He studied trombone, and later cello, although he was unable to follow the cello professionally because, at the time, it was nearly impossible for a black musician to make a career of classical music, and the cello was not yet accepted as a jazz instrument.
Мингус изучал тромбон, но в то время было почти невозможно для черного музыканта сделать карьеру в классической музыке, а виолончель еще не была принята в качестве джазового инструмента.