound for a relatively low price, good for quiet - sounding instruments
Jarger	Intermediate/Advanced	Nice sounding and a good step-up string.   Silver wound versions will sound warmer and less tinny than regular versions.
D'addario/Helicore	Advanced	Big, bold sound; good for solo playing and any instrument or player needing more volume
D'addario/Kaplan Solutions	Advanced	Available only for A and D string; good projection and very balanced sound, can be paired with Helicore G and C (listed above) or another comparable brand
Thomastik/Spirocore	Advanced	Big sound, available in a variety of metal winding.  Silver wound help to balance brassy tone; tungsten wound G and C are extremely popular when paired with Larsen A and D (see below)
Pirastro/Eva Pirazzi	Advanced	Great projection, sounds good on most instruments, excellent for any playing situation.  Rapidly becoming popular with professional players
Larsen	Advanced	Most popular string among professionals, very powerful and colorful.  Soloist variety offers even more volume and power.   Soloist A and D paired with Spirocore G and C (see above) is most popular string combination among professional players

Brand	Appropriate level of player	Description
Hidersine Cello	Beginner	Available in two varieties, one of which is in a protective metal case.
Hill Dark	Intermediate	My favorite rosin for years; the dark comes in a green cloth casing.
Pirastro Olive	Advanced	Provides a nice grip
L' Opera Jade	Advanced	Very little dust, and popular with professionals
Andrea	Advanced	The most amazing rosin- only a few strokes on the bow will last for hours.  Available in Solo and Symphony varieties, pricey and hard to find

Brand/Model	Features	Description
Seiko/ SQ-50
Korg/ MA-30
Korg/ KDM-2
Intelli/ IMT- 301*
Korg/ TM-40

Brand/Model	Features	Description
Seiko/ SAT500		Basic chromatic tuner, easy to use
Intelli/ IMT-204		Another basic chromatic tuner
Korg/ CA-30		Another basic chromatic tuner, does very well with the C-string
Korg/ TM-40*		Easy to use, with seperate buttons controlling the tuner and metronome features.
Intelli/ IMT-301*	Chromatic tuner (automatic mode only), references pitches, metronome, digital thermometer and hygrometer	Very intuitive to use, one of my favorite musical gadgets!  Many bells and whistles for the price.   Can sometimes be problematic with the C-string
Seiko/ ST90		The cadillac of tuners!

Brand	Description
Super Sensitive: Stoppin	Good grip on floors of all types, spongy material takes some getting used to
Xeros: Endpin Anchor	Basic endpin anchor which hooks onto chair.  Stays in place reliably, but can be frustrating to adjust length of strap