My best tips for PAIN FREE left hand extensions

In response to a number of messages I've received, here are my top 5 guidelines for learning how to perform left hand extensions without pain or discomfort. It may seem like a hassle to relearn the motions or to tweak some movements that have already become physically memorized, but following these guidelines will help ensure your left hand's health and longevity for the future of your cello journey!
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Billy Tobenkin is a Los Angeles-based cellist who specializes in teaching adult learners. As a professional cellist who started playing the cello from scratch at 25, he is in a unique position to help others, like him, who found the cello later in life. He has developed strategies from his own musical journey to accelerate the learning process, and he is here to share them with you.
Please contact him at [e-mail] with any questions or comments! Or visit adultcello.com

[@louminn]

Thanks Billy!

[@adultcello]

My pleasure!

[@ezraschwartz5201]

Great video, Billy. The insight on 1st and 2nd fingers in relation to extensions is super-helpful!

[@adultcello]

Thank you so much, I'm glad it helped!

[@lenzoid]

Thanks for the helpful video. Also adult learner that used to struggle with the same pain with extensions.

[@eggysando]

somebody didn't watch this when you released it. somebody started getting pain in their left hand. it's me. i'm somebody.

[@adultcello]

Sorry to hear that! As long as you make the necessary adjustments, at least the pain will help you develop a technique that is more ergonomic!

[@davidecaravano2648]

Just started with extensions last week... thank you ;)

[@adultcello]

My pleasure!

[@tycallsky]

Literally just when I needed it

[@adultcello]

My pleasure!

[@karenmiller8090]

So many thanks for this. Perfect timing because I just asked my teacher to go over how to do extensions because I keep losing my place. And instead of moving my whole hand (like we do for different positions) you show exactly how to use the space between 1st and 2nd fingers instead. What a miracle you are!!! And again, huge thanks.

[@barbara_vdWiel]

Very helpful Billy, you explain it so clearly! Yes, I tense up as soon as I reach extensions and other difficult parts in my sheet music🤯 It is hard to unlearn but I am working on a mindful approach... 🙏

[@altman12345]

Great instruction on the dreaded extension. I am also an adult learner and I finally got past my difficulty with my teacher's advise to break down the extension into two parts: the repositioning of the thumb and second finger and, once mastered, the positioning of the other two fingers. I was focusing too much on the position of my third and fourth finger and not the initial objective of the second finger position. I hope this helps.

[@adultcello]

My pleasure! Extensions are definitely a technique that deserves some mindful attention since they can create tension so easily.

[@abhijeetdchawan]

gratittude

[@lelo8976]

Very timely indeed. Thanks so much. 1st and 2nd position are already improving with your tips; however I'm still having difficulties with 3rd and 4th position. I guess I find it anatomically difficult to move my elbow forward, hinge open etc. when further towards the bridge. Is it right for the 1st finger to stay curled from 3rd position on? Maybe to get the stretch down in those positions I can think of a slight outward motion of the left palm, facing away from the neck, which seems to free up my fingers especially 1st and 2nd a bit? But then again it kind of gets more difficult to operate with the 4th finger... I would much appreciate some advice on that. And anyways thank you for your continuous effort with the channel.

[@adultcello]

Thanks for your comment! Honestly I think extensions will feel a tiny bit different every time you try them in a different hand position. I think the best advice I can give is to experiment with subtle changes in your approach if they feel uncomfortable or too big a stretch, and for difficulty with the 4th finger I almost always find that the solution is focusing on collapsing that base row of knuckles in the left hand so that your 4th finger gets closer to the fingerboard. Hope that helps!

[@drmarx999]

Billy, many, many thanks for addressing this. Your suggestions are really going to help. On another "note," I just received my copy of the Matz Suite in C major (beautiful music!) and I wonder if you have any suggestions as to tempo markings. Thanks again!

[@adultcello]

Thanks so much! And that's wonderful abut the Matz, it's such a great suite and so fun to play! In terms of tempi, I think there is a lot of room for personal taste. Since Matz was a cellist himself, I use his bowings and I think I subconsciously base my tempi on the tempi I use for some of the Bach G major suite, the character of the music (as I hear it) and the bowings provided. Between those three I try to find a tempo that doesn't feel rushed but also doesn't weigh the music down by being too slow. Hope that helps!

[@drmarx999]

@@adultcello It certainly does. Thanks again!

[@vinyltarian]

This was very timely for me. I recently decided to focus on forward extensions, specifically D and A major scales. Question for you: the main trouble I have right now is when descending from an open string to an extension, say from G to F# in D major. i have started to think of it as a shift of a half step for the F# and E and then reach back with the first finger for the D. Does that make sense? Is there a better way? Thanks!

[@adultcello]

Thanks so much for your message! I think I can follow your question, I'm assuming your talking about the G in 4th position on the A string, playing that and then shifting a half step back to 4th finger on F#. If that is what you meant and you were going downwards to F#, E, and then D, then what you described is how I would think about it as well. Hope that helps!

[@vinyltarian]

@@adultcello Thanks for replying! I was not very clear in my question. I am talking first position. Maybe a better way to explain it is when descending a D major scale and going from closed first position on the D string and then transitioning from the open D to extended first position to the C# on the G string. How do think about making that transition? Maybe you could do a detailed short video on this showing exactly what your left hand is doing in slow motion if others think that it would be helpful? Thanks!