The claws
Put your fingers right on the strips. Take your cello-hand away from the fingerboard, look at it and then close your fingers slightly as if you have got claws. Then put your fingers back on the strips.
The “basket” and the rounded thumb
Put your thumb in its “basket” and your fingers right on the strips (the middle finger hasn’t got a strip)
It is very difficult to get the thumb rounded and relaxed: it must neither be a “pic”, nor be bent back, but must be flexible. The thumb always follows the 2nd finger. The thumb comes out of its “basket” when using an open hand.
Il La - il Re
With your fingers in place (all on the D or A strings) slide your hand towards the bridge, and when you’re nearly there, pluck the string and say, “this is A, this is D”. (This is to show straight away what the “cello-hand” will be doing later on).
