- As the frequency of a pitch increases, the bow speed must also increase.
- Think of a very slowly vibrating string; the bow must catch the string to maintain it's vibration at the rate of the string's oscillation.
- Now imagine the frequency quadrupling (the equivalent of two octaves). The bow speed needs to increase so that it may catch the string more frequently.
- As the string is shortened by the fingers the string length decreases; the contact point must travel closer to the bridge to maintain proper proportion with the string length.
- Contact point is a large determining factor for tone quality.
- Often a student will maintain a consistent contact point while ascending into higher positions.
- Assuming a string length of 2' and a contact point 2" above the bridge if the string player shortens the string length to 1' without changing the contact point, that would be equivalent to playing on a 2' string a full 4" above the bridge! Positioning the bow that high on the fingerboard should be reserved only for sul tasto effects.
- Right arm position is the strongest factor in determining contact point.
- The left arm moves the hand to its various positions along the fingerboard. The right arm produces similar changes in position to the contact point.
- Angling of the bow away from the right arms position can cause the contact point to move. This can help or hinder the player.
The use of a mirror or simply looking down at the bow while playing may help but ultimately, to have control and consistency, the cellist must feel and hear the quality of tone through the bow and understand how this relates to contact point and bow speed.
You can play nearly any note anywhere on the instrument with the basic tonal qualities you desire by keeping mindful of these principles.
