In this Cello Intermediate series video, we are looking at 2nd position on the cello. Second position is the area on the fingerboard that is simply one or two semitones above 1st position. To make this easy to understand, I like to think of semitones as "Lego bricks". One Lego brick is a semitone, and two Lego bricks stacked together is a tone.

Just like 3rd position, we break 2nd position down into three variations.

1. Lower 2nd position on the cello

Lower 2nd position is where your 1st finger plays the note that your 2nd finger usually plays in 1st position.

• Example: on the A string, your 1st finger normally plays a B. If you shift up one "Lego brick" (a semitone), your 1st finger now plays a C. This is lower 2nd position.
• Finger spacing: remember that as you move down the fingerboard (from 4th, to 3rd, to 2nd position), the spaces between the notes get larger. Your hand must open slightly wider in 2nd position than it did in 3rd or 4th.

2. Upper 2nd position on the cello

For upper 2nd position, we add another Lego brick. Instead of your 1st finger being on C, it moves up a semitone to C#.

• A tension-free practice method: I wrote a piece called Fairy Dust (from my book It's a Cello Thing, Book 2) which is entirely in upper 2nd position. The trick is that the whole piece is played using natural harmonics. You don't need to press the string down; you simply rest your fingers lightly on top of the string. It is a fantastic way to learn the spacing of upper 2nd position without adding tension or weight to the left hand.

3. Extended 2nd position on the cello

Extended 2nd position is simply a mix of the two. You place your hand in upper 2nd position (2nd, 3rd, and 4th fingers), but you extend your 1st finger backwards to play the first note of lower 2nd position.

• Example on the A string: your 1st finger stretches back to play a C, while your 2nd finger plays a D, your 3rd plays a D#, and your 4th plays an E.

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This allows us greater freedom to play more notes in one area without having to shift.

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Coming Tuesday 31 March 2026...
Next chapter: Cello Intermediate 13: Playing in Half Position

Browse the full Cello Intermediate video series here.

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