Cello Playing in Positions

Playing in Positions Beginning cellists are often confused about the various "positions" of the left hand. It CAN be confusing, especially when one expert says there are 3 positions, and another tells you that there are an infinite nu!ber of positions #hat$s a poor  beginner to thin%& thin%& 'ere is a very si!ple si!ple explanation explanation of four basic positions positions for the left hand. ()ou !ay li%e to print this page, and put it on your !usic stand, and play along as you read.* First Position++After learning to play the open strings, without any left+hand at all, every cellist begins learning first position. As you can see in the illustration below, the first finger (index finger, the one you point with* of the left hand plays , A, or B, depending on which string is depressed.

lease notice that the fingering is /,3,0 or /,,0, depending on whether the intervals of the scale are half+steps or whole steps. I !ar%ed a little "1" where you will have to stretch to play a whole step. Second Position++2hift your left hand on the finger board a little bit toward the  bridge, and and you !ove !ove fro! first position into second second position. position. 'ere your first finger will play either an -, B,  or C as it depresses the strings.

Third Position++ro! second position, !ove your left hand a little bit !ore toward the bridge, and you will find yourself in third position. )our first finger depressing the strings, will play either an , C, 4 or .

Fourth Position++ro! third position, shift your left hand a bit !ore toward the  bridge, and you will be in fourth position. 'ere your first finger will be depressing a 4, , A or -.

Complications!++All above is basically true, and a good place to start, but there are a few co!plications that !ust be %ept in !ind5

All scales are a !ixture of half+step intervals, and whole+step intervals between notes. 6a%e a loo% at a cello+fingered scale in the %ey of C5

#hy is the fingering so!eti!es 7,/,3,0 and other ti!es 7,/,,0& Because there is a half+step in the C scale fro! - to , and fro! B to C. -ach finger of the cellist$s left hand is naturally a half+step away fro! the finger next to it. 2o, /,3 plays a whole step, and /, plays a half+step. #hen the perfo!ance of a scale re8uires a whole+step between the first and second fingers, then the cellist !ust stretch those fingers apart to a greater than nor!al interval. or exa!ple, loo% at this scale in  !a9or5

ro! the B flat to the C (on the A string* is an interval of a whole+step. #hen  playing in first position, the cellist !ust extend his first finger bac%ward to flatten the B. A si!ilar extension ta%es place in the other direction in so!e scales, for exa!ple, - :a9or. ;oo% at this illustration5

'ere the cellist !ust stretch a whole step interval between his first and second finger, to reach fro! - to  sharp.  Now here is where the "infinite nu!ber of positions" co!es into the picture. 2uppose, instead of trying to stay in first position, and extending the first finger  bac% to a B flat (see the  :a9or illustration above*, the cellist si!ply shifts his entire hand bac%ward, so his first finger falls naturally on the B flat, then 9ust allows his other fingers to fall naturally on the string. 6hen the fingering would loo% li%e this5