Abigail, i wish we has started playing cello years ago and could have followed you along while you were active in youtube. thank for leaving these posted: your instruction is so helpful.
Great lesson! I'm 70 yr old beginning cellist and I've had a problem squeezing my thumb. Your video helped me correct this. Thank you!! Most helpful was right arm exercise.
Thanks so much for making this video! I've played violin for six years and always have had this problem. Recently I started cello and I've began to do the same thing with my thumb (my teacher calls it the "death grip"), but this video has really helped me!
Hi. I am 42 years and just started playing cello and this is definitely a problem I have along with the spacing between the left hand fingers. I have 2 teachers and none of them really helped me as much as you did with this very clear video! Thank you very very much. I am following your channel now and will keep watching ! Thanks!
Thank you Abigail! Thank you, thank you, thank you! This of being able to hold down the strings securely without clamping with the thumb has basically COMPLETELY FRUSTRATED me, and I've never had this crucial thing explained properly. Until now! Finally, I might be able to get to the stage of learning vibrato once I get this figured out.
Thanks Abigail, some very helpful material in this video. I'll be passing some of those exercises on. You may be interested to know, that I conduct a mandolin orchestra in Cambridge, and I've shared a number of your videos with them, because much of what you say has general applicability to other string instruments. So thank you for all your very good work, and sharing your experience and insights!
Hi :) I just want to say - my son, who's been playing cello for almost 5 years now, still uses your videos for little "refreshers" on his technique and all of them are so helpful. He always says, if he didn't have his teacher, he would want you :) Thank you so much!
Very helpful. Good techniques, these exercises should be shared with many cellists alike. The hook hand weight idea is a new engaging concept on a crucial, important part of each individual players structured practices, and performance.
62 and going back to cello after a 48-year gap. I find that playing without the L thumb engaged at all helps train me to "pull" the strings down rather than push them down. It's kind of tough at first and sounds really bad, but it doesn't take long to get used to not using your thumb. Then when you do play with it, the muscle memory of pulling rather than pushing leaves you playing faster and with much less stress.
This is also good for thumb up action > Like button. I wish I learned this a very long time ago. Thank you for all the wonderful tips and saving my thumb.
I am a bass player plus i play guitar. i am wanting to learn cell and can use this technique. My thumb gets tired because i use it as a clamp on my fret board on my bass. then when i shift up and down it tenses up and i miss beats. This will help and i'll work on it! Thanks for the tips!
Hello! First, thank you for all the info I have gotten from your lessons. I think I have seen most of them which is a testament to how much I value your instruction. But I have a question: Do your fingers turn black from the strings when you play? I've looked and can't see any telltale smudges on yours. Mine turn a terrible black, far more than when I play bronze strings on my guitar. Am I using junky strings? They weren't very expensive. Thanks again, Ken.
Are you using block fingers? (See block fingers vs. independent fingers video) The other fingers should be doing most of the work to get the string down, so the pinky doesn't have to. Without seeing you play, that's my best guess as to what's happening.
Hi Abigail, i just started playing the cello. I am having a problem with pressing down my strings. My find that i have to put extra effort to press down my pinky finger that it ends up hurting and becoming quite tense. What can do about that? Any suggestions?
nice video thank you, but i have a question, when I "apply weight" on the strings to get a good voice (with no squeezing at all) the cello slips! is this normal? or there might something wrong in my cello posture
Thank u so mch for this vid, im a beginner cellist at 42 and I believe i need these correct techniques that u have uploaded so i wont have pains, esp in my left hand n arm. Im having pain in my first finger as of the moment whenever i practice, the middle joint feels really stiff that I have to stop. What could be wrong with my finger position? -grace
Rusalka 78 I see it differently. She donates a lot of information for free. I learn more from her than I did from my phone expensive teacher. There are many styles of speaking. She is animated and enthusiastic and encouraging . If it's not to your taste, move on.
Abigail, i wish we has started playing cello years ago and could have followed you along while you were active in youtube. thank for leaving these posted: your instruction is so helpful.
Great lesson! I'm 70 yr old beginning cellist and I've had a problem squeezing my thumb. Your video helped me correct this. Thank you!! Most helpful was right arm exercise.
I have had 6 lessons, I'm 71. Have been taking vio.in lessons for two yrs. Good on you.
yall are old
I am now 55, and start playing cello. This video pointed out my wrongly applied my thumb, and I can now start to correct it.
me 69.5...good age to begin the cello
Thanks so much for making this video! I've played violin for six years and always have had this problem. Recently I started cello and I've began to do the same thing with my thumb (my teacher calls it the "death grip"), but this video has really helped me!
