Other Finger Positions for the Cello

Video Transcript

"Hello my name is Russell Squires. I’m going to be talking to you today about half-position, second position and third position. To start with, we start at first position, approximately two inches up the neck with the thumb. To move to half-position from here we move approximately one inch up the neck so that our fingers play at one-half step below the normal first position. Our second position, lies a half step above first position, making all those notes with the same corresponding fingers a half step higher. And third position is actually a third step above second position, that’s where you place the thumb where there third finger would normally be during first position. And last but not least, we have fourth position, which is all the way at the bottom of the neck, place your thumb at the very base and the first finger goes directly above it on the finger board."