Reddit reviews Cello Playing for Music Lovers: A Self-teaching Method

I haven't read it myself but Cello Playing for Music Lovers advertises it self as comprehensive and focused on adult beginners specifically . As a bonus one of the top reviews runs down multiple book options. Myself I'm also going through Essential Elements like you mentioned and enjoy it.

Since you're not going with a teacher I would highly suggest some YouTube channels like Johnathan Humphries and Sarah Joy.

Lastly, I would be iffy about being purely self taught, there are many teachers who do half hour lessons and will probably do it cheaper. Especially people who are current music students and don't have 15 years of teaching. Even if you had to go with once a month. There are ways in which you can give yourself unhealthy habits that could even be painful later on. So an occasional correction and instruction might really help. If you really can't... Play with a mirror.

I have used a book called "Cello Playing for Music Lovers - a self teaching method" by Vera Mattlin Jiji for teaching one of my adult students. You can look inside the book on Amazon.com and see if you like it. It includes a CD which helps you hear the proper sound. The writer is a retired English professor who writes well, and provides accurate word descriptions and reference photographs.

It is much better to have a teacher, but if you need to start on your own, this book may be useful reference material for the correct hand position, posture, etc. and it has a number of songs to play arranged in a progressive sequence.

If you buy this book, don't pay list price for it. You should be able to find it for under USD $40.00.

there are students who are more advanced than me, but everyone is < 1 year. 3 students in total, I think, including myself.

I have been thinking of supplementing with online lessons, or perhaps a book like this one: https://www.amazon.ca/Cello-Playing-Music-Lovers-Self-Teaching/dp/1412095603/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1481493285&sr=8-2&keywords=cello+for+music+lovers.

But only as a supplement, not a replacement.

I only played in Junior/High school. I quit for 7 years for college. I picked up the cello again once I had a steady job and musician friends needing a cellist.

Since I still remembered all of the foundational information, I just focused on carving out time for self-teaching. I found this book super helpful:
https://www.amazon.com/Cello-Playing-Music-Lovers-Self-Teaching/dp/1412095603/

You’ll be surprised how fast things come back. Focus on the mechanics, and then the polishing. A tuner app can get you going to make sure you’re in tune to start. The app Intonia is amazing for visualizations your intonation in real-time.

The next really important part, more so than a teacher in my opinion, is finding your reason to play and play constantly. Do it for your self-expression, do it for fun, do it to make mistakes. Just enjoy playing.

I’ve been playing for about 10 years now. I’ve done community orchestras, small cello quartet ensembles (continued learning class @ community college), a few bands doing folk/Jazz/Swedish music, etc.

What will kill your efforts is self-criticism. I had to learn to be okay with mistakes and find the joy in playing.

Good luck!