Is the cello positioned so that the players left elbow does not feel tight?
If the arm is folded up at a sharp angle so that the forearm is cramped against the upper arm, Young observes, it is impossible for the student to execute the vibrato action freely. The left elbow should “float” as if on water. Is the left hand positioned so that the base of the knuckles forms a line that runs almost parallel to the strings (in the lower positions)? This is important because the shaking of the hand will follow the line formed by the base of the knuckles. If the hand is not parallel to the fingerboard then the motion will be wasted and the vibrato on the fourth finger will be restricted, she cautions. Do the fingers feel “sticky,” creating a feeling of suction between the skin and the fingerboard? Players possess two basic touches: One is when they are tapping their fingers, Young says, and the other is when they feel as though there are little suction cups or sticky wet glue on their fingers. “These are two completely different ways of sensing touch. When we play fast
