How to Play the Cello : Cello Finger Position Tips

[GATvsGAT]

Its interesting here how unorthodoxy is heavily frowned upon based on a number of comments relating to this vid. On guitar it would be very acceptable for somebody to post a vid like this one up.

I want to learn cello but hope I don't become such a stooge for "proper instruction"

[TheContratiger]

ouch!! how sad

[wadesworld2112]

Those of you defending the guy, it's not about people being jerks. The guy isn't demonstrating proper technique - at all. You have to have proper technique to learn the cello so you can develop the muscle memory you need. If you want to learn from a real cellist, search for the David Finckel - a highly respected cellist.

[Broyale26]

@wadesworld2112

Uh huh.

Cool story, bro.

[jsommers15]

He finds his C# by playing the D first?! That is just f*** lame!!

[kiratim]

awful

[Ghettobootywhiteguy]

"Your D is half a finger position from your nut." Sounds like masturbation lessons.

[SkellaWolf]

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[sakura575]

@SkellaWolf I actually use this w/ my friend! hello fellow freerice visitor

[DragonToko]

Don't mind those assholes who trolling other peoples videos. Go check their channels - they are noones. No video uploads, no subscribers. They are here to throw shit to other peoples comments and videos. Sadly those kind of people do exist. I don't know why.

[wadesworld2112]

If you're a beginner, videos by AlamoCityCello or DaddarioBowed are much better. Note, I'm not saying they're the gold standard or replace real instruction at all, but they're much better videos if you must watch a video.

[ThaGunther]

you suck mi friend!

[michsuge]

dirty fingernails!



[maggio11000]

Wow you guys really must have nothing better to do than make fun of other people. But I hope it makes you feel better saying all of this stuff to a nice guy trying to help others out. Why don't you guys put a video up then or are you just afraid of what others might have to say about yours? Anyway to the man in this video I have been wanting to play cello for a while now and I hope to get one really soon do you have any advice one any brands for someone just starting out?

[matofender]

@maggio11000 I wouldn't make fun of him, I'd just strongly advise people against listening - learning an instrument incorrectly can brings in bad habits and can potentially be harmful to your hands.

[mh44889]

as a cellist pursuing a performance degree at a university, i was initially very apprehensive about going into music at all, mostly due to the difficulty of finding a steady income or any job for that matter. After watching this, my anxiety has dissipated. If this ass-clown has a job playing cello, i most certainly can. As a matter of fact, my 9 year old student could too. I'll go break the good news to his mother

[MyOwnSerenity]

thank you for your lesson, you play beautifully.

[Proxylight100]

He should compeed in america's got talent... he'd probably win :-) Jackass

[rachaelannedonnelly]

OK then... if ALL you guys can do a better job at making a video to teach us how to play the Cello then go right ahead. I can't believe how much stick you are giving this guy!

[assphinktersaiswhat]

@rachaelannedonnelly Thank you!!!! i hear you.

everyone is just bitching bitching and more bitching.

[celloLWF]

best beard ever

[Derrymaine148]

keep ALL your fingers on the fingerboard (unless you're doing vibrato). You can tell that this guy is a guitarist

[karitsu]

I swear, all the people who have bad comments about technique, and all that Jazz need to chill the ~~~~ down. I'm glad there are people willing to take time from their daily lives to show us the internet some basics of instruments we would like to learn. Some of us don't have the luxury of having private lessons. So if you *people who like to bad mouth* have a better solution or want to show us a better way of playing an instrument by all fking means make your own Youtube ch.

[Nitroidus]

@karitsu Stick to playing computer games then! The point most people are making, and rightly so, is that this guy is a joker so if there are young impressionable beginners out there who are coming on here looking for guidance then stay away from this video.

"I'm glad there are people willing to take time from their daily lives to show us the internet some basics of instruments we would like to learn."

Don't worry - I'm sure he has all the time in the world.

[TheAlaizabelle1]

Obviously if you guys commenting are so great at the cello you wouldn't be watching his videos in the first place. For real people, chill. Some of us can't afford a teacher.

[lizelliotmusic]

My guess is this guy is a guitarist who taught himself to play cello. PLEASE, do not take any advice on cello playing from this guy. Whoever determined he's an expert is sadly mistaken.

