high maintenance
It’s funny that Cello Muser, aka @risktical asked for a post on periodic cello maintenance because until recently, I hadn’t been doing too much of that. In fact, I had been on the ignorant side of many things cello, like what kind of wood is used for the various parts (in response to a 9 year old asking “what is a cello made of?” I said, “Norwegian wood?” and hoped a Beatles reference would get me by), what options... Read More
unfair
I got a letter from your pinky the other day. I’m used to whole cellists writing to me asking for technical advice, but this was…a little awkward. What a conflict of interest! But I have decided to address the issues brought up in the letter, which I have included below. Click on it to enlarge. Wow. That is a pinky in pain, both emotionally and physically. As your friend, you know I don’t like butting into your relationships, but... Read More
Son of Bow Month
I got this fantastic email from our Far and Away friend in the Philippines, who wanted to talk some more bow. Twist my arm! (so long as it’s onto that right index finger, of course) “Ola, Ms.Wright My student, Lyndon, complains of pain in his little finger (the photos might be a bit misleading; when actuallyplaying, his little finger straightens out and migrates to the top of the bow, like a violinist) when playing. I’veseen... Read More
A good problem to have
Bow Month lives! Thanks to Terry and his wife for taking the time to chronicle yet another bow grip. One thing I notice is that the kind of student who lives in the world of cello blogs AND is likely to be interested in the habits, adjustments, and solutions we talk about here probably has pretty solid technique to begin with. I was talking with Francy, one of my advanced adult students, and came to the realization that often times simply noticing... Read More
photo unrelated to Bow Month
CelloGeek (but aren’t we all?) submitted this quandry: …”I struggle with 2 things with my bow hold (I’m sure there’s more but these seem to be the peskiest) 1 – my thumb starts nice and curved but gradually will get straight and I lose that nice flexible grip.2- the position of my other fingers starts off nice – middle finger in a very similar position to your picture, but then my fingers start moving towards... Read More
Does your bow grip work?
For most of us, the bow is troublesome. The mechanics of grip and arm movement seem to have endless possibilities to vex us, and tension is a serious obstacle. So I say January is going to be Bow Month here on SRCB. Send me pictures of your bow grip, and tell me whether it works or not. If it needs work, we’ll check it out. If you made a change for the better, tell me how, and I’ll post it and share it, or if you want to post it on your... Read More
So you wanna go to music school?
This list, like the last one, is drawn directly from my experience. This is hopfully going to be the emphasis of my next book, tentatively entitled something like, “Ignore This Book if You Want to Go to Your 9th Choice Music School”. You get my drift. Some things to do when you are certain you want to go to music school: 1) practice better. Don’t just throw yourself at the instrument for an hour or two a day. Have a look through... Read More
up there
Back in June, I wrote about extensions. I recently revisited the post and noticed that Terry had posed a question of upper position whole tone movement, and thought I would go over my approach to this potential nightmare of advanced playing. I think a lot of it depends on hand size, but more importantly, on arm positioning. I like to think of my arm as the primary definer of position. When I shift, my arm is the genesis of the move. My arm knows... Read More
