Left Hand

Shifting

Following on an earlier post about the left hand, today’s blog will explore some of the mechanics of shifting. How do we shift while maintaining an effective hand position throughout not only the neck positions, but also in thumb position. Let’s get started.

The Shifting Mechanics

The Shortest Distance Between Two Points or Lines and Circles

The left elbow’s position is not static as we play, but rather the elbow moves based on the needs of the music. The elbow moves to allow us to play in tune, to extend, and to shift seamlessly to wherever we need to go across the fingerboard. Today let us consider the action of shifting specifically, building on the concept mentioned in the last blog that extraneous motions should be eliminated, especially in fast passages.

That the elbow “leads the shift” is one point of technique about which many cellists agree in terminology, but in application this maxim can look quite different from one person to the next. A popular idea is that the left elbow leads the shift as the left hand moves by travelling in the shape of an arc, a smiley face, or even in the circular motion of a baseball pitcher’s windup (fig 1). From my understanding, this movement is intended either to add or remove weight from the fingers on the strings during the shift in order to produce the desired sound.

Whenever I hear this advice, my mind immediately recalls the truism learned in geometry that “the shortest distance between two points is a straight line.” In the interest of removing extraneous motions, consider allowing the elbow to travel to its destination via a straight line. As an example of this kind of elbow movement, watch Yo-Yo Ma in the first three shifts of the following video. Notice that his elbow moves from one point to the next in a straight line free of unnecessary motions.  

 https://youtu.be/57TURi_EXRo?t=86

So if the elbow “leading” does not necessarily involve an arc motion in everyone’s terminology, what else can the phrase imply? In my own terminology, the elbow’s leading refers to the order of movement. The elbow arrives at its post-shift position one or more notes before the hand ever shifts. In other words, shifting is a two-part process. First the elbow leads, and then the hand follows one or more notes later. If this is the order of movement, the arch shape the elbow makes in movement is inconsequential because the elbow will not be moving while the hand shifts. Oftentimes shifting in this manner is so subtle that to an observer, a shift seems to be over before it started.

Lest I seem to be devaluing the teaching of such great string educators as Paul Rolland who encourage round shapes in movement, let me confirm that round motions are to be encouraged more often than not in strings playing. However shifting is one instance in my own experience and observation where accuracy of intonation is aided by thinking in terms of straight lines instead of arcs. My assumption is that this has to do with the accuracy of measuring a line as compared to an arc. A straight line between two points will always be the same distance, but the path of an arc can be slightly larger or smaller without our noticing, thus causing our minds  to measure them less accurately. In addition, hitting two moving targets at once, the correct elbow position and the correct finger placement is fraught with more challenges than finding the spots individually.

That being said, how does one know when the elbow is correctly located for a given position? In short, a range of acceptable positions exists. Wherever your hand can achieve the correct frame without undue tension can be one of many correct positions.

Landmarks

In our search to shift accurately and consistently, the elbow remains only one piece of the puzzle. Ultimately our hand must arrive at the correct spot on the fingerboard. The following three types of landmarks serve as aids in our quest for dependable shifts.

The End of the Neck

Both fourth positionand upper third position (also known as 3^rd ½) rely on the thumb being placed at the very end of the neck to easily find the placement of the four fingers. I am amazed at how many students do not know this fact. I am equally amazed at the immediate progress they make in shifting gracefully and accurately once they make this one small change in awareness, namely using their thumb as a reference for these positions. The thumb always goes directly under the 2^nd finger. So to find upper third position, the thumb goes as far as it can down the neck and 2 goes down on top of it, like this (fig. 2):

As the one exception to the rule, fourth position is the only neck position where the 1^stfinger is placed directly above the thumb. So for both third and fourth positions, the thumb shares the same spot. However in fourth position, the 1^stfinger will be will be placed above the thumb replacing where the 2^ndfinger was in upper third position like so (fig. 3):

Substitution Shifts

A second aid in shifting, substitution shifts promote accurate shifts using a note from the current position as a reference. The following video demonstrates literal substitution shifts where on one note two fingers are substituted to play the same pitch.  

The sheet music for this exercise would be as follows in fig. 4.

Notice that the final and highest note of this exercise is an F, a minor third above D, the highest note of first position. To find even higher notes, this substitution shifting process can be repeated beginning on higher notes, shifting up a minor third each time ad nauseam.

Harmonics

Finally most positions have harmonics that we already know and use which can serve as reference points for our shifts. As an example, take the ending of the Ligeti Sonata for Solo Cello. The penultimate measure has an A# that is incredibly tricky to find for many. However using the octave harmonic on the D string, we can shift early and help our chances of nailing the note (fig. 6). Below is written first the suggest practice method sounding the harmonic audibly. Eventually take out the harmonic but still place the finger as demonstrated in the following video.  

