The time it takes to learn and then master playing on the cello in Singapore varies greatly and depends on several factors. These factors include but are not limited to the student’s level of dedication, practice routine, prior musical experience, natural aptitude and the level of proficiency they aim to achieve. In a nutshell, mastery of the cello will be a matter of years, and not days or weeks or even months.
In general, it is common for cellists in Singapore to spend at least a few years developing basic techniques, musical literacy and repertoire. During this time, students focus on building a solid foundation of posture, bowing technique, left-hand technique, intonation, and rhythm. They also learn to read music and develop an understanding of music theory. This time frame is under the assumption that the student is taking cello lessons in Singapore. It can take much longer if these Singaporean students are self-taught.
If your goal is to ace the ABRSM cello exams, and go through all of the grades, then on average, most cellists take 8 to 16 months to go through each grade in the ABRSM exams. To illustrate, this means that if you wish to reach ABRSM grade 8 for the cello in Singapore, then it will likely take you 8 years.
The above is what you can expect on how many years it will take you to learn cello if you have the lifestyle of an average working adult Singaporean. If you have an extremely busy career life, you will likely take much longer to master the cello, because you have much less time to practice. On the other hand, if you have lots of free time because you run your own automated businesses or are retired, then you can become an accomplished cellist in Singapore in a much shorter period of time.