Often a tonalization is about one specific thing to focus your awareness on. In this one, the point is to notice the feeling of the vibration traveling from the string, through the bow, into the hand, and up the arm as far as you can feel it. It is helpful to soften whatever muscles you can, so this tonalization helps with relaxation. As with many of these, I'm not sure whom to credit with the idea. I am passing it on as I learned it, but in my own words.
Good posture and position are a must: sitting tall, head balanced on top of shoulders, feet flat on the floor with your heels under your knees; bow arm shoulder, elbow, wrist should all feel unlocked, or like a hose that is not clogged; bow hand fingers dropped naturally and relaxed.
Begin with calm, heavy quarter notes on open G in the middle lane, staying near the frog. Feel a loose bow hand with soft, springy knuckles, and your arm weight hanging on the string. As you play, see if you can feel the vibration of the string through the bow, in your fingers, hand, arm, and even into your shoulder blade in your back.
Keeping the same heavy, rich quality of sound, change to half notes using about half of the bow, then dotted halves using 3/4 bow. Feel your arm opening more and use your left hand to feel your right shoulder blade slightly moving. If it isn't moving, soften your shoulder and try to connect the movement of your arm all the way into your back. Again, continually soften your bow hand fingers, noticing the feeling of the vibrations traveling through your arm and into your back. You can incorporate breathing by exhaling on the down bows and inhaling on the up bows (this can also be reversed).
Finally move to using the whole bow for four beats (whole notes). Try for even, full sound that is not "pressed." Reminders: jelly-like shoulders, arm staying basically down (but not below the level of balancing the weight in the string). Continue to feel the string all the way into your back.
This exercise should be done on each string, and can be applied to fingered notes as well, beginning with the most resonant notes on the cello. Vibrato could be added for further study.
Good posture and position are a must: sitting tall, head balanced on top of shoulders, feet flat on the floor with your heels under your knees; bow arm shoulder, elbow, wrist should all feel unlocked, or like a hose that is not clogged; bow hand fingers dropped naturally and relaxed.
Begin with calm, heavy quarter notes on open G in the middle lane, staying near the frog. Feel a loose bow hand with soft, springy knuckles, and your arm weight hanging on the string. As you play, see if you can feel the vibration of the string through the bow, in your fingers, hand, arm, and even into your shoulder blade in your back.
Keeping the same heavy, rich quality of sound, change to half notes using about half of the bow, then dotted halves using 3/4 bow. Feel your arm opening more and use your left hand to feel your right shoulder blade slightly moving. If it isn't moving, soften your shoulder and try to connect the movement of your arm all the way into your back. Again, continually soften your bow hand fingers, noticing the feeling of the vibrations traveling through your arm and into your back. You can incorporate breathing by exhaling on the down bows and inhaling on the up bows (this can also be reversed).
Finally move to using the whole bow for four beats (whole notes). Try for even, full sound that is not "pressed." Reminders: jelly-like shoulders, arm staying basically down (but not below the level of balancing the weight in the string). Continue to feel the string all the way into your back.
This exercise should be done on each string, and can be applied to fingered notes as well, beginning with the most resonant notes on the cello. Vibrato could be added for further study.
Thank you, this was very helpful to me. I'm trying to hit notes accurately in the first position, and I'm still quite new. This will help me out a ton.
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