by Tim Finholt

The following are my notes from master classes at the University of Washington o
n December 2, 4, and 8, 1999.

Left Hand/Arm
Each finger must be independent. You must be sensitive to the natural changes th
at happen when you go from finger to finger, which requires a relaxed hand. Don'
t lock the hand into a fixed position.
Intonation is improved when you shift from position to position, not from finger
to finger.
There are two types of fingering technique: "sostenuto," which is the transfer o
f weight from one finger to another in slower notes, and "keyboard," which is us
ed more in fast playing to efficiently go from note to note, lifting and droppin
g fingers on their respective notes. We are continually going between these two
styles, depending on the musical context.
The left shoulder must not lose its mobility.
Better intonation and even articulation is achieved when you don't change the an
gle at which each finger approaches the string. This evens up the vibrato as wel
l.
Vibrato -- Don't turn your hand over itself.
"Intonation is a question of conscience." -- Pablo Casals
There are two basic types of left hand positions: perpendicular to the fingerboa
rd and slanted backwards. A perpendicular hand is more old-fashioned, but it can
be helpful for achieving good intonation in the lower positions. The slanted ha
nd can be helpful because, if used throughout the length of the fingerboard, the
re is no break or difference in sound as you go from lower to higher positions.
Adjust your arm position depending on what string you are on.
The thumb is good for feeling changes of positions. If you clutch with the thumb
, you will lose this sensitivity.
Only the playing finger needs to be in playing tension. The others may remain ab
ove their notes, but they should be relaxed.
There are three classes of positions on the cello: 4-finger positions (lower pos
itions), 3-finger positions (5th through 7th positions), and thumb positions. Th
e 3-finger positions tend to be where people get lost.
What to do with the thumb in thumb positions: Some like to hold the thumb down o
n the strings since it provides security. The downside of this is that overtones
are dampened, thus reducing the resonance of the cello. Some keep the thumb off
the strings, but this is less secure. The technique of the 21st Century will be
to place the thumb underneath the fingerboard, which maintains the advantages o
f both and eliminates the disadvantages.
Never clench the fingers together. There should always be a gap between the fing
ers.
Shifting -- You have several decisions to make when you shift. Do you slide with
the finger that plays the notes before the shift or with the finger you will en
d up on? Do you slide before the bow change or after? Do you shift using a two-a
ction motion (with a recoil of the arm prior to the actual slide) or do you use
a single-action shift (just from point A to point B without any preparatory moti
on)? You have to decide which note donates time for travelling, the note before
or the note after the shift.
Shifting -- When shifting back to a lower position, move the arm back, not just
the hand. Slide the first finger to the next position and drop the playing finge
r down.
When you have lots of fast position changes, stay closer to the string with the
hand.
Thumb -- Don't rigidly plant the thumb behind the second finger. Feel the connec
tion between the thumb and each playing finger. Notice how your thumb naturally
adjusts its position depending on your arm position.
Big interval shifts -- Slide to the upper note. Don't try to hit it from the air
.
Right Hand/Bow Arm
In fast notes, swing the hand with the lower arm. Don't lock the wrist.
The upper arm must be in constant motion.
For a good bounce in fast notes, don't tighten the thumb and first finger.
Always prepare for the coming change in bow direction. This means pronating the
wrist as you approach the tip. Always lead the hand with the arm, don't lead the
arm with the hand.
A string player's biggest problem is that the bow speed is constantly changing.
If evenness of tone is crucial, you might consider changing the bowings such tha
t bow speed can remain consistent.
Never let the thumb and first finger get locked into place.
The third finger is more in contact with the bow when we are in the lower half o
f the bow. The first finger is more in contact with the bow when we are in the u
pper half of the bow.
If you just use pressure with bowing, the bow will not maintain its point of con
tact, i.e. it will slide up and down the string.
Bend the right thumb before attacking triple stop chords, like in the beginning
of the Dvorak Concerto. This ensures that the thumb remains flexible.
