I found myself in an interesting circumstance earlier this year...20 minutes before performing a Brahms quartet, I was sitting in the benches of the local church we were performing at, erasing the fingerings I had penciled into my part on a fast, but awkward section of eighth notes. I know, that’s crazy, but it made it possible for me to finally play the section correctly for the first time...at the performance. They really were wonderful fingerings; but my lack of practice and time spent made them unfeasible and unfortunately I hadn’t considered another way until the last minute. I had just hoped that they would finally fall into place but they never did.
This was definitely my fault as I had been prioritizing my full-time job and not a lot of rehearsals or practice times were allotted; but it got me thinking about something that Pablo Casals had once said. He basically iterated that the cello was difficult to play and there was no need to make it more complicated than it already was. Thus, I began thinking about that close-call performance, fingerings, and how a cellist determines how a passage is to be fingered for both orchestral, ensemble, and solo works.
Based on the mental and finger dexterity of the cellist, the deliberate use of fingerings can be used to minimize shifts, alleviate awkward reaches, reduce the use of open strings, provide a certain type of timbre required, and eliminate string crossings that do not lend toward ease of movement. I want to talk about these considerations and also the more advanced mechanics that affect our ease of playing and sometimes our self-confidence; being amateur cellists and professional cellists alike. None are immune from one or more of these considerations.
Some of our professional friends such as Rostropovich and Leonard Rose had massively large hands; the cellist’s equivalent of Franz Liszt. Zuill Bailey’s left hand has made adaptations to be much larger than his right hand. We’ve all heard pianists lament the difficulty of the reach built into the piano masterpieces that Liszt composed. When Schirmer and International Music Companies ask these cellists to edit solo works, you get their fingerings which, at times, may not work for the normal cellist. Might I mention that every successful soloist does not have large hands? It is not a prerequisite, but obviously helps. The fingerings have to be adapted for and it can be done.
Do not become disheartened that you will never play Dvorak because you followed the fingerings of Rostropovich or another editor. If you don’t already have a teacher, find one that can help, and not one with massive hands because they may not have had to adapt! Or, take some time to think and ponder how the current fingerings can be changed, or even check online for suggestions made by other cellists.
Intermediate, professional, and amateur cellists fall into the pride trap of trying to play passages without open strings which isn’t necessarily helpful, can affect intonation or speed, and can hasten along medical issues caused by repetitive strain that can hinder longevity of hand and finger health. The goal is ease of playing without adversely affecting the musicality of the piece; not making sure our stand partner saw us shift into 4th position so now we are a better cellist than they are.
However, I will advise that obtaining fingerings from your principal cellist can be advantageous as so many orchestral works are not cellist friendly. The goal of the symphonic work is to make the music that is in the composer’s head coalesce with the other parts, not make your life easy. Over time, cellists learn and internalize automatic fingering fixes that are acquired just from playing a variety of pieces and increasing their skills. If you have a passage that seems to evade you, work with your principal cellist or teacher to find one that works as typically these cellists are more skilled and have a wider repertoire. That said, sometimes you may have a principal cellist that has a very nontraditional way of playing that may not be helpful. Use your resources and other cellists for help.
Along the lines of showing off, obviously avoiding open strings for longer notes is encouraged unless the composer or your conductor wants a certain sound. Open strings have a different quality of sound than the fingered version. However, when doing a fast passage, no one will notice the use of a few open strings because they are played and gone so quickly. Feel free to use them during those circumstances unless your open strings are out of tune.
Can you vibrato on an open string? Most certainly. I always do if I am left to hold an open C for any period of time. How do you do it? Put your 4th finger on the corresponding octave above and vibrato. So for instance, if holding an open C, put your 4th finger on the C note located on the G string and vibrato while playing the open C. It will add a little wiggle and tone change to the open string. Your cello is all about sympathetic vibration and that is what makes all the beautiful tones and not a flat, monotone timbre. Use it to your advantage!
Playing fingerings you haven’t matched your technique and skill to will always be difficult and possibly cause missed notes and injury. Don’t spend a lot of time working with a fingering that doesn’t work for you. Find another way.
Years ago, I played backup for a Richard Marx concert and I had a solo on one of his pieces. Just before the concert, a friend suggested that I do all of my fingerings on the D string and not switch to the A. It was a lovely suggestion because it kept the integrity and timbre of the passage, but it had some technical difficulty that I was not confident with at the time. I practiced and practiced and got it right a few times. I got to the concert and when I shifted to that particular note, I could hear that the sound technician had muted me at that point! He had heard me mucking with that last note during practice and good for him! Because of the pressure of the moment, I had tensed my left hand and came up flat from the note! In retrospect, it is still embarrassing that I listened to the good will of my friend and that I made that flub, but I was still an inexperienced cellist at the time. Don’t do things you are not technically ready to do! Miracles are far and few between.
Be aware that fingerings, like bowings, can sometimes be formulated based on the mood and musicality of the piece. If you see a difficult fingering, consider why it might be there before you change it. Perhaps it also allows for preparation for transitioning into a later section or phrase. You’ll also find that sometimes you will pencil in a fingering and then later find that the tempo demands changes to your fingerings to make it more accessible. There is no shame in changing something to make it work.
In summary, adaptation, using your resources, playing occasional open strings, understanding your personal level of technique, and not letting pride dictate your fingerings will help you to have more successful performances, less injury, and greater confidence in the long run. Each cellist is unique and has different mental and physical capabilities. Use these to your advantage.