As there seems to be a shortage of pictures showing positions for cello playing, my daughter took these photos of me. This is how I was taught to play.
The left foot is further forward than the right foot, and the spike length has been adjusted so that the cello's waist is above my knees. The main thing is that you should be able to play on all four strings comfortably. Note that the left elbow is well up; in beginners, it tends to sag down.
The bow grip is important, and different from the violin.
I would like these pictures to line up better than they do!
Never mind. Note that the fingers are
fairly straight.
See to it that the bow is parallel with the bridge, at right angles to the strings. This picture is not good, therefore, and the sound produced by this poor bowing angle will tend to be the dreaded one of Harsh Grating. Two of the pictures of posture above are good, but in the one where I am looking at the camera I am not attempting to play, hence the poor bow angle. Bow about two inches from the bridge to begin with. The closer to the bridge you play, the more pressure is needed, and the sound becomes more of a snarl. The further away you play, the less pressure is need, and the sound becomes more flute-like. Try to make the instrument sing.
This
picture has been taken at a funny angle - it shows the left hand
position, and demonstrates that the thumb should be between the
first and second finger beneath the fingerboard. Tilt your head
round to the left get the correct effect. The pad of the finger
should stop the string, not the tip of the finger.
Like all web pictures, you can save these images by right clicking them and saving to disc. I hope you get on well with the cello.
David F Pennant, Woking, Surrey, UK
Hear my compositions, or look at Silver Lining Books