Until I discovered the invaluable tool of using harmonics as guide notes in shifting, watching performers seemingly leap into thumb position and find a note out of thin air astounded me. As I think back, the shifts still impress, but they do not seem unachievable anymore because I know one of the secrets of their shifting: they were shifting to harmonics along. With an awareness of where harmonics are in any given position, shifting accurately to distant pitches becomes possible. This is an example of shifting to the position instead of to the note (more on this later in today’s post). See the exercise below I have developed to help me grab the same notes in basic thumb position out of thin air (fig 7). Accompanying the music is a video of my demonstrating the first line of the exercise. Notice that the thumb is placed on a lower string than the higher goal note in order to develop the habit of keeping the thumb over two strings. For another exercise geared specifically to the neck positions, see last week’s blog here: https://jonathansimmonscello.com/left-hand-habits-for-success/

If you are not yet fluent in locating the harmonics on the cello, let me recommend the book The Secret Life of Cello Strings: Harmonics for Cellists by R. Caroline Bosanquet. This book thoroughly and concisely explains harmonics in an easily understandable way. It is truly one of the best resources I know of on the subject. 

Habits

Shift Early, Shift Often

In addition to utilizing the inherent landmarks on the cello itself, good habits can also facilitate more accurate shifting. One of the best shifting habits any cellist can develop is the habit of shifting as early as possible. If you noticed in the Ligeti example (repeated again below), an open A string preceded the shift.

Open strings are an excellent time to shift. If you arrive in general vicinity of the position early (not merely the note. Remember: Shift to the position, not to the note.), you have a better chance of landing in tune. More advice on that from Lynn Harrell in a future blog.

Shift to the Position, not to the Note

As has already been mentioned multiple times, shifting to the position as opposed to only the note we intend to play is critical. This concept involves multiple factors. First the hand must maintain its correct shape and orientation to the string. Stretching a single finger to reach a note does not constitute a shift. Rather a shift is a whole arm movement as discussed at the beginning of this post. Second we must develop an awareness of what some call “fingerboard geography,” an intimate knowledge of what notes lie under each of our fingers on all strings in any given position. Knowing the note corresponding to each finger in every position enable us to utilize the three reference points. This assumes a thorough knowledge of intervals and left hand frame that can be learned from a competent teacher.

I hope this post has been helpful to you. As always, feel free to comment and to subscribe. I would love to hear what has been beneficial to you and what I can make more clear. Updates will be posted on my professional facebook page at www.facebook.com/simmonsmusic.                                                                                                                                                                                                

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©2020 by Jonathan Simmons. All rights reserved.

            Solid left hand technique is vital to a cellist’s intonation, musical precision, and long-term physical health. However one technique does not fit all, in more than one way. Not only do many accomplished cellists play with vastly varying techniques, but differing types of passages require us to move in different ways. This blog will cover three habits necessary in playing in tune and with efficiency of movement, the latter a habit that is paramount when playing quickly.

Many highly recommended methods and etude books exist to promote good habits in left hand technique. For example Janos Starker An Organized Method of String Playing, Hans Jørgen Jensen and Minna Rose Chung Cello Mind, etudes by Cossman, Popper, and others to name but a few. May I submit to you that many of these technical books do not explicitly define the left hand alignment with words but rather model it in visual aids or infer the shape by the demands of the exercises. Of course a qualified teacher is indispensable in every student’s quest to develop good habits. This introductory blog to the left hand is designed not to replace a teacher but rather to clarify some concepts necessary for getting the most benefit from the previously mentioned resources. It can serve as a point of discussion for further learning in lessons. The following approaches spring from habits I have learned from lessons, masterclasses, reading, and personal practice over the years that can help you revolutionize the way you think about your left hand.

String Crossings

            String crossings on violin family instruments can be an intonation nightmare. Every time we move a finger from one string to another, we incur the risk that the finger might end up in a different place than the one we intend. I remember vividly a lesson in high school when my teacher stopped me at the top of a particularly out of tune scale. “I would be rich if I got paid for every out of tune first finger I have heard in this room,” she claimed. Knowing that string crossings pose such a great intonation hazard, how can we practice them to gain more reliable intonation? Here is one exercise I have found helpful in my own studio.

Measuring the Distance

Take a scale, say the two octave C Major scale beginning on the open C string. We will stick with first position fingerings for this example. On C 0-1-3-4. Once you have reached the F, continue to let it sound with all fingers down on the C string as you add the open G. The result will be a double stopped major second between F and G. As you prepare to play the first finger A, let fingers 2, 3, and 4 continue to rest on the C string resulting in a double stopped third between F and A (fig. 1).

