In this lesson, we’re exploring how to create a beautiful legato sound on the cello. Legato means smooth and connected, and it’s one of the most expressive and important bowing styles to master.
What Is Legato?
Legato playing is the opposite of staccato. Rather than having separated or detached notes, every sound in legato should flow into the next without interruption. The bow moves smoothly, maintaining an even sound and steady connection with the string.
Combining the Basics
Before focusing on legato, remember the foundations we’ve already covered:
- The bow hold
- The bow arm motion
- The contact point between the bridge and the fingerboard
All these elements work together. To produce a full, even legato tone, you must find the right combination of bow weight, bow speed, and contact point.
Setting the String in Motion
Before you start a note, feel the bow’s weight resting into the string, enough to set it vibrating immediately.
If there isn’t enough weight, especially on the G or C strings, you’ll hear a rough “ch-ch-ch” sound instead of a clean tone. These thicker strings need more weight to begin resonating.
Think of it like giving a gentle push to a boat as you set it afloat, a smooth, supported start rather than a forced press.
Maintaining the Sound
Once the string is vibrating, keep both your bow speed and contact point consistent.
If you suddenly change either, for example, moving the bow too fast near the end of a stroke, you’ll hear a disturbance in the tone. Try to keep your bow parallel to the bridge and moving evenly.
As you move through the bow, the elbow naturally drops, but your hand keeps the motion smooth so the contact point doesn’t shift.
Using Natural Weight
The cello requires a little more strength than smaller string instruments, but that strength should come from natural body weight, not from pressing.
Imagine someone has hung a bag of potatoes on your arm - everything feels heavy, relaxed, and sinking down through the large knuckles and into the string.
You don’t need to push. Let gravity and body weight do the work.
Finding the Right Feel
A great way to find this feeling is to stand up and sense how your arm naturally hangs with its own weight. When you sit back down to play, maintain that same grounded sensation, the weight simply dropping into the string.
You can still play softly in legato, use less weight, but keep the bow moving evenly and the sound smooth.
The “Peanut Butter” Analogy
One of the best pieces of advice I ever received about legato was to imagine spreading something thick, like peanut butter, on a piece of toast.
Your hand should feel as if it’s spreading something dense and smooth, not rushed, not light, but firm and even.
The motion is similar to stroking a large dog - slow, continuous, and with warmth in the arm.
At the start of the bow, you may need a little more weight; as you move through, the hand gently turns over, maintaining the connection.
This “peanut butter” image helps you stay settled into the string, especially on the cello, which needs more depth of sound than the violin.
String Differences
Each string responds slightly differently:
- The A string plays easily and needs less weight.
- The C string is the thickest and needs more weight and strength to resonate.
If your C string sounds scratchy or thin, it likely means there isn’t enough weight to get it vibrating fully. Try tilting a little more toward the first finger on your bow hand and sinking the weight in.
When the string is resonating properly, you can actually see it vibrating evenly from left to right.
Legato with Separate or Slurred Bows
Legato doesn’t only apply to slurred notes. You can also play legato with separate bows — what matters is that the sound never stops.
Avoid gaps or breaks between bow changes. The sound should continue seamlessly from one stroke to the next, whether you’re playing:
- Slurred notes (several notes in one bow), or
- Separate bows (one note per stroke).
In both cases, the goal is the same: a continuous, singing tone where nothing interrupts the musical line.
In Summary
- A true legato sound combines control, balance, and relaxation.
- Keep the bow parallel to the bridge.
- Maintain steady speed and weight.
- Use your body’s natural weight to sink into the string.
- Let the sound flow, always connected, never broken.