Playing Position for Cello
In class you may hear your teacher talk to your friends who play violin and viola about “rest position and playing position.” For cello, we don’t have rest position the way violin and viola players do, so if your teacher says to go to rest position, you can just sit comfortably with your arms by your side.
As you play more and more, you will start to remember how it feels to hold your cello. Try to get everything set up the same way every day. Your teacher may have put a mark on your end pin so that you always make it the same length. Try to use a chair that is about the same size every time you practice.
Sit up straight with your feet flat on the floor. You should feel the pointy corner of the cello touching your left leg next to your knee, and the edge of the cello resting in the middle of your chest. For most people, the bottom peg of the cello will be right behind your left ear.