Wesley S.,

Keeping in mind that I'm still a beginner...doing Grade III and IV in accordance with the RCMT syllabus...which means my arpeggios are slow, shifts inconsistent and I can only play a few notes up high:

with folk jamming: kind of a hybrid of countermelody and bass.

with blues jamming: same thing. Also, blues is an inspiration to practise arpeggios, common intervals and non-cello techniques like hammer-on, pull-off, slide. The RCMT studies are thoroughly lacking in musical interest so a bit of blues feeds my ear.

Cello also makes a nice variable drone for minor or modal oldies like "When I Was In My Prime," the only song I can sing while I "chell." People seem to like voice and cello, so I plan to add more traddie stuff this way.

Summary: voice is my first instrument; on cello I try to play what I might harmonize. I've even been tossed a break or two and survived. E major is my next personal cello-practice project; no open strings, lots of shifts and obviously a mainstay of capo-free blues. It doesn't officially arise until RCMT Grade V but I need to know how to do it, like, yesterday! And by the way, my vibrato stinks.

Thanks for asking, Wesley. I do like to bubble over on the topic of crossover instruments. As I learn more, I'd like to write a string trio or quartet (maybe quintet) that includes a banjo along with the usual array of bowed strings. But that's another thread...

CH