My first encounter with the cello monster happened about three years ago. I was working on Brahms’ E minor Sonata, and dearly loved the countless hours that I spent practicing it. After some weeks of this effort, however, my right shoulder became miserably painful, then got even worse. No amount of therapy or medication could ease my agony, and my suffering was intense. About that time, I meekly approached the individual with whom I was taking Suzuki teacher training and said, “I’ve been spending weeks trying to play the Brahms Sonata just like Leonard Rose, and now I am in such pain that I can hardly stand it.” “Well,” he kindly replied, “the first thing that you have to realize is that you’re NOT Leonard Rose! Let’s see what we can do to help you play with the kind of sound that’s right for you.” And so we got to work. Again and again he told me to relax and allow the sound to come from the cello rather than try to force it out. We played nothing but open strings, but, even then, he admonished me for working too hard and encouraged me to totally relax and allow the weight of my arm to make the rich singing sound that I so longed to hear. After an hour of hearing, “No, you’re still helping” I felt something in my shoulder pop, and at that moment I did indeed feel totally relaxed, my pain vanished, and all of a sudden my cello began to sing!


That incident, painful though it was, taught me many things, the primary being a healthy respect for the size of the instrument. I am especially aware of it because I am so small. But so are our children. We are playing an instrument which is almost as big as we are, and we much always be mindful of that fact. Just as an athlete takes special care to keep his body in shape for the enormous task which it has in hand, so must we as cellists prepare ourselves for the tasks of addressing this large instrument. Annette Costanzi and Alicia Randisi-Hooker have marvelous warm-up exercises. Anyone who has not had the opportunity to see these delightful folks at work is strongly encouraged to do so. Most of the exercises which they do are related to arm weight – again, because we play the cello using the weight of our arms, and not by forcing from other parts of our bodies. Children (and the rest of us who learned the hard way!) need to be able to find that weight and use it effectively. Children need to discover where their bodies are in space and where their bodies relate to the cello.


It requires an enormous amount of energy to play the cello. It is just so big! I spend a minimum of two (and often four or more) hours a day practicing. To reduce injury, I make a point of standing up, stretching, walking my loop through the house, doing some arm swings, and so on, about every half hour. It does not take long, but it certainly minimizes the stress on my body. Children need to do the same, and they also need to do this to get rid of their wiggles. (Time limits will have to be set for those sly ones who seize the golden opportunity for their wiggle breaks to also become diversionary maneuvers!)


To minimize stress and injuries it is imperative that the individual use equipment that is the proper size. The chair should be about as high as the crease in the back of the child’s knee and should have a flat seat. There is not too much to be gained from using either a too-big chair or a too-big cello. I watched a class of cello students at an institute. Over half of the children were sitting in chairs which were miles too big, while their parents smiled benignly and murmured how well they were learning to adapt. The kids had to be miserable. I felt sorry for them! Even if the child isn’t reporting pain, sitting in too-big chairs also places the bow and the left hand all wrong on the cello. Parents would do their child a huge favor if they helped their child to be content with the size that he is. Playing a bigger cello or sitting in a bigger chair has nothing to do with skill!


The child should be encouraged to sit and to play with good posture. Not only does this place the bow and the left hand where they ought to be to help to create a beautiful sound, but it is just plain healthier to sit that way.



The cello can be an unwieldy monster to tame. It requires careful preparation and lots of energy, but the results are well worth the effort. Your cellist will be tired when practice is over. Soothe his tired muscles with a backrub, and while you’re at it, give him an extra pat and tell him how proud you are of him. You’ll both be glad you did.