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

<ne !ight say that wherever one places one$s first finger, on any string, there is
another "position." 2o you can readily see that !any such "positions" are possible.

Conclusion: In order to avoid confusion, the beginning cellist should concentrate

on the four basic positions, and learn to do extensions as called for by each %ey.
6he !ost useful and co!!on are stretching the first finger bac% to flatten the , A,
- or B, depending on which string is in 8uestion. <r to stretch to an  sharp, C
sharp, 4 sharp or  sharp with the fourth finger, as called for. 6he advanced cellist
no longer thin%s about positions, si!ply which finger place!ent lends itself best to
technical acco!plish!ent and artistic expression. Any note can be played by any
finger, including the thu!b, and the virtuoso 9ust does whatever wor%s best and
sounds right fro! the infinite possibilities at his co!!and.

If you are a beginner struggling to figure out fingerings for various positions on all
cello strings, you !ay find help fro! er 2tro!gren$s ingering Chart.

)ou will also en9oy reading the Cello Chat Archive thread about playing in
 positions.