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Showing results for tags 'right-handed'.
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Hi all, new user here. I've been playing the cello for about seven years now and playing seriously for the past two. As I've started playing longer and more intense pieces, I've started to develop pretty intense pain in my right hand thumb muscle. It's not an immediate thing, it fires up after about three minutes of continuous playing, but after it starts, it leaves my thumb area feeling stiff for quite a while after I play. A few triggers that I've found for the pain are playing extensively at the tip and playing intensely or loudly. Some solutions I've tried are: Loosening my bow grip Adjusting my thumb placement to be more towards the center of the tip of my thumb Pushing down more with my arm Extending my thumb more at the tip This pain is really limiting my ability to play longer pieces, so I would greatly appreciate any advice that y'all could give. Thanks!
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I have a theory! I propose that there actually is no such thing as a right-handed, or left-handed, violin (or guitar, or whatever) because it actually has NOTHING to do with the right hand performing the 'more difficult' task of bowing, etc., as has been the reason most often stated. I propose that the reason we bow (or strum) with the right hand is because it's easier to attend to OTHER TASKS with our dominant hand while we are holding our instrument. "What other tasks?" you ask. Well...good questions! Tasks right-handed people do automatically with their right-hand, without thinking about it, such as: Shaking hands. Marking the score. Turning the page. Scratching. Holding a cup of tea or a frappuccino. Shooing away flies. Etc. It's just easier to put down a bow or a pick, than it is to put down the instrument, and we are thusly much more likely to WANT to hold on to it for safety reasons. Since this was never an issue with the piano, that's why no one ever talks about 'left-handed' pianos. Yup.
