This is a good illustration of why learning an instrument through online videos is not a great idea.

Sarah, you are such an intelligent instructor. This helped me so much.

Thank you for your help! These will be easier to do now after watching your video!

Beginning at 3:26 is what I needed and was looking for: an explanation as to HOW to play it -- not WHAT to play. As you state, trying to keep all fingers down in the extended position is painful and creates both physical and mental tension. Understanding how to play it helps me get to what to play. . . . Thank you!

Thank you for this instructive and very helpful video. To all cello students - if you are 5 feet 2 inches tall or shorter, you will need to consider getting a 7/8 or even a 3/4 size cello. Your hand will be too small to progress beyond a certain point of cello proficiency, i.e. if you try to play the Dvorak Cello Concerto with a too large cello for your body, you won't be able to make the stretches and shifts properly and constantly play out of tune, or you will try to make them anyway, and run the risk of permanently danaging your hand and fingers. This message will mainly apply to children and women who are 5 feet two inches tall or less . Thank you for your attention to the above . It is totally meant in good will and concern for those who will seriously undertake the serious study of the cello. I have played and studied the cello for over 20 years. Thank you !

you are amazing, congrats for the nice video!

Helpful and encouraging, thank you

so helpful thank you!

Thank you, maestra

thanks

I dont even play the cello and I find these videos entertaining I am hoping to play cello in my orchestra though because now I play viola.

thank you very much for your videos they are awesoms :) i have a question should i shift my thumb in forward extension to keep it opposing my third finger or not??

Hi Sarah, thank you so much for uploading all your videos! I've been playing the cello for ten years now and I really appreciate your content. You are doing a great job and you have got a lot of know-how when it comes up to music. Even if I already learned most of the technical aspects you talk about, I totally agree with most of the things you mention and I'm sure it is pretty helpful for every beginner. I really consider you as inspiration for my work on the cello! Keep going you are amazing! I saw you made most of your cello tutorials about left hand technique. Could you imagine to talk more about the bowing technique, for example staccato or spiccato? I think this could be really helpful... Greetings ❤

love the videos good stuff :)

You helped me a lot, thank you so much! Could you play the harry potter ''Hedwigs theme'' on the cello? lots of love!!

Could you please explain/post how to do a backward B-flat extension? I can't seem to get it right

Great work Sarah. Thank you for your time and effort. After 1.5 year deliberation on either return to piano, guitar, or another string, i have chosen cello with much research. Month of online learning and now have a Eastman 100 and loving each chance to play.

is there in someway you can zoom in on your fingers please!😊✨

I am encountering shifting and extended position ans I was wondering what are some stretches i can do for my hands.

hi sarah! i hope you are not too busy but could you do a cover on the Phantom of the opera The music of the night? if you are not too busy! please!

Lucky me. I have had my bridge changed and now have a wolf note on the D string at C#...if I play a smidgen below C I am on the early beginnings of the #...is it enough?

Hello, you can add Turkish subtitles for your videos. It will be very good. Unfortunately there is not enough turkish data for cello education.I love you.

You need to keep your first finger in the same place though, just angle it. Only 2, 3, and 4, and of course thumb move. You are lifting 1 off of the tape and moving it completely. Same idea with backwards extensions- keep fourth finger down. :) You are right that it sounds painful to keep them down, but that's what an extension is- the trick is to keep roughly the same wrist angle and not rotate your wrist, which is painful. I used to struggle with this. See the picture for the extension at the end of the first Suzuki Book- 1st finger stays down while the other fingers are also down in their new place. If you move your first finger, you are actually shifting. Try extending in the air vertically first by holding on to your 1st finger with your other hand and dropping the rest of your fingers down- you will notice that your wrist is the same angle and not rotated. The way I realized all of this was in grad school when I was trying to play 3rds/double-stops- you have to keep all fingers down and it was incredibly painful especially on the lower strings in extended position- I realized I was rotating my wrist and sticking my thumb out. In many cases, if there is time, you can release your first finger after the extension and move it to the new position. However, if you are about to play the first finger again, you need to be able to keep it down.

where did you get your cello from??

hi Sarah :) wanted to know if you were still giving cello lessons by skype for cellist students , I dont have a teacher anymore for the moment and would love being taught by you :) my level is around fauré elegie , saint saens allegro passionato and I want to learn how to play thais meditation and to get better in general , hope you see this message :)

2:40 in and you haven’t said a word about the thumb.

This is not at all the commonly accepted way to do an extension. I hesitate to say it's wrong, but most teachers would say you're doing it wrong. Index finger should not be hooked, but straight! Doing extensions with a hooked first finger creates so much tension!