[calista969]

Thanks guys, i'm trying to teach myself cello, with no teacher and it's hard enough without people missing leading me. I'm glad so many of you will stand up when something isn't played right. Here i was thinking i was playing wrong when he was.

P.S Any help would be appreciated, i'm afraid i'm not stretching my fingers enough.

[phi223]

I like how he covers his mistakes by going on random little runs of notes.

[johnPiercey]

expertvillage = run the other way!

[jessparkerrrr]

WWWTTFFFF??/

i really want to learn the cello, but i don't understand how he know exactly how he finds the notes, and it sounds a bit strange, he's kind of put me of.

i guess ill stick to piano :/

[wc3breakabone]

I actually clicked on this video, because the guy looked hot. Now that I see him in a close-up: Umh.. ya... not so hot D:

[Parkerhdeb]

wait, what's suppose to be half way down from my nuts?

[Parkerhdeb]

wait, what's have way down from my nuts again?

[dawneclipse1]

My teacher from China with an honorary degree pwn him badly. And, I just realised all that he said was garbage crap. None of them are true.

[M0G0S]

what a douche bag

[zioband]

bravo...creativity ALIVE.... .. Cia O

[landei00]

so BAD intonation!!!!!! ridiculous! you want to be a teacher?

[ildeliso]

why is it that all expert village videos have no experts?

[mat4365]

..and check celloprofessor's posts on finger spacing

[mat4365]

My advice would be to check your intonation.. and keep checking it all the time.. use a tuner or a keyboard and gradually learn to trust your ears. developing good intonation (which is lacking in this video) and a "good ear" is a worthwhile habit.. :)

[ErrorMonster]

So many stuck up jerks in these comments lol at least he's trying to help and not just leaving nasty messages everywhere. If you're all such great chellists, go play and leave everyone alone, nasty people!

If you can't say something nice, don't say nothin' at all.

Lighter note: Thank you for breaking it down into super simple tips. :) And the guy in this video is cuuuute! <3

[mrrossjonathan]

@ErrorMonster It's cellist

[sUpAfOrK]

@ErrorMonster We arent stuck up, we're trying to make it so people hoping to try to get a good cello education dont come to this man and take it all to heart. And we will go play, but we dont want other people to suffer becuse this man cant really play cello, you want one of us to make a better video and teach, fine, im sure one of us will. And so you know there's nothing nice to say to this man at all, this is ridiculous, he's hindering many students from trying to learn. So dont defend him.

[tashawnify]

Fantastic!!

[infinitecanvas11]

I like how he says nut LOL

[scottgilesmusic]

This is not 100% the technique one picks up in the conservatories and universities today, but it is effective. Remember, the technique police won't go after you! The only thing that matters is the sound and the simplicity (in that order). Some people seem to regard technique as a sort of game with rules. This is not the case. It can't be, as there are so many kinds of bodies and so many kinds of minds.

[scottgilesmusic]

This is not 100% the technique one picks up in the conservatories and universities today, but it is effective. Remember, the technique police won't go after you! The only thing that matters is the sound and the simplicity (in that order). Some people seem to regard technique as a sort of game with rules. This is not the case. It can't be, as there are so many kinds of bodies and so many kinds of minds.

[karate917]

this guy is horrible his hand position is wrong all together if he went to my private teacher she would yell at him for sure....and u r supposed to play with the tips of ur fingers and this is so out of tune.....I bet he is not a very good cellist

[grl407]

ok, im a beginner, and even i can tell this is way out of tune....

[bowholdbuddies]

Wonderful !

In my studio, students learn the bow hold very quickly using the CelloPhant[tm] bow accessory. The accessory keeps the hand relaxed and fingers in place while we learn more music.

Thanks!

[sminhle]

It appears that the "instructor" in the video is not a cellist.

The video is totally for fun and for people after a hard day at work to find some entertainment.

I have never seen any cellist looking at the fingerboard to find notes and sit on the sofa to play.

[fluxions]

haha, what a tool, i would suggest Frances Joseph Santori to take some lessons.

[cellonik]

Wow! You invented a new position! 0:58-1:08

[Oathkeeper1992]

......ummmmm wow.......where's the tone? And the intonation is a little off. This wasn't super informative about first position...but I guess it was ok. :/

[quentinexus]

0:58 this is out of tune man, you're not supposed to watch your neck, because, with cello, your fingers are your eyes, and in fact, it's so much easier to play in tune while not watching. I'm not against finding your own way to play an instrument (far i'm self taught..) but this just sounds like crap.

