·:[ CelliMuse ]:·
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Luke Stanley has some podcasts out on his Cello Journey site. Where I’m still not sure what the purpose of doing this is, it’s certainly fantastic to be able to watch, listen, and be able to replay any time I want for observation/educational purposes!

This is a resource of Light Folksongs. It includes sheet music for violin, viola, cello, and piano.

Kids learn pretty easy and fast, but it’s gotta be fun or they tune you out. This person seems to have it together when putting together a lesson for kids.

Don’t quite know how to hold your cello? Not to worry, this cellist has you covered. And the last thing she says, to make it simple, is to just give your cello a hug and then you know just where you’re supposed to be with your cello.

1. Dip your right hand in an imaginary bucket of water.
   There are no towels : you’ll have to dry it by shaking off the water. Look how your hand is hanging ! The space between each finger is the correct spacing for your fingers when you hold your Cello bow.
   Notes: When you shake off your hand, the fingers fall into the most natural position possible. It is important that the fingers on the bow are not stretched too far apart or that they are not too close together; this could create tensions in your hand.
2. Pick a juicy strawberry.
   Pretend to pick some imaginary strawberries using the thumb ( nice and round ) and the second finger. The strawberries are ripe and soft and you are holding them firmly, but you are careful not to squash them. This is the way you feel when you hold the bow properly.
   Notes: Try not to squeeze the bow too tightly with "iron" fingers, but do not hold it too softly so that it might fall over.
3. A little help from the left hand.
   When you practise at home and you feel that your hand has slipped out of a good position holding the bow, don’t try to change it while playing : instead stop playing entirely. Leave your bow on the string and, with the left hand, support the bow some place in the upper half. Now shake the water from your hand, pick a strawberry with your second finger and thumb and try your bow hold again.
   Notes: When you shake your hand, tilt it slightly to the right, so that, when you try your bow hold again, the little finger will stay on the white dot you have on the frog and will not go too far down, away from the dot.
4. OK Guys!
   Apart from the strawberry picking, there is another good way to show how nicely thumb and middle finger go together. Without the bow, make an " OK " sign in the air with the tip of your thumb glued to the first joint of the middle finger : watch out ! Your thumb has to be really round and make a nice "O" shape !
   Notes: Our hands are naturally round, so if you keep them round, your playing will become more flexible and your sound will also become rounder and smoother. This OK sign is also good for your left hand around the neck of your Cello.
5. The upside down bow hold (quite a technical explanation!)
   Follow these instructions carefully!
   1. Make your hand floppy and relaxed, with the palm of your hand pointing to the ceiling.
   2. Your left hand holds the screw at the end of the bow.
   3. The bow hair points to the ceiling.
   4. The tip of the bow points to your right

   Now:

   1. First put just your round thumb between the beginning of the heel and the leather : the nail should be pointing to the tip
   2. Then put your middle finger opposite the thumb on the metal bit
   3. Let the other fingers take their natural place next to each other, wrapping the bow as it where a Christmas present
   4. The last joint of your little finger will be on the white dot you can find on the frog of the bow ( heel ).
   5. When you feel that it is all nice and round and all in place…CAPSIZE the Bow and you are ready to play !
6. Super Glue!
   When you hold the bow, imagine your hand sticky with glue: feel your fingers wrapping up the bow, without leaving any holes between the wood and the fingers. If someone tries to take the bow off you, the super glue will not allow it !
   Notes: You don’t have to squeeze the bow too tightly. Your fingers are already glued to the bow!

This info is also found at http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~leonid/cello_bowhold.htm

Manukau Youth Orchestra has a wonderful set of Elementary Cello Technique references. Be sure to look at the pictures closely, because they have some movement to them - not all of them, but some - enough of them to bring it to your attention.

Harry Wimmer has a terrific set of technique tools, and even has them in alphabetical order…

Topics A-C
Topics D-P
Topics Q-Z

He also has the top 10 cello Questions answered here.

When moving from one position to another you must keep your fingers in contact with the string. To achieve this smoothly and efficiently, it is essential to relax your left hand and thumb. Try shifting with your thumb loosely hanging away from the back of the cello neck, to give you the feeling of freedom required.

As an eercise, try slow shifts from 1st position on any string right to the top of the cello. It’s not nearly as difficult as it seems. Go on, have a bit of fun. Do it when nobody can hear you, so that if it sounds like you are stragling a cat, you won’t feel self-conscious. Go up the string on a down bow and back down again on the up bow.

See the picture at Dr Downing Music to see the shift in note form.

This information is available at http://www.drdowningmusic.com/images/Strings/Cello/cello1.GIF if you want to see it small and not readily printable.

I’ve been studying the technique of how Cellists play lately because I’ve recently experienced some pain in my fingering arm (left) that I know shouldn’t be there. Everything I’ve been reading on the forums I use say that the “no pain, no gain” method is WRONG. With that in mind, perhaps you’d like to observe the techniques that a professional uses.

Listen online to Classical Solo Cellists. Pretty cool if you just want to listen to the cello.