 Figure 1

After you have placed the first finger A, the fingers on the C string may be lifted to prepare for the following notes. Repeat this pattern going up each string of the scale. Once you are comfortable with this procedure, let the bow return to playing single notes as normal so that the lower bracketed notes do not sound. However continue to let the fingers gently rest on the string as before.

            What about going down the scale? All the left hand fingers must be lifted to allow the open string to speak, so can we still apply this principal? Yes! When coming down the scale, the fourth finger must be prepared two notes early. For example, coming down the C scale starting on the A string would look like this:

Repeat the pattern as before, initially sounding double stops and later silently placing the fourth finger on the lower string. Once this skill is mastered on the scale, apply it to arpeggios, broken thirds, and repertoire. Incidentally this exercise often has the added benefit of making string crossings smoother for beginning students, as well as more in tune. This is in part because a truly legato string crossing requires an almost imperceptible moment of double stopping to connect the sound of the two strings.

Hand Frame on a Single String

Quiet Hands

            In addition to aiding in good intonation across strings, our left hand alignment also affects our intonation and physical endurance on a single string both when playing in position and when shifting. Today we will address primarily the hand frame only in terms of playing in position. A good left hand philosophy for playing quickly can be summed up in the adage “quiet hands.” In other words, a movement should consist of the minimum of motion possible like a golfer seeking to sink a putt from the green. Any tense or extraneous movements should be eliminated. These extraneous movements manifest themselves in several ways.

First consider the motion of lifting the fingers from the strings. Think back to the scale exercise. Were you aware of how fast or how high you were lifting your fingers from the string? Likely not! When thinking about left hand movement, most string players automatically think about putting fingers down to depress the string.  Just as maintaining a sufficiently light touch is crucial to maintaining a loose hand, equally as important is the motion of lifting the fingers. In general, strive to keep the fingers just clear of the string when lifting them. Overly exaggerated movement leads to excessive tension such as hyper-extension (fig. 3) and slows us down tremendously.

  This bad habit of lifting the fingers excessively high manifests itself both when playing in position and when shifting. The faster the tempo of the music we are playing, the more important this becomes because the closer the fingers are to the strings, the more quickly and accurately they can execute passages. Strive for quiet hands when lifting the fingers from the strings.

Alignment

            Just as the movement of the fingers up and down can be optimized, so movement to the left and right should also be brought to our best advantage. Perhaps the most common misalignment is the left hand knuckles angling away from the fingerboard so that the pinky knuckle is furthest from the fingerboard. Although this positioning can be a very advantageous for vibrato, as advocated in David Finkel’s Cello Talks, we are considering only the factor of efficiency today. Notice in fig.4-5 below that the pinky is in a particularly poor position and would need to move a considerable distance to even reach the string. Students often strain and straighten the pinky in order to reach the string from this disadvantageous position.

Figure 4

            This position commonly occurs after ascending shifts when the elbow either does not move at all or does not move enough (more on that in a future blog post). Not only can this alignment change the hand frame and interfere with good intonation, it also requires an additional motion of the arm in order for the fingers to reach the lower strings. Let me recommend the following exercises to remedy this habit.

While in first position with the 4^th finger on the C string, place the 1^st finger on the A string as shown in fig. 6. Notice that the knuckles are not parallel to the neck but rather that the pinky knuckle is closest of all the knuckles. This position is somewhat of an exaggeration, of course, but it is helpful in maintaining a strong, rounded 4^th finger, the pinky being the shortest finger. 

Next bring fingers 2, 3, & 4 to rest on the A string moving only from the knuckles, not the wrist or elbow. The following video demonstrates two motions. First the video shows an incorrect motion from the wrist that takes the knuckles out of alignment followed by the correct motion from the knuckles. Repeat in all positions ala Starker’s Organized Method of String Playing.

As a brief introduction to maintaining this alignment while shifting, practice the following exercise (fig. 7) shifting between 1^st and 4^thposition. Keep the 4^th finger rounded as is often necessary. Notice that the 4^th finger is placed on the lower strings when possible. Keeping the pinky is rounded while on a lower string assures that the alignment will be correct. When bringing the pinky to the next string to the left, the pinky will still be round, assuming the correct motion from the video above. Again, repeat this exercises on all strings and in all positions to gain facility.

                                                                                 Figure 7

In one of the next blog posts I plan to apply these principles further to shifting and thumb position. Thank you for reading, and please be sure to comment below and to subscribe to the blog for notifications of future posts. 

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©2020 by Jonathan Simmons. All rights reserved.