EARLY ATTEMPTS AT 'CELLO PLAYING--FIRMNESS IN FINGERING--THE LEFT
HAND--CORRECT METHOD OF PLACING THE LEFT-HAND FINGERS.
EARLY EXERCISES.
The first attempts at 'cello playing must be made with long, smooth
bow-strokes, care being taken to have a nice even tone from heel to
point; great vigilance is here required on the part of the master, in
observing that the motion of the arm and wrist is correct.
The pupil must not think that practising these long, slow bowings is
a waste of time, it is the only way to obtain a good round tone, and
afterwards, when whole bows are used for a quicker tempo, a command of
the bow.
In practising studies in detached crotchets after the style of Ex.
1, Dotzauer, op. 120, or Ex. 1, Schroeder, op. 67, great firmness is
required to stop the bow suddenly at the point; _even_ pressure must
be brought to bear on the bow, accompanied by great rigidity of the
thumb. If the exercises previously mentioned, and similar studies are
practised in this firm, detached, manner, it will prevent that "groping"
for the note, a bad habit which the young player speedily contracts if
not watched. The student being compelled to make a short pause between
each note, will allow time for the hand to move into position, and the
fingers to be firmly placed, before the bow is again set in motion.
THE LEFT HAND.
To a great extent the work of the left hand is mechanical, and
like everything which is mechanical in true art, must only occupy
a secondary place. This is particularly true about the elements of
fingering, _i.e._, placing the fingers on the strings in the proper
manner, fingering the intervals in tune, etc., but does not apply
to the close shake, gliding and various vocal effects obtained by
changing the fingers on one note, or playing passages up the strings
in various positions, which might be executed in a more ordinary way.
All this is high art, and helps to reveal the true artist by his manner
of introducing the beautiful effects caused by the means previously
mentioned. However, to consider fingering pure and simple, a 'cello
player of the first rank does not constantly think about his fingers,
his mind is occupied with the phrasing and the correct interpretation
of the composition. A good knowledge of the fingerboard is best learned
at the instrument, no amount of diagrams or lengthy description of
chords in the various positions, etc., being of much use in real work.
The violoncellist has quite sufficient to think about without carrying
diagrams of the positions in his head, even the old method of pasting
such diagrams on the fingerboard of the instrument must be denounced, as
this only causes the student to watch his fingers, a most objectionable
habit. But again, a good player would be able to instantly place the
position of any playable chord on the violoncello, or would be able to
tell the sound effects of any two or more notes played in any position.
This knowledge must come with practice, or it will take no small
amount of trouble to make the theory fit the instrument, especially
in quick passages at sight. The only way to obtain this mastery of
the fingerboard, is by always adhering to one way of fingering,
when practising scales and exercises. If a passage of extraordinary
difficulty presents itself, stop and analyse it, then decide upon some
way of fingering. Whether the best way will be adopted is another
matter, and a matter in which our first class artists disagree, but the
chief thing is to adhere to the fingering adopted.
The fingers must be firmly placed on the strings; to allow this, and so
that the tips of the fingers are used, the joints must be bent outwards.
This will allow the fingers to fall and rise like little hammers; and
also if properly accomplished, will cause the strings to pass under
the centre of the tip of each finger, in an almost parallel line with
the tip edge of each finger nail. A very important rule, is to have
as many fingers placed on the strings as possible, thus when playing
the fourth finger, do not have the other three pointing upwards in as
many different directions, they should be placed in semitones on the
string, ready for use if a descending passage happens to follow. In
some cases of vibrato, and always when playing harmonics, the fingers
behind the one used must be kept off the strings; even then it is
advisable to have them only slightly raised, and bent ready for use. In
descending passages as previously hinted, the fingers must be placed
simultaneously on the strings, the necessary fingers being raised as the
passage proceeds; the student will find it rather difficult at first to
place the fingers in tune behind the one actually played, but constant
practice will accomplish this.