This question came in today from one of our Twitter Followers:  

Hi! I'm Johanna, 17 years old, I am also a cello player. Can you give me some methods for different positions in cello? 

Response from Martha Brons, inventor of our CelloPhant® accessory:

There are three areas of "position work" in cello playing.

• 1. Lower positions (1st through 4th)
• 2. Neck positions (5th through 7th)
• 3. Thumb position

Lower Positions:

Covered by many methods.

Actually, there is only the closed (all 1/2 steps) and open (whole step between 1st and 2nd finger.)

Be sure that your thumb is lightly under the neck beneath the 2nd finger, then point your 1st finger back towards your ear, in order to form the whole step.

Since most of our music is in the lower positions, it is essential to master this technique.

I use the out of print Carl Fischer Basic Method for Violoncello, Book 2, which I have permission to copy for my students.

It also has good work in the neck positions.

Neck Positions:

In the neck positions, half and whole steps can be obtained between 1, 2 and 3.

The 4th finger is not normally used.

Be sure your thumb is lightly along the side on the neck, not in the curved part.

Thumb Position:

For Thumb position, I use the Matz 12 Etudes: Introduction to the Thumb Position," published by Dominis Music Ltd.

Place the thumb across the string at the 1/2 way harmonic and suction it to stop the string.

Painful until there is a bit of callous.