On using the natural weight of your body

One of the most common mistakes with cello technique is pressing with the right arm. To a complete beginner this seems the most natural thing to do, and indeed many teachers allow beginners to produce a sound in this way. But it's really not ideal for the following reasons:

• You can end up with pain and tension in your forearm muscles and even tendinitis
• It produces a nasty "constipated" sound far from the beautiful singing tone every cellist should be aiming for
• It makes it virtually impossible to create any variation in timbre and articulation with the right arm

So what you need to aim for is to use the natural weight of your body to create pressure on the string, leaving your fingers loose and relaxed on the stick, free to create the sound and articulation that you want.

Every cellist, from complete beginners to professional players, can benefit from this exercise:

1. VERY IMPORTANT: Sit on a carpeted surface for this as it's very likely you'll drop your bow the first few times you try it!!! Also not one to try if you're worried about cosmetic damage to the varnish of your cello
2. Let your right hand drop into a completely relaxed position and simply place the bow into the shape your hand naturally makes when it's relaxed. Remember to keep the thumb bent!
3. Place the bow on the G string (which makes for the most comfortable angle - try it on the other strings later)
4. Imagine that you have a big, fat, hairy gorilla sitting on your right shoulder, forcing it down and sending all its weight down into your arm
5. Keep the right hand relaxed at all times! No pressing!
6. Start each practice session by bowing open strings in this manner for just 2-5 minutes at a time. Soon you'll find that your right hand is much more relaxed, that you can produce a big, fat sound without much effort, and that you're a little bit further on your way to being an awesome cellist. Enjoy!