Learning the Cello - Learning to Sit with a Cello

Balance and Coordination 

Things to make or buy to help beginners

The Pelvis

Find a chair that is the correct height for you. Most people recommend that you sit on the front edge of the chair with your hips slightly higher than your knees. The chair should have a firm cushion or no cushion.

• Think of your whole head as a skull with a beautiful brain inside. Drop the head forward ever so slightly then reverse so the back of your head dips back a little. Go back to neutral, where your skull feels it is resting on the Atlas bone (topmost bone of the spine). Now lift the whole head a tiny bit upward. You may notice that you feel a small amount of expansion in that moment, or you may feel a sense of lightness. You've just elongated your spine.

• Let your entire spine (or you can think of your torso, to lengthen and widen just a tiny bit. Breathe normally.  Don't force it.

•  While breathing out, allow the front and back of your shoulders to widen out of your back out to the sides, instead of compressing inward. 

•  Pay attention to your bottom, (butt, tushy), and feel the comfort of your whole upper body supported by both sitz bones equally. Experiment with the different ways your pelvis can move.

• Tilt your pelvis forward and backwards, then find the neutral center. Your abdominal muscles will have to do some work now to support this posture.

• Notice the bottom of your feet and if they are helping you to balance.

In a happy, calm manner, sit this way for 2 minutes, trying out these subtle movements and breathing. Now try the same thing for 2 minutes with the cello.

When playing the cello and focusing on posture, play something very short and simple. 

•  Notice if your spine is compressed by slumping. Try to elongate it by feeling a string pulling the top of your head upwards.  Don't arch your pelvis too much or at all. Also, slump so that you are tilting your pelvis the opposite way from arching and and drop head slightly. You can play the cello in both of these positions as long as you don't over do them.
• Notice if your tummy muscles are engaged.
• Be aware of tension in any part of the body, especially your jaw and your feet. Notice even the smallest muscles of your hand, thumb and fingers. 
• Practice just picking up your bow. Notice the muscles in your neck as you put the bow to the string. Keep checking that your neck muscles are relaxed as you play. The head dropping forward from the neck is a common problem for cellists. Don't let it become a problem for you!