Nee cellist here. Made the switch from violin and there are no Cello teachers in my area as i live out in the sticks! These videos are so valuable to me and many others. Thank you.
I just got my cello yesterday and am starting lessons soon. But these set of beginning lessons are super helpful and I going to come back at least a couple of times every week to review. Thank you so much for making it informative and engaging!
These are great ideas. I started "again" with cello (48 years later from 9th grade when I had to stop). I find that years of what I call the Praying Mantis yoga pose from years/decades of clanking away on a computer 8 hours a day is a big problem with finding a good "settle" with my cello. I used therabands for shoulder girdle exercises when I first began playing to open my chest back up and tighten lazified back muscles, and then now I'm digging into some lower string tone quality issues and having to revisit posture AGAIN. It's never settled science, I think. One's body changes and also your playing evolves so it necessitates looking at posture options again and again.
I totally agree! I think posture is definitely a working concept that has a degree of flexibility depending on where you are physically and technically. Those theraband exercises sound like a great idea! Thanks so much for your comment!
So glad I just found your channel. I am 62 and just starting the cello. Played piano, trumpet, and guitar, but always loved the sound of the cello...well not my sound on the cello yet, but you know :) These lessons are so helpful. Thank you!
This was incredibly helpful and I'll try making some adjustments for my next practice sesh. On a side note, any tips for ladies who are "generously endowed"?
Thank you. Had my first lesson a few weeks ago. In the meantime I have been practising on my own cause we will continue after the summer holidays, I don't want to do anything wrong. So this video is helpful.
I am SO thankfull of this lecture! I have no private teacher in cello, and there was and is really many questions of the very basics: HOW TO HOLD the instrument ergonomically right is one of the main ones! Namely, I now decided to start cello on my really matured age of 62 (or "see if I ever can get a proper sound of it"), and as being an instrumentalist of different type of instruments I know, that if the bad habits have formed, they are much more difficult to change better than already from the beginning start right, and form right type of habits. Better to start right right at the beginning of this adventure :) Easy-to-remember-checklist!
Thank you so much! To be honest, the exact position and point of contact will probably vary from person to person depending on how tall or short they are, how long their legs are relative to their bodies, and how long they decide to make the endpin. Hope that helps and thanks for your comment!
I heard that legs were fairly important with cello positioning and I got a little nervous, because one of my legs is shorter than the other by an inch and an eighth. so when I sit down, my knees don't extend to the same place. Luckily, my left leg is the one thats the correct length, so I'm hoping it doesn't pose a problem
Thanks a lot for your help! it would be interesting to talk about how the use of the weight (right hand) will change or have a influence with the different angles of the cell.
First of all I'm so glad I found your RU-vid and I have subscribed. My natural inclination is to use my left hand for the bow, as I am predominantly left handed. However, several things I do right handed. Like welding. How difficult or challenging will it be to reverse what my brain thinks is natural?
Thanks very much, Billy for these five tips. They are super helpful. There are times when I think I have the hold down pat and then there are some days where it feels like I've never done it before. The biggest problem I am having is with the A string. If your cello is positioned correctly, should you be able to "clearly" see the A string? Thank you!
If you take your cello further to your left practice 5ths with 1 and with 2 fingers! So you know how much the angle is, if not that will be a massive problem with intonation
There is one angle you didn't talk about. That is the / angle when looking at the cello straight on. You have a little bit of an angle there. It would come from the position of the end pin in the rock stop. I have heard that the rock stop should be directly in front of your nose, and I have also heard that it should be a little bit to the (right?) side of the midpoint. What do you recommend?
Thanks so much! That's a tough one to answer because a lot of it also depends on your height and the length of your legs. It also depends on what angle of approach of the cello's body feels comfortable playing wise. I will say that many of the players I know who are taller or have long legs relative to their torso tend to prefer a longer endpin. Hope that helps, you can always email me at billy@adultcello.com if you have more questions about holding the cello.
Thank you for the great video. (They are all great!) I am a beginner at 68 and making good progress although I can’t seem to get my positioning right. With a 9” endpin, I get the left knee contact and the chest and the angle to reach the A string, but the C peg is by my left cheek. With a 11” endpin the C peg is just behind my ear, and the angle and chest contact feel good but the cello point floats inches in front of my left knee. I can’t get a great position. Chair height, posture good. Any idea what’s wrong? (It’s a full cello and I am 5’6”) Thanks!
Thank you so much for the video, it is very informative! One suggestion, the video is overall very low-lit and this + wearing black does not help to see where things are. I am an adult beginner and after 3 years I am again in pain :-( so I'm looking for any hints of what's wrong with my posture.
Recently my family bought me a cello, but i'ts 3/4 size. Is anything i could do with this or will i've to buy a 4/4. I recently found your channel and got very motivated, but the fact that the cello i have is not a full size one it's just there, neurotizing my thought 😅 Cheers from Mexico
