Bowing with the left hand and fingering the strings with the right hand is the proper way to play left-handed cello. However, playing in the traditional manner by using the left hand for fingering and the right for bowing will provide better job opportunities. Left-handed cellists disrupt the orchestras playing uniformity, making it more likely for your stand-mate to accidentally bump into you while playing and creating an aesthetically unpleasing effect for the audience. If only one cellist out of eight in an orchestra bows in a different direction, it looks incorrect. For this reason, learn to bow using the right hand and finger the notes with the left.
Holding the bow is the same regardless of which hand holds the bow. To achieve proper balance, hold the bow on the plastic grip, with your thumb beneath the grip and your index finger on top of the grip. Balance the bow between these two fingers. If you lose control of the bow, continue practicing until you learn to balance the bow between both fingers. Once you have balanced the bow properly, curl the remaining middle, ring and pinky fingers around the top of the bow. Use these fingers only lightly for support; the bow must be balanced between your index and middle finger.
Left-handed cellists who wish to use the left hand for bowing will have to use the right hand to finger the strings. Since the cello is symmetrical, you finger with the left hand in the same way you finger with the right hand. Developing finger independence in your right hand is crucial for playing the cello with the left hand. To develop finger independence, practice scales and arpeggios using the appropriate fingers and positions. Each scale uses a slightly different fingering combination, so follow fingering recommendations for each scale. The fingerings remain the same whether you play with the left or right hand.
Left-handed cello playing allows for three possible hand positions: slanted, square and hand rotation. In a slanted position, the cellist will approach the strings at a slight angle. This creates less tension in the playing, as the cellist is not forced to maintain a strict 90-degree angle with the fingers. The square position uses a 90-degree bend in relation of the fingers to the string. This technique produces a more consistent intonation since the fingers maintain a similar position throughout the music. The final position is a rotating position in which your hand is placed in what is most comfortable for the given note. For instance, the hand may be between a slanted position and a 90-degree angle to reach harder to finger notes.