This week I wanted to continue on my left-hand technique with the cello.

As I mentioned last week, we spent 6 days in Calgary, which meant that there was a lot of driving time that I could use to search for techniques. I decided to check in on an old favourite, Pinterest! Let me tell you, Pinterest never disappoints.

I found a post titled #1 Cello Tip for the Left Hand and WHAT A TIP IT IS! There may have been a time that I was told to keep my thumb behind finger 2, but I sure didn’t remember it. I included a screen capture of the video I followed to show just how much it helps me stretch my left hand out over the fingerboard. I’m very excited about this, as I’ve always wondered if I should have purchased a smaller-sized cello for my tiny hands.

This video came from a website called Cellomoji that I really like so far! It has a blog and a podcast as well that I’ve already downloaded to my Podbean app so I can start listening to it over the next week… can’t wait to see what other nuggets of knowledge I learn from that!

And so continues my quest to relax my death-grip on the bow.

I started searching for how-to videos on YouTube, but I’ve noticed that the best things I’ve found so far are from websites dedicated to stringed instruments. So, I found this webpage from the Manukau Youth Orchestra located in New Zealand. I really like the simplicity of this site – it isn’t trying to sell me anything or filled with ads, and everything is very matter-of-fact. This is what I found to help me with my bow-hold:

… and here I am practicing on my practice-bow:

Will I return to this site? YES… Maybe not for a lot, but it’s a great place to find the basics when I need a refresher.

Week 4 Update Video:

Recording myself really helps me see the little things I need to work on.

Next steps… we will be away from home again for a while, so I’m going to listen to the new podcast I found and try to find some fun music online that will help motivate me to practice more!

Thanks for reading 🙂