A common misconception about teaching children to play the cello is that it
requires more striving and effort than its smaller counterparts. Not true! Playing
the cello requires more balance and preparation, more relaxation and use of natural
body weight.
Avoid terms like “grip,” “push,” “press,” “hold,” “squeeze,” and “tight.” Substitute
“good” words like “hang,” “drape,” “relax,” “draw,” “weight,” “breathe,” “balance,”
and “hold.” Avoid the term “bow grip”; its very nature implies tightness. Use instead
“bow hold.” A good tone is not produced by pressing harder, but by adjusting the
location of the bow in relation to the bridge and using more arm weight.
A beautiful tone relies on the right combination of bow placement, bow speed,
and arm weight. If notes are weak or squawking because the left hand is not in
good contact with the fingerboard, squeezing or pressing the string down is not
the answer. Advise students to hang their fingers from the fingerboard, as if they
were hanging from a cliff by their fingertips. When shifting, emphasize the release
of pressure from one position to the next. A shift should be executed by release of
weight glide to the next position, and sink into the fingerboard upon arrival.
Correct instrument position is imperative for relaxed playing. The knees should be
even with the points of the bottom bouts. Adjust the endpin to this height. The feet
should be directly under the knees for optimum balance and posture. The top of
the body of the instrument should rest as close to the breast bone as possible. The
weight of the body should be thrown forward into the instrument. Cellists must sit
on the edge of the chair – leaning backwards can cause back strain. The endpin
should be angled about two to three inches to the right of center, ensuring that the
scroll doesn’t hit the student’s head. The scroll should not be resting on the shoulder,
but above the shoulder with the bottom peg close to the left ear. As the student
grows, this position will change. A comfortable playing position is important.
Keep trying!
The Thumb is the Secret
Bow Hold. Hold the bow like a club in the right hand. Unroll the fingers and place
the thumb at the edge of the cellist frog and the middle finger directly across from it
at the end of the tape/leather at the first knuckle. All other fingers support, hanging
or draping over the bow at the first knuckle. The thumb should be curved and
pointed toward the ceiling for maximum flexibility. (Of course this depends entirely
upon the length of the student’s thumb.) When the bow is on the strings, try to keep
the hand flat, except at the frog and tip where it will be angled slightly. The bow hold
for cello is quite square, which provides good balance for the heavier bow.
Left Hand Position. For flexibility and balance, center the thumb under the second
finger. I prefer to curve the thumb slightly, instead of flattening it against the back
of the neck. This prevents the student from pressing up with the thumb to bring the
fingers down onto the fingerboard. It is also an advantage when the student begins
shifting – the thumb on its side is more slippery and can’t hold the hand in position
by squeezing. Visualize hanging from a cliff by your fingertips. The weight to depress
the strings comes from the arm weight pulling the string toward the fingerboard,
not pressing from above. The thumb should be relaxed at all times, no squeezing.
Visualize a ripe strawberry between the thumb and neck of the cello. Gently hold
it there, but don’t crush it. Most hands require a slight adjustment for perfect
intonation between fingers one and three in first position. The advanced player does
this instinctively. This is best achieved with a slight rotation forward toward fourth
finger and backward toward first finger, rocking like a see-saw around the balance
point, which is the thumb.
Finding Third and Fourth Position. The left thumb is key for the secure location of
these positions. Placing the thumb in the saddle (where the neck meets the body),
the second finger will be directly across from it in open third position. In fourth
position, the first finger will be across from the thumb.
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Extensions. There are two distinct types of extensions on the cello: first finger
backward and the forward extension, which moves the entire hand. The first is
definitely the easier and should be taught first because it causes less strain on the
student’s hand. (Unfortunately, most intermediate string literature uses sharp keys,
and finding appropriate literature can be a problem).
Exercise. Picture the left hand as an elephant, with the forefinger being the trunk
and the other fingers and thumb being the body. The elephant needs to extend
the trunk in order to retrieve a peanut lying outside its cage. The thumb will stay
under the second finger as the first finger rotates backward for the extension, to be
immediately returned to closed position upon completion of the extension.
The forward extension is more complicated. This time, the elephant’s trunk is tied
to a tree and the body is pulling away. The second, third, and fourth fingers move
forward, the thumb following under the second finger. The position of the hand will
be the same as asking a four-year-old his age, with fingers spread and thumb under
the second finger. Another way to think of this is T-H-E: thumb, hand, elbow. The
extended hand will be supported by the elbow, which will rotate slightly forward to
support the weaker fourth finger. Again, upon completion of the extension, move the
hand back to normal position. Another school of thought on the forward extension is
that it should be taught as an actual half-step shift, moving the hand forward for the
extension and back into closed position. If you are using tapes on the fingerboard,
the third finger should cover the fourth finger tape, while releasing the weight on
the first finger completely, using for balance and support the second finger in its
new extended position. Unfortunately, this extension is taught very early in most of
the string method books, I believe without adequate explanation. Done incorrectly
and repeated incorrectly, it may cause tendon damage in young hands and serious
tension problems. Let me emphasize again: this is not an extension of the fourth
finger, but between the first and second fingers, which is the natural extension of
the hand.
Thumb Position. Thumb position on the cello is actually easier and more
comfortable than first position. When starting beginners, I place the thumb on the
natural harmonic D and A, which divides the string exactly in half between the nut
and bridge. They play “Twinkle” in thumb position, as well as first position, which
would be in unison with the violins. The angle of the left hand changes as it moves
up the fingerboard. In thumb position, the top of the hand is almost flat (unless
you have a student with exceptionally long fingers, in which case, the hand will be
angled slightly). The thumb itself should be relaxed and curved, with two strings
placed under it above the first joint. The top string will be directly above the first
joint. An octave is formed between the location of the thumb on the lower string and
the third finger on the string above. Pay particular attention to the curve of the other
fingers, making sure that the joints don’t collapse. The fingerings will resemble violin
fingerings, with the thumb being the open strings. First tunes should remain within
an octave, to get used to the position and to strengthen the fingers at this new
angle (i.e., “Joy to the World,” “Twinkle,” “Lightly Row”). The thumb may be moved
anywhere on the fingerboard, acting as a “capo” on a guitar, providing a “stop” from
which other scales may be played. The fourth finger is rarely used in thumb position
with the exception of advanced repertoire. When does the thumb come up on top of
the fingerboard and when should it be left behind? This is a matter of comfort, as all
hands have different stretching capabilities. As a general rule, the thumb is behind
the neck in fourth position, moves around to the side of the neck for fifth, sixth, and
seventh positions (that is, with the first finger on the natural harmonic) and then
above that, would be on top of the fingerboard.
These few simple suggestions should help the young cellists in your orchestra play
with more comfort and ease. The cello is a very natural instrument to play; there is
no twisting like with the violin. If a student is experiencing pain, there is a problem
with tension or position. The exercises above will aid in promoting relaxed,
effortless playing.
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