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Lew1870
Registered User
Posts: 4
(7/31/01 1:39:10 am)
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Hands
Well I began taking cello lessons at age 78 and have been at it six
months. My teacher says I have a very good ear but she complains
that my fingers do not spread apart on the fingerboard when I play.
I have just begun to play second position. Is there some successful
method to overcome the finger spread deficiency?
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Tim
Janof
Administrator
Posts: 250
(7/31/01 9:01:27 am)
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Re: Hands
I'm most impressed that you are starting the cello at age 78. I
shall now count you as one of my personal heroes.
As for the
finger spreading, I have a few ideas:
1. Put a finger on the
fingerboard as if you were playing, let's say the second finger.
While doing this, move your elbow forwards and backwards.
Theoretically, when you move your forwards, you should be able to
reach with your third or fourth fingers more easily. When moving
your elbow backwards, you should be able to reach further with your
first finger more easily. Moving your elbow back and forth should
kind of force a momentary finger-spread.
2. You may need to
hop between notes more. If you are playing with your first finger
and you need to play with your fourth finger, for example, move your
elbow forwards and do a little hop between fingers.
3. Use
fingerings that don't require as much of a stretch. Play using lots
of 1-2 and 1-3 fingerings.
I hope this helps. 
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Nicholas
Anderson
Registered
User
Posts: 98
(8/1/01 3:27:56
am)
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Good
advice...
I try not to give advice here; but I want to second Tim's excellent
points, out of shared enthusiasm for your starting the cello at such
a good age! I love to see that, as I mentioned in a recent
post.
I might add that it could possibly help to develop a
good, supple, flexible extension between 1 and 2. There's a way to
do that, but it's hard to describe it without being there in person;
I'm sure your teacher can show it to you.
Anyway,
congratulations, and have many wonderful years with the
cello!
-Nick
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Betsy
C 
Registered User
Posts: 381
(8/1/01 6:43:58 am)
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To
Lew1870
I just want to also tell you that I admire you greatly as well. I
started cello at age 44, and I am thrilled to hear about you. Yes, I
have another hero, too. Best to you in your happy journey with the
cello.
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Tim
Janof
Administrator
Posts: 252
(8/1/01 9:15:25 am)
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Re: Good
advice...
Nick's post reminds me of another idea:
Make sure your left
hand isn't perfectly parallel to the fingerboard. You want the
pinkie side of your hand to be further from the fingerboard than the
index finger side. Some players even play with the hand parallel to
the floor (taking advantage of gravity, etc).
One benefit of
this "angled" hand is that you don't need to stretch as much between
your fingers. As an extreme example of the principle I'm trying to
describe, make a fist and then point at something with your index
finger. Already, there is at least a distance of at least 4" between
the tip of your index finger and the tip of your middle finger, your
middle finger being bunched in your fist. And you didn't have to do
any stretching to create this vast distance. A similar idea can
apply when playing the cello.
Edited by: Tim
Janof at: 8/1/01 9:16:33 am
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ashley
Registered User
Posts: 30
(8/1/01 3:58:28 pm)
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relax...
Something that I've been thinking about lately is the left-hand
thumb. I've seen some young-ish cellists lately that put the side of
their thumbs against the fingerboard, the tip of the thumb pointing
up towards the scroll (it looks as if the student was holding a
violin instead of a cello). If this is happening it seems to be very
difficult to have a mobile fourth finger. It's like the pinky gets
stuck and is always flat (...in pitch ... ). You
might want to watch out for a tense thumb. Actually any tenseness in
the hand will probably keep your fingers from being mobile. Try to
stay relaxed. And maybe you shouldn't keep your fingers spread apart
at all times. If you're playing with your fourth finger, relax the
others, why let them stress out??
Well, I'm not a pro, but I
think those are some ligitimate ideas to ponder 
I also
think that 1st position is very difficult to play in ...as far as
keeping the fingers spread apart. It's the biggest position (except
1/2 position), and thus one of the hardest. Maybe when you start
playing in the higher positions it will be even easier.
The
distance between the fingers is something that takes some getting
used to; I don't think I did it quite right when I'd been playing
for six months. But I'm so excited that you're playing the cello at
such a wonderful age!!! That's way cool
Edited by: ashley
at: 8/1/01 3:59:54 pm
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phoebejeebies
Registered User
Posts: 18
(8/1/01 10:10:56 pm)
Reply
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Hands
Try experimenting with your left hand thumb. Change where you
place the thumb on the cello in relation to the other fingers, how
much pressure you apply with it, and what part of the thumb contacts
the neck of the cello.
If your thumb is too far forward, too
far back, pressing to hard, or if the neck of the cello is touching
your thumb closer to the knuckle instead of toward the tip of your
thumb... it makes it more difficult for the hand to open up in a
natural, comfortable way.
at any rate.. hope this helps! good
luck!
- phoebe
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