Thumb Position Exercise | How To Music | Sarah Joy

Thumb position is incredibly tricky and takes a lot of time and practice to get used to. This exercise (if done daily) can speed up the learning process. This is one of my staple cello warm-ups, and I would definitely recommend it to any intermediate cello player. Beginner cello players may want to wait a while before trying this one. Pain should be expected. HOWEVER, if the pain travels to your forearm, STOP!!!!!!!! If your thumb experiences pain, this is normal. Pain in your forearm indicates tension.
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[@KFRogers263]

Sarah, I started my cello journey in earnest in 2020 and you were one of my online references at the time. I am nearing the end of Mooney's position pieces book 2 and soon to be on to thumb position. And here I am, back where the journey began. Thank you for continuing to share your knowledge.

[@sarahjoyrecordings]

Congratulations on continuing your cello journey and making such good progress! I’m happy I was able to be a part of it.

[@shenalanj2128]

I have been playing cello for 2 years and this thumb notes hurt as hell !!!!!!!!!!! Thanks a zillion for this tutorial!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! extremely helpful!!!!!!!!

[@nathansmith9787]

Thanks for this video! Ive been vigorously practicing thumb position and this excersise is so awesome!! Btw i love whiplash also

[@sarahjoyrecordings]

No problem, I'm glad it can help. Lol that movie is scarring..

[@hyungkiparkshop]

Love the fierce story in the end

[@davidhuckaby832]

That was anoimusly an eye opener. Thank you for the tip.

[@matetetho]

OMG! Thanks! I've always had problems with this. I just think that it has never been as clear in my mind as 1st to 4th is. This was so clarifying. When you put first finger, and for the second finger you get the first closer to the second second was mind blowing for me! thanks!

[@ibrewalot]

Just starting thumb position...can't wait to bleed on my fingerboard! :-) Thanx very much for sharing not only cello how-to's but also the stories that go with them.

[@cellomark82]

This video really memorize me my high school period which suffer from thumb position,hurt always.Great video And keep on plz!

[@naynay2217]

Thanks! They keep saying go thumb position in my orchestra class and I didn’t know what that meant until now

[@MsCellobass]

Wow!! I’m learning thumb positions myself. That’s very helpful thanx!!

[@martinriha3729]

Hi, how do you deal with the pain? Untill now I've used the thumb position without actually pressing down the thumb because it hurts so badly. I got quite big hands so I can easilly play up to D without switching to thumb position. I am learning it properly now but I just can't stand the pain, after like 2 scales I am screaming in agony. Generally i don't feel a lot of pain compared to others but this particular thing causes me so much pain. Do you press down the two strings all the time or you lift the thumb when other fingers are playing? How long will it take to get some extra skin so it doesn't hurt that bad anymore?

[@sarahjoyrecordings]

It's hard to tell you if you're doing things correctly or incorrectly without actually being able to see things. If you have a cello teacher nearby, I'd check with them to make sure your technique is proper. I do know, however, that thumb position causes quite a bit of pain until a callous builds up. It takes a different amount of time for different people.

[@martinriha3729]

I think I'm doing that right, callus appeared after like 2 weeks of everyday practice but it kinda hurt after a minute anyway(but atleast the time extended). It was mostly fault of the magnacore strong A and D, it took so much pressure to put them down. Now I play on gutcore and I could play the thumb position for 15 minutes and the thumb wouldn't hurt. The strings are much thicker(A thicker than steel G, D thicker than steel C) so they dont cut into the finger and also are much more flexible so pressing it down is effortless.

[@xinyiwei2008]

Same with me. The pain is UNBEARABLE. I try practicing more so that I can get better and so the pain can go away

[@bettylutyens9233]

Martin Říha you’re not post to be pushing in the first place

[@jessedasilva313]

Hii. Thaks for this tips. I am starting to pratice the thumb position... That hurts rsrsr Hugs, from Brazil

[@TeodoroVargasCortes]

Dear Sarah. I hope you're doing well. I'm starting with thumb position and I was wondering if it's normal to feel some discomfort in the left shoulder. Thanks in advance and for sharing with the rest of the world! 🙏

[@sarahjoyrecordings]

Well, it depends on what you mean by “discomfort”. Fatigue, at first, is normal, but pain is a different story. Constantly check for areas of tension and be sure to release.

[@jorgerivas1424]

Thanks!

[@notmyworld44]

You are very candid, very charming, very cute, and most important of all, really inspiring and helpful. Thank you!

