What is the best way to sit with the cello?

Simply Sitting

2/18/2015

Sitting with the cello should be simple. But as we teachers have struggled to find a uniform method to prescribe for every student, it's only gotten more mysterious!

The following examples are just a taste of the countless methods one may find on this issue:

What does your nose have to do with cello?

This would make my neck hurt!

We teachers have the best intentions with our instructions, but the reality is that the variables involved are too numerous for us to pack it all neatly into an easy description.

Too many variables

We can think of so many differences in body types. Long torso, short arms, little hands, long legs, barrel chest... It's mind boggling!

But that's not all...

I also try to take into consideration different chair heights, heel height, and on occasion even trouser material! My goal as a teacher is to get my students to be as comfortable as possible with real-world cello situations, so I must include these realistic (and sometimes not ideal) variations. Not all of us are able to take a custom cello-chair with us wherever we play (the most I can get away with for most concerts is a subtle seat cushion addition!).

Your comfort is key

Everyone's body is different. Every situation is different. The best we can do is make sure we can accommodate our own body. We must get as comfortable as possible within the confines of the situation while still being able to effectively manipulate our instrument.

Keep in mind that you must fit the cello to you. Not the other way around!

Head, shoulders, knees and toes

I have tried to distill the act of sitting with the cello into a simple set of instructions involving three main points of contact. These are only guidelines to help facilitate your getting comfortable with the cello.

I would love to hear your thoughts on sitting with the cello. Do any of you use Posture Pegs?

13 Comments

Nancy

2/19/2015 12:31:44 am

Adorable as always. I must not be doing the knees part right. I've always had a spot where the cello rubs left knee and leaves a mark that gets quite itchy. (I am such a whiner! Sorry). But I do remember the mouse house.

Nan Kemberling

2/19/2015 01:31:11 am

I have that left leg spot too, where the corner of the c-bout pokes me. It's normal, like a violin hickey, but if it bothers you a lot you could put a soft cloth there to protect your leg...?

Maritha van der Walt

12/13/2015 10:28:30 pm

Thank you very much for all the great information you have made available. I am brand new to the world of cello, and you inspire me! :-)

Zequek Estrada link

7/15/2016 07:28:11 pm

The section Your Comfort is Key reminds me a lot of my voice lessons. I don't play any instrument but I'd imagine that concept is the same no matter what you play or sing. Maybe one day I'll end up learning to play the cello. I like the sound it creates.

Darlene

2/8/2018 12:01:23 pm

Hello Nan, thank you for the helpful information on your site. At 52 years old I am a late beginner in playing cello, the electric cello to be specific. I have taking lessons for the past year and a half and am still having trouble placing the cello against my body, trying to find that sweet spot. I am the only student in my cello school that plays the electric cello and due to the difference in design from the traditional, I have looked online to see photos of other electric cellists to see how they are holding the cello with no result and none of them seem to have instructional videos like yourself to help. My questions is, do you have any advice or contacts that would help someone like me trying to position the electric cello against the body? Thank you, the frustrated, hopeful and not wanting to give up, electric cellist.

Nan link

2/11/2018 11:50:32 am

Hey Darlene,

What type of electric cello do you play?

Lysanne

2/14/2018 09:47:51 am

I have a similar issue! My electric cello's C bouts are not even at all so I'm not sure how to go about that. It almost looks more like an & than an 8 in shape.

11/18/2018 03:40:07 pm

Sorry Nan for the late response, I play the Yamaha Silent Cello SVC 110SK. I love it but boy I have spent the last year and a half discovering its difference to the acoustic and it really should be treated like a different instrument. Any help you can offer is greatly appreciated.

Audrey

7/2/2020 11:27:00 pm

Hi Nan, sorry if this question is "late" in the thread. I'm 5'3", have a short torso, and find that I tend to lift my left heel off the floor to try and be comfortable to play. I have a 7/8 cello too.
I also noticed that Yo-yo Ma sits with his cello quite low on his chest, and it seems more horizontal than "normal"????
I'm mostly self-taught, as I live in a small town with no access to a cello teacher.
Just can't seem to get comfy in other postures.

Nan Kemberling link

7/8/2020 03:44:46 pm

Hey Audrey,

Try a shorter chair. That might be the key to taking some of the tension out of your feet. Even though it feels better having your heel off the floor, it can cause fatigue. So I think a shorter chair might be the way to go... Let me know if you are able to implement this and if it helps!

Angelica

7/13/2020 11:26:08 am

I'm 5'0", short arms, small hands. I have a 3/4 cello and still seems big. Should I go to a smaller size? I can't seem to fit the cello all the way between my legs.

7/15/2020 12:11:46 pm

Hi Angelica,

It's ok to have your legs behind the cello, as long as it can rest against them and feels stable. We just don't want your cello to feel like it will spin around or fall, but you don't necessarily have to get the cello to fit between your legs. That just won't work for all body types...

The cello body size shouldn't be an issue if you can find a way to sit that is stable, doesn't impede your bow, and doesn't make you hunch over, sit way back, or lean your head to one side. The goal is for you to be comfortable, and then you just fit the cello to you. And as long as the cello feels relatively stable, you should be good. No need to grab the cello with your legs.

Victoria Addington link

5/27/2022 03:32:02 am

It made sense when you mentioned the importance of being in a comfortable sitting position to effectively manipulate a cello. My daughter heard the sound of the cello once, and it captivated her. She's now planning to take cello lessons to learn how to play it.

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Simply Sitting

Too many variables

Your comfort is key

Head, shoulders, knees and toes

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