Counter-pressure -- Push the cello with the left knee as you near the tip on the
A and D strings. Push the cello with the right knee as you near the tip on the
C and G strings. This reduces the energy necessary to maintain your sound as you
near the tip by sharing the work with your legs.
Finger functions -- the thumb helps with control in the lower half; the first fi
nger helps with control in the upper half; the second finger is for balance; the
third finger is for control in the lower half; the fourth finger is for balance
. Pull the bow with the third finger in the lower half. Push the bow with the fi
rst finger and pronate the wrist on the upbow.
Don't grip the bow. Keep the thumb loose.
The arm should determine the motion, not the hand. The hand follows the arm.
If you press with the first finger when playing fast notes in the lower half, th
e arm and hand become a single unit, with creates constricting tension.
Music
Haydn C Major Concerto -- Pet peeve: the last movement is too often a speed cont
est, which lessens the ability to bring out the musical moments (he likes to sin
g in the slurs). This movement is a dance, not a race.
Don't end phrases on a consonant.
Schelomo -- Where did that accent come from on the opening A? Starker doesn't do
it. He likes the idea that the music is "coming out of the desert."
Tempo changes begin on the upbeat, not precisely where the tempo change is notat
ed.
An obsession with a big sound prevents a variety of sounds.
Certain notes need to be vibrated differently. Those with a higher overtone cont
ent, i.e. those that have more sympathetic vibrations, like C, G, D, A, E, need
less vibrato, since they tend to project more readily. Those will less overtone
content require more vibrato, like D-flat, since they tend to be less resonant.
Awareness of this will help to produce evenly ascending and descending lines.
Schumann Concerto (m. 165-m. 175) -- Phrase when you have larger interval jumps,
like when you go to the C string for one note.
Rococo Variations (Fitzenhagen version) -- All eighth notes in the opening state
ment should have the same character.
Rococo Variations (Fitzenhagen version) -- The 6th Variation is the "memory vari
ation" and therefore should have a suspended, distant character. It doesn't need
to be belted out operatically. "We don't always need to sing. Sometimes we just
hum."
What creates the sound of a virtuoso? The number of notes played in a single mus
ical impulse. The more notes you group together, the more virtuosic you sound. I
f you do too few, the music will sound beat-y and amateurish.
Haydn C Major Concerto (slow movement) -- Play in quarter notes, not eighth note
s.
In order to create evenness of sound, avoid bows that require drastic changes in
bow speed.
Dvorak Concerto (1st movement) -- Play the triple stops as a single chord. Don't
break into two double stops.
Dvorak Concerto (1st movement) -- Starker changes the notes and rhythm of the as
cending chromatic octaves so that the orchestra knows when to come in.
Miscellaneous
Don't hunch over the cello, and don't twist your back. This will result in back
pain problems later.
If you have long arms, you might try the Tortelier end-pin.
Sarcastic advice -- The key to commercial success: extreme quickness, extreme sl
owness, extreme loudness, extreme inaudibility.
The goal is to play with evenly distributed tension, not to play without tension
. Tension must not be allowed to build up in any single part of your body.
Breathing is one of the best things to do in order to prevent the build-up of te
nsion. A good exercise is to enforce this is to say the word "and" before each p
hrase or musically separable module begins.
Always anticipate the next note. This will serve you well because anticipation i
s part of music itself.
Whenever two joints meet, they should form a curve, not an angle. Angles block t
he line of power.
Sense of pulse -- A good exercise to help with maintaining a sense of pulse is t
o alternately lift each foot off the floor. The metronome is not as good because
the beat isn't integrated into the body's motion; it just keeps clicking away w
ith or without you.
Old master class trick -- Somebody always plays better the second time, which ma
kes the master look like some sort of magician.
Good exercise for finding proper arm positions -- While keeping your forearms pa
rallel to the floor, roll your elbows back and then over your shoulders, clenchi
ng the whole time. Release the tension and your arms will be in the proper posit
ion, not too low and not too high.
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