DICTIONARY OF MUSIC - El Atril

52 FINGERING FINGEEING
The positions, as shown in the following
tible, contain of course in each case either a
normal position of the hand or an extended
position, as referred to above.
w^ Nonnal. Extended. Normal. Extended.
Half Position. First Position.
The Seven Positions with the
Half-positions.
m ^Aftit^T*^.
Position i I II IIJ HI Illi IV V Vi VI Vli VII
This generally-recognised table of the posi-
tions is based on the principle that each step
of the C major scale on the first string, begianing
with A, is a full position, and each
accidental a half position, Davidov and
Schroeder place the positions in accordance with
the major scale of each string, the principle
being uniformity of all positions on all four
strings, the positions of the C major scale on
the lowest string forming the basis.
Bi It^^i^ ^
^ ^
Position i I II II Itl Illi IV rvt V V) VI VII
The fingering of the scale of C is as follows :
4
4 0134 0124 5^1*-*- ^12 4 12
C string.
M rr
The higher positions are taken with the
thumb.
Higher up, in some scales (G, D, A, F, Bb)
from the fourth position upwards, the hrst and
second fingers are used alternately, each scale
of three or four octaves closing with 12 3. This
system applies to all scales starting from the
first position. Scales starting from anotlier
position have their fingering based on the three-
tinger system.
It took a very long time—nearly a century
before the fingering became fixed in a correct
and methodical way, and the improvement was
started by the French (Tilliere, Cupis, Miintzberger).
The best methods were : J. L. Duport's
Essay on Firu/ering, an excellent work of lasting
value ; and the Mithode de Violoncelle, by
Baillot, Levasseur, Catel, and Baudiot (Paris,
1804), the first method in use in the Paris
Conservatoire. With the development of technique
in the 19th century by well-known
masters the fingering was more and more definitely
fixed. Absolute uniformity is even now
lacking, as may be seen from a comparison of
the different methods in one scale, as shown
below. The reason for this lies in the fact that
the instruments as well as the hand and fingers
of the players will always vary, not to speak of
other causes mentioned above.