[salsaromantika]

I think is great and thank you for post it this lesson in youtube , I am learning little by little... people has to admire other people and not to envy them thats not good for our community.

[Psyphertunes]

i thought this was great, if you think you could do better then do it, don't just rag out people who are doing a nice thing for others.

[tortoise7]

This hand position will cause 2 problems if used. Firstly his lifting of the 2nd and 3rd fingers when not using them is inefficient and will cause problems at speed. Secondly he is not playing on the end of his fingers. The reason for playing on the finger tips is two-fold: the tip of the finger is harder allowing clarity of articulation and purity of intonation and the distance from the tip to the large knuckle is smaller when bent allowing quicker finger movement.

[windtalker4fire]

@tortoise7 Its obvious that he's playing with his 2nd and 3rd fingers, he means to clarify where the fingers go after the previous one, and he's not playing a sonata or a concerto, you're acting as if he needs proper attire and a matching bow to go with what he has. He's making a video about finger positions, not a video about quality

[gallowspagey]

@tortoise7 yeah I agree, I was always taught NEVER to lift my fingers like that!

[u05bd6]

I think it is clear for people who already have some knowledge of playing. I play violin and it all makes sense to me. There are poeple who are good at explanations/teaching and some are not. Simple as that.

[soniaxmarie]

I'm really musical, im grade 8 piano and singing and grade 6 flute... I also play guitar too... But ive always loved the celllo and would love to learn. Would you recommend buying a cheapish cello from ebay? I know its not great but my budget is low...

Also id just like to say how harsh some of these comments are!

Thanks xx

[MsObamasucks]

@soniaxmarie Hi Sonia marie, Might I suggest to stay away from E-Bay? Never know what you're getting, you can't try it out, can't tell how it's going to sound (as far as the character of the instrument goes. I might suggest going to a music store and rent one for 30 or $40./mo. Or maybe a pawn shop. Take someone experienced with you. Good luck.

[BeckyLinda1]

@soniaxmarie  These comments might be harsh but they are all justified unfortunately.

[gnamp]

C. G. Gea. A ??

[hansyish]

u r so flat!!!!

[jhonbus]

Charnicky, I think the reason you don't understand is because you don't speak English.

[Megadeth1994METTULLL]

wouldn't it be extremely more easier if you just typed subtley and not in text?

Because come on. You are not going to help kids who go to school

[uberflastman]

I thought that this was the best explanation on you tube. thanks for making these man.

[jramz91]

lol i wish he had said the distance between your g string and nut so i could say, yeah the distance between a girl's g string and your nut is usually about 50 feet away, you suck at life

[lovelyshyboricua]

lmao =]

[lovelyshyboricua]

this guy really sucks at explaining the finger positions...whats hes saying is just TOOO MUCH... i watched the video like three times and i already feel brain dead

[landei00]

you´re so sexy! i will learn cello only for you!!!!!!!

[nuclearphlegma]

yeah! me too ;)

[blmcmm123]

ha ha distance between your D and your nut!! HAHAHA

[kxu1337]

LOL

[BeckyLinda1]

WHY???

[ahmosher]

I appreciate your effort to teach and all here...but sorry 'what the heck'... I can make anything off what he's trying to 'teach' here... well, I don't think its a proper way for the beginners to learn anyways. rather confusing and wrong! sorry! BYE.

[musickok]

Do NOT listen to this guy. He's a joker and a fraud. If you want to learn the cello go and get lessons because learning online won't help you with anything even with a teacher who knows what they're doing let alone this jackass! It could only be made more ridiculous if he held the cello the wrong way round!

[TuckmanJiggityJones]

Or, boys and girls, you can be a total badass like me and learn any instrument set before you completely by yourself. You'd be amazed how much you can achieve of your own initiative.

[cpahitman1]

The best teacher is always oneself, I think. If you got the determination you'll be able to conquer any instrument. :) I completely agree with you.

[redhotchiliangel]

Totally agree

[karitsu]

@musickok stfu seriously.

[DragonToko]

@musickok hey, idiot, you got some personality problem. Seriously. You are the jackass one. Go get life!

