Cello Fingering Position Charts
The image below (from The
Cello Companion) shows the notes for the first 7 positions on the
cello for the four strings (with the top being the nut and the bottom
toward the bridge).
Below is the same image roatated 90 degrees where I have drawn a
red box around the fingerings that represent the 1st, 5th, and 9th
positions. (You can find the same page, but with 1st, 4th, and 7th positions here.)
Using the 1st, 5th, and 9th positions as landmarks, I've got the same
information as above, but this time shown as shown on bass, tenor, and
treble clefs.
Each string is represented by a line of music with the string name
on the left hand side.
Note that the scales show up twice for each clef. First where the
accidentals are maked as sharps; second where they are marked as
flats.
Bass Clef
Tenor and Treble Clef
Note:
- For treble clef, I only show the upper two strings.
Since this fits on a group of four lines, I show the sharps and the
flats on a single group.
- When I created this page, I had tape on my fingerboard at the
beginning and end of 1st, 5th, and 9th position. That is why these
notes are represented by a half note instead of a quarter note.
- 9th position: should not be played except when using
thumb position. I chose 1st, 5th, and 9th position because 1st
position on one string (e.g., A string) produces the same notes
as 5th position on the string below (e.g., D string) , which
produces the same notes as 9th position on the string below it
(e.g., G string).
- Here is the MuseScore that I wrote to make these images.
Last modified: Sun Sep 13 08:31:25 EDT 2015
by Charles Plager