A Conversation for Cellos
Erm...about fingers...
Miranda (Make tea! Yes, Cissdur, it's still me) Started conversation Dec 8, 2003
The fingering technique you describe here - how more than one finger at a time is used to hold down the string - may be OK for beginners, but advanced technique requires much more freedom of the hand. When I play, I certainly need to use the weight of my whole hand (and the left arm), but normally only one finger at a time is held down on the string. And so, I believe, do most cellists who have advanced beyond Frere Jaques... 
Erm...about fingers...
Gnomon - time to move on Posted Dec 8, 2003
True! You couldn't do vibrato with four fingers down. Do you think it is worth getting the entry changed?
Erm...about fingers...
Miranda (Make tea! Yes, Cissdur, it's still me) Posted Dec 9, 2003
Well, it would make me happy, but then it seems I'm the only reader who has noticed, so I don't know if it could be said to be an important thing...
Is it a long process, changing an entry that's already in the Edited Guide?
Erm...about fingers...
Gnomon - time to move on Posted Dec 9, 2003
No. For a minor change like this, I just tell the Eds what to change and they do it. It's usually done the same day.
Erm...about fingers...
Miranda (Make tea! Yes, Cissdur, it's still me) Posted Dec 9, 2003
Maybe it could say something like: "Great strength is needed ... so the wight of the whole hand is balanced (or focused?) on whichever finger is currently hoding down the string" ?
Another minor change I'd like to see is that the six solo pieces by Bach are called suites, not sonatas. Not to be confused with the sonatas for viola da gamba and harpsicord, which are sometimes played on the cello.
Apart from that, it is, neddless to say, a very good entry!
Erm...about fingers...
Gnomon - time to move on Posted Dec 9, 2003
OK. I've put in a request for those to be changed.
Erm...about fingers...
Miranda (Make tea! Yes, Cissdur, it's still me) Posted Dec 9, 2003
Great! But, by all means, feel free to improve the language and/or spelling...! 
Erm...about fingers...
Gnomon - time to move on Posted Dec 10, 2003
It's fixed now. Thanks for pointing the problems out.
Erm...about fingers...
Miranda (Make tea! Yes, Cissdur, it's still me) Posted Dec 19, 2003
Great!
One should always aim for perfection, don't you think...?
Merry Christmas!
Key: Complain about this post
Erm...about fingers...
- 1: Miranda (Make tea! Yes, Cissdur, it's still me) (Dec 8, 2003)
- 2: Gnomon - time to move on (Dec 8, 2003)
- 3: Miranda (Make tea! Yes, Cissdur, it's still me) (Dec 9, 2003)
- 4: Gnomon - time to move on (Dec 9, 2003)
- 5: Miranda (Make tea! Yes, Cissdur, it's still me) (Dec 9, 2003)
- 6: Gnomon - time to move on (Dec 9, 2003)
- 7: Miranda (Make tea! Yes, Cissdur, it's still me) (Dec 9, 2003)
- 8: Gnomon - time to move on (Dec 10, 2003)
- 9: Miranda (Make tea! Yes, Cissdur, it's still me) (Dec 19, 2003)
More Conversations for Cellos
Write an Entry
"The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is a wholly remarkable book. It has been compiled and recompiled many times and under many different editorships. It contains contributions from countless numbers of travellers and researchers."