Reach Back for Flats!
So much of the music we play requires flats and the second you start adding flats to music you’ll find you need extended 1st finger. Very often students encounter backward extensions in orchestra music before the student has encountered a single flat in their solo repertoire. The Suzuki Books do not introduce flats until midway through book 2, which for some students is 3 years into their musical journey. This video should help you get started reaching back for those flats with the proper motion and support.
When we extend to reach the note one half step below our current position, our first finger reaches back while the rest of the hand remains in position. Again, the thumb stays with 2, 3, and 4. Thumb, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th fingers make a group that 1st finger can either belong to or be independent from. Simply detach first finger from the position group and reach back one half step. Understand that you are reaching the largest half step on the instrument so it’s a good-sized stretch. Most students learn forward extensions first as sharp keys are more common in beginning and intermediate literature than are flat keys.
As with the forward extensions, the secret to success lies with our elbows and thumbs. If you suffer from a low elbow on your left side then extensions will be more awkward for you. The left elbow should be out like a kickstand, propped out enough to allow a good amount of air underneath the armpit. If the elbow sinks next to the body then the left thumb usually starts to angle up to become more parallel with the neck where it should remain perpendicular. The combination of a low elbow and a parallel thumb will make extending more uncomfortable. The hand opens more easily when the elbow is propped out slightly and the thumb perpendicular to the neck.
Pro Tip
Use a tuner or tuner app on your phone when you first start out tuning extended 1. Flats can be hard to hear at first. Most cellists have played in sharp keys for years and fool themselves into thinking that their extensions are in tune when in reality they didn’t reach back far enough!
If you do this exercise 10 times a day for 10 days with a tuner you will find that your backward extensions become much more comfortable, flexible, and in tune. I recommend doing this exercise in conjunction with the 2 octave F major scale or any scale that requires backward extensions. Happy Practicing!