Hi. I am 42 years and just started playing cello and this is definitely a problem I have along with the spacing between the left hand fingers. I have 2 teachers and none of them really helped me as much as you did with this very clear video! Thank you very very much. I am following your channel now and will keep watching ! Thanks!
Thank you Abigail! Thank you, thank you, thank you! This of being able to hold down the strings securely without clamping with the thumb has basically COMPLETELY FRUSTRATED me, and I've never had this crucial thing explained properly. Until now! Finally, I might be able to get to the stage of learning vibrato once I get this figured out.
Thanks Abigail, some very helpful material in this video. I'll be passing some of those exercises on.
You may be interested to know, that I conduct a mandolin orchestra in Cambridge, and I've shared a number of your videos with them, because much of what you say has general applicability to other string instruments.
So thank you for all your very good work, and sharing your experience and insights!
Hi :) I just want to say - my son, who's been playing cello for almost 5 years now, still uses your videos for little "refreshers" on his technique and all of them are so helpful. He always says, if he didn't have his teacher, he would want you :) Thank you so much!
Thank you so much Abby for these videos! They are so helpful in demystifying this somewhat arcane and entirely lovely instrument.
Brilliant energetic exercises for left hand with or without cello. Great speaker!
I love the right arm approach!!
thanks for this. I'm teaching myself (having taken lessons on viola) and am grateful whenever i learn something about proper technique
Very helpful. Good techniques, these exercises should be shared with many cellists alike. The hook hand weight idea is a new engaging concept on a crucial, important part of each individual players structured practices, and performance.
62 and going back to cello after a 48-year gap. I find that playing without the L thumb engaged at all helps train me to "pull" the strings down rather than push them down. It's kind of tough at first and sounds really bad, but it doesn't take long to get used to not using your thumb. Then when you do play with it, the muscle memory of pulling rather than pushing leaves you playing faster and with much less stress.
Great lesson...👏👏👏
Thank you so much!! You video is certainly helpful for me as a beginner!
Yes👍 And same idea for right hand bow force😉
Thank you for all the great information. Do you have any tips for pain in the right thumb?
This is also good for thumb up action > Like button. I wish I learned this a very long time ago. Thank you for all the wonderful tips and saving my thumb.
I am a bass player plus i play guitar. i am wanting to learn cell and can use this technique. My thumb gets tired because i use it as a clamp on my fret board on my bass. then when i shift up and down it tenses up and i miss beats. This will help and i'll work on it! Thanks for the tips!
Hello! First, thank you for all the info I have gotten from your lessons. I think I have seen most of them which is a testament to how much I value your instruction.
But I have a question: Do your fingers turn black from the strings when you play? I've looked and can't see any telltale smudges on yours. Mine turn a terrible black, far more than when I play bronze strings on my guitar. Am I using junky strings? They weren't very expensive.
Thanks again, Ken.
I really wanted to know how far you have to push down the string to get a noise
these videos are really great, thank you! :)
Are you using block fingers? (See block fingers vs. independent fingers video) The other fingers should be doing most of the work to get the string down, so the pinky doesn't have to. Without seeing you play, that's my best guess as to what's happening.
Hi Abigail, i just started playing the cello. I am having a problem with pressing down my strings. My find that i have to put extra effort to press down my pinky finger that it ends up hurting and becoming quite tense. What can do about that? Any suggestions?
nice video thank you, but i have a question, when I "apply weight" on the strings to get a good voice (with no squeezing at all) the cello slips! is this normal? or there might something wrong in my cello posture
Thank u so mch for this vid, im a beginner cellist at 42 and I believe i need these correct techniques that u have uploaded so i wont have pains, esp in my left hand n arm. Im having pain in my first finger as of the moment whenever i practice, the middle joint feels really stiff that I have to stop. What could be wrong with my finger position? -grace
If you became a fighter pilot, i wouldnt be surprized.
Bravo!!!
Muito bom!! Thanks!!!
That woman is slapping her cello. It hasn't done a thing 😕
she likes to hear herself talking; classical case of amateur narcissism. such a shame.
Rusalka 78 I see it differently. She donates a lot of information for free. I learn more from her than I did from my phone expensive teacher. There are many styles of speaking. She is animated and enthusiastic and encouraging . If it's not to your taste, move on.