[coaster4587]

@musickok are you an unemployed cello-tutor?

[BrokenButDivine]

Well, whatever - the guy is hot!)))

[xXOsMAbiXx]

o i wantot learn to play the cello. well i want ot know is is it ok to just teach yourself? thats what i did when it cam tto learning how to play the trumpet. i know nothing about this instriment so i mean. just teaching myself the basics. i mean i doubt theres a "cello for Dummies" book :(

[3m0l0b3r]

I really dont recomend for you to teach yourself the cello because its not as simple as it looks and there are always tiny details that if you get them wrong its going to take you a long while to get them right again, the basics are the most important thing so you should better get yourself a proper teacher. i say this in expiriance I myself began with a proper teacher and there are something i still need to correct.

[Piccobow]

It is always best to learn from an accomplished or schooled cellist so that YOU KNOW you are doing it right and not start off on bad habits that may injure you in the future. The key is to practice practice practice on a good foundation.

[Sayah162]

''Between your D and your Nut'' that didnt soundright

[goatens]

His technique = instant recipe for tendonitis

[HydroxicAcidBoy]

This guy hasn't got a clue. Good for a laugh though.

[Sayah162]

You guys need to calm down and stop trying to pwn someone the guy is an expert so im pretty sure he knows what hes doing. Maybe you all ares word to inexpirienced to comprehend his words about hte cello. If you are not intrested in cello tips then dont watch it and hes not TEACHING he is giving tips for begginers even though im not a beginener.ts my 3rd year. i I bet you dont even know the full name of the instrament u play. So if you think u know what ur doing why dont u post some videos?

[HydroxicAcidBoy]

I'll not be posting any cello tuition videos on Youtube for one plain and simple reason; I am not an expert. But I can still critise any person who publicly posts videos on the internet with misinformation, afterall misinformation is infinitely worse than no information at all.

And yes I do know the full name of the instrument that I play and I even know what it means in Italian.

[HiFiMachine]

Ok, just make sure you spell words correctly!

[HydroxicAcidBoy]

Thank you for that Mr HiFiMachine. I shall endeavour to be more vigilant with my spelling. After all, you never know who is going to critize :)

[ministryaremorons]

I have a feeling that HiFi was not criticizing your comments, H2OBoy. Please understand that although you are perfectly capable of criticizing, there is a line between the constructive/necessary and the blatantly rude and self-righteous. I enjoy the fact that this man is attempting to share his knowledge to the deprived, and isn't hiding behind a monitor, putting down others for the sake of his ego.

[HydroxicAcidBoy]

Yeah ok MAM, twas only a bit of banter with HiFi because I can't spell for toffee.

But on the issue of right to criticize (I actually spelt it correctly that time), I think that my comment was justified because this guy is not a teacher and should not be considered to be so.

[Kiger8Kiger]

CGDA? o.O I thought it was the same as the violin. :/

[RosalieHaleTwilight]

if everyone is so against this guy's tech. then they should make some by themselves, i'm looking up these vids because our high school music teacher scares me so i'm looking for some help

[DorianeVioloncello]

the thing is he's not a great teacher an cellist, he has basics and stuff but he's not going to get you to that level you want to get to. Check out my modern cello vid.

[djd904]

Haha your face at 1:10, look so bored. lmao.

[trashassassin]

so does 1:09

[dandypajamas]

that's because playing cello...

is serious business. Not to be confused with "fun" or "enjoyable" am i right?

[ministryaremorons]

It is both to the people that care about music, so get over yourself, please.

[00sidepone]

please, no one actually interested in good advice on technique listen to this guy....on the other hand, anyone who is interested in a laugh, be my guest. i am truly shocked that he is posting "educational videos". the one on vibrato made me cringe, he doesnt know what he is doing! and the one about legato bowing...legato does NOT mean long.

[sweetsensation115]

umm cello players are your left hand fingers longer because of stretching than your right hand?? lol just wondering i think mine were from stretching my finger position.. =/ i cud be wrong though

[mimi81235]

hmm...i dunno...kudos though. :/

[aquilarial]

good playing by me , dont worry about some supper players , ofcorse after 40 jaers tetching.

[aquilarial]

sorry about my englich :)

[MckenZicRuz]

realli good!! fanx

[73yo]

this video it´s so great!!!! BRAVO

[robertledou]

omg this is worse than the vibrato lesson ! Please learn playing cello before teaching it !

