A loose hand is stronger than a tight one.
Eliminate Left Hand Tension (Part 2)
- Concentrate on loosening your hand, instead of strengthening. Anyway, a loose hand is stronger than a tight one.
- A loose, alive hand eliminates fatigue and increases speed, agility and ease of playing.
- How to have both strength and looseness in thumb position.
- How to use forearm rotation in thumb position.
- Don’t squeeze the thumb or pinch to depress the strings – a tight thumb on the back of the neck tightens the entire hand.
- A light, fast strike of the fingers gives provides all the strength the fingers need.
- Hit and release – hit and go limp. Don’t hit and hold tight – feel a little rebound inside the finger – this helps to feel a release.
- Fingers, especially the 4th finger will feel weak if you only lift from the knuckles.
- Keep your thumb touching lightly on the underside of the neck, but keep it soft and don’t squeeze.
- A few hours a day at the cello gives your left hand fingers all the strength they need.
- Loosening your hand is far more important than trying to strengthen.
- Continual exchange of tension and release between fingers eliminates fatigue and increases agility and ease of playing.
- Your fingers are as long as your forearm.
- Lifting and throwing the finger with a forearm rotation makes every finger equally strong. But after hitting, be sure to release.
About
Paul Katz
Paul Katz is known for his 26-year career as cellist of the internationally acclaimed Cleveland Quartet; as a world-renown teacher…
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"Playing hours a day makes your hand strong enough – focus on releasing tension, rather than strengthening the hand." -Paul Katz
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