[@oxntiger]

I’m a relative beginner and I’m learning thumb position for the 3 octave F arpeggio. I have hitchhiker’s thumb (where the thumb curves back) and my fingers always end up collapsing on my thumb. Is there any way to strengthen your thumb away from the cello? Also, does the pain go away after a while? It hurts my thumb when I play.

[@emma-pu3on]

That was so helpful :) thank you! subscribed

[@natbhyax]

ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! Thanks for that! I like it!

[@sarahjoyrecordings]

You are very welcome :) Thank you for watching. I am glad that you liked it!

[@Hannah-l9n]

Ummm, oh my gosh that was quite the war story!! My jaw dropped dude. LOL. Definitely metal. I wonder if they would even care, or just mercilessly huff at it. Thats horrifying lol. Great job, doe

[@marieng517]

Hi-- do you have any tips for people with double joints? I find that my thumb joint collapses on itself when applying pressure in thumb position and the entire hand sort of caves in. Thanks! :-)

[@sarahjoyrecordings]

I'm not double jointed and don't know much about the issue. However, Chloe Trevor (an AWESOME violinist) has dealt with it and might have some tips. You can find her on Instagram and KZbin.

[@goldfinchgrace8338]

Hi, I was wondering if while playing in thumb position the first finger should always be slightly curved so that you are using the very tip and playing partly on the actual nail? Thanks for the great video, very helpful.

[@sarahjoyrecordings]

I don't usually feel my nail touch, but yes, the first finger should be curved.

[@lishutie]

Is the thumb press the string all the way onto the fingerboard all the time when you playing?

[@solveigaalbjortgumundsdott2573]

lishutie no just press the thumb down when you need to

[@ijacsondionizio9115]

I'm not sure of how to put my 1st finger when using thumb position. Should I put my nail towards the string? Anything like that?

[@sarahjoyrecordings]

It's quite annoying, but yes. You will end up curling your first finger more than the others. Tip to the board is what helps me.

[@inocenciofrancisco2859]

Hi Sarah, how many positions does a Cello have?

[@leopardoamaralmini]

7 but actually there is many combinations

[@MsCellobass]

Oooooouch!! what u just shared about ur thumb sounds really painful! But darling, kudos to u❗😃

[@sarahjoyrecordings]

Thank you haha

[@JohnSwihart]

Great story including blood LOL.

[@cuteunicornmindcraft]

how can I tell when my music calls for thumb position? Sorry if this is a simple question I'm trying to learn thumb position by myself.

[@sarahjoyrecordings]

+Masked Serenity well, my hand can stretch to the second B on the A string (right above harmonic A). Anything beyond that, I usually bring my thumb up and play in thumb position. Most music (high school level), however, will indicate if this is necessary.

[@cuteunicornmindcraft]

+Sarah Joy Yes this is a high school piece. There are some numbers on the top of some of my notes (ranging from 1-6 on an open g). Would this indicate that I would need to shift into thumb position?

[@alexlm9057]

te quiero ♡

[@ألُسلُآمنْۆۆر]

😊

[@sarahjoyrecordings]

+‫ألُسღلُآم نْღۆۆر‬‎ :)

[@AnaCarolina-fu2dn]

you can explain more slowly the dumb position?

[@AnaCarolina-fu2dn]

*thumb

[@juniordony]

Ana Carolina esse trocadilho... kkkk

[@janessabarnes374]

I didn't even know this existed

Thumbs up if you bled during an exam during your music performance major too

[@peterborzillo456]

So wait, did the people judging you not care that your finger was bleeding?

[@sarahjoyrecordings]

“The show must go on” 😅

[@stuntdouble777]

You’re so funny lolo😅

[@journeymancellist9247]

Muscle development? Without development of the abductor muscles, thumb position ol will never be stable.

[@sherom]

Love the college life ,you make a mistake, then get punished, and don't graduate.....Really something for a human to look forward to in life...Good video though, it is appreciated. :)

[@sarahjoyrecordings]

Haha Well, professors are usually reasonable, but there have to be consequences or college wouldn’t prepare you for real life.

[@sherom]

I hate to knock College, because my son just finished up his freshman year. However, You shouldn't need College to prepare you for a real life, whatever a' real life' means. A healthy home life should take care of that.

[@sarahjoyrecordings]

Oh I agree, but a lot of young adults grow up with an entitlement mindset and if their parents don’t knock that out of them, someone has to.

[@sarahjoyrecordings]

Definitely not arguing with you though! Just something I’ve been noticing. :)

[@sherom]

Totally agree with you on that, I can't knock it out of him that's for sure. Keep up the good video's.