[MckenZicRuz]

ur chat shit man, this guy is good

[JaceyNaii]

this guy is like stoned on every video :L

[cellocatlady]

Horrifying- Good grief. No one can learn to play anything from this guy- get off the stage. I've played for 43 years and no, no no,please don't confuse everybody.

[exigentrevolution]

You've been playing for 43 years??? You're exactly the kind of person I've been looking to talk to! I have so many cello questions but know no cellists.

I've been playing about 2 years now; everything I know is self-taught...just watching my favorite cellists play online or at concerts and mimicking it with a good musical ear.

I really have tons of questions....

if you don't mind sharing some wisdom, send me a message.

[bobwhang]

Is it just me or does Expertvillage always get people who have no idea what they're talking about to make videos?

[cannotsitorstand]

exactly right, you should see that lady on clarinet playing, fat bitch couldn't teach a day in her life

[sibelius27]

The C string (the thickest) will go over the highest part of the bridge. That is with the C string on the right-hand side of the bridge as you look down the instrument in a playing position. Usually if there is any writing/stamp on the bridge it would face towards you, again as you look down in a playing position.

why don't you contact a local teacher who should help you?

Cheers, JS

[sarahaANDmelissaSHOW]

sorry dude but i don't get it?

[Zurugudulio]

terrible left hand skill...Look at his arm!

[sibelius27]

To play in tune he would need to understand better the harmonic structure of the intervals. This is called "expressive intonation". For example sharpening leading notes and flattening minor thirds. In effect playing quarter tones.

This man is a buffoon because he thinks he knows better. I would recommend lessons with an experienced teacher to undo the bad technique he is saddled with. It won't be easy.

[sickness324]

Hey dude thats pretty good. im a musician but i just started playing cello and im totally clueless unfortunately it didint come with a manual or anything, im having trouble in placing the bridge i know how to do it but i thin im doing something wrong im afraid of breaking it but for some reason the tail peice wont rise enough to fit the bridge and i feel like im going to break it can you please help me ut?

[sibelius27]

Hi sikness324,

If I were you I would get the instrument to a professional restorer to look it over and give you a quote on what it would cost to get it properly sorted. It should cost a lot of money to do it right but it will be worth it.

Best of luck!

[sickness324]

Oh thank you very much. One question though the bridge top of the bridge is slanted a bit like it goes from high to lower in succession of the strings. Which string goes to the tallest or highest ridge in the bridge?

[sibelius27]

I have been teaching 'Cello for 40 years and if he came to me as a pupil I would take him back to the beginning with playing "open strings". The tension in his bow arm is obvious and his fingers should work together using his hand as a whole connected unit rather than just slamming them down.

[sibelius27]

This man is a buffoon. I have been teaching 'Cello for 40 years and if he came to me as a pupil I would take him back to the beginning with playing "open strings". The tension in his bow arm is obvious and his fingers should work together using his hand as a whole connected unit rather than just slamming them down individually.

[evellyness]

Cellobachman, that's hilarious! you made my day....LOL.

[GurtrudeGroinMcMuffi]

When you play strung instruments without frets, how do you select a note. I am a pianist so my notes are set out for me, I want to produce music but believe I should know how each instrument is played, please tell me.

[celliguy]

what you should do it ask someone who already plays cello to put tapes on your finger board so yo can know where to put your fingers. Or you can do it yourself but it might be a little harder. I recommend using you piano to get the note and keep comparing it till you find the next whole step about a string. Then place it on. Make sure your cello is in tune before you do this.

^.^ getting someone who already places would be best tho

[GurtrudeGroinMcMuffi]

Thanks, I'm not learning cello but that is a helpful thing to know, especially as I want to learn violin I can of, course, use that advice.

[AEFic]

remember though, that that tip is only used for beginners- later on the cellist has a feel for it and can play without the tapes, of course.

[Gajhorors]

A nice tip for getting the right note is to watch closely the vibrations of the cello's strings. For example a D in the C string will make the D string vibrate if it is properly tuned. From there you can just remember the distances of your fingers to get the correct notes.

[cellobachman]

I lost him at "put your finger on your g string near your nut"

[billydudeiskewl]

o wow

[Kari166]

LMAO I thought that too!