[UweSchmidt]

I played Cello for 3 years, starting in my 30ies. It's true that it's doable if you've figured out learning in general, maybe know a few things about music, or even better, have played a stringed instrument for that left hand coordination.

But you know how good you'd like to play, and that is a massive undertaking: Playing on a fretless neck, bowing, keeping high body tension throughout, the sightreading requirement (tenor clef anyone?), the character of the instrument and the relevant cello pieces expecting virtuous play, are all compounding factors that make it really hard, with no clear goal:

Get some friends out of their musical retirement? Be the novelty instrument in a alternative band? Find an orchestra or quartett that's beginner friendly and ...cool?

Meanwhile, the return on a minimal investment in guitar playing and a bit of singing is almost comical. Also plenty of bands need a bass player and you'll easily find a group of cool people to play with even if you're just starting out and in your 50ies. Want more? Try the piano; moderate effort will enable you to play all pop/rock songs.

[robhack]

Not everything has to be about ROI, especially when it comes to art, in my opinion. For example, I might want to write a fiction book even though I know I won't sell any, just because it's something that inspires me and want to have done in my life.

You could also mitigate the ROI by learning both the guitar to get your quick ROI boost, while learning the cello when you want to get serious (not that you can't get serious on the guitar, but you might like the cello better and want to get serious on it instead).

[zyxley]

> Meanwhile, the return on a minimal investment in guitar playing and a bit of singing is almost comical.

To elaborate on this, all you really need to play a substantial amount of popular and folk music is to (a) memorize 4-8 chords and the transitions between then, (b) memorize strumming patterns that go with the songs you want to play, and (c) practice until your fingers stop hurting from holding the frets (substantially easier with nylon strings than steel strings).

For some examples, you can play "Free Fallin'", "Bad Moon Rising", and a bunch of other songs with a capo and just A, D, and G chords.

[nandemo]

I'm learning the flute, and I know how painful it can be to struggle just to play one note in tune and a good tone, compared to playing a note on the guitar or the piano.

But it looks like you're comparing pop guitar/piano with classical cello. If you can always take a cello and play jazz, or even pop music. Then the comparison would be more fair.

Also, tenor clef is no harder than other clefs. It's just a different offset. If you learn intervalic reading you can read any clef.

[kzhahou]

If you've read treble your whole life, tenor may as well be rot13.

Ditto treble -> bass, or any new clef.

[scarecrowbob]

Really depends on how you read. If you read "this note means this finger", yeah. But if you're reading intervals and translating to "play the root, then the third, while sustaining the fifth", then different clefs are just like reading in different key signatures.