With Hands
Using the “back” of the hand the flat part of the fingernails can be used to (gently?) tap the strings producing the percussive timbre.
It is possible to percussively 'hammer on' a pitch with either hand in the manner of a guitarist. If both hands are used, lines can be achieved with relative ease.
The fingers are brought down onto the string with sufficient force to activate the note and then held in place to sustain it.
The fingers are brought down onto the string with sufficient force to activate the note and then held in place to sustain it.
Hands, fingers and nails can be used percussively on different parts of the cello’s body, with different intensities, creating a wide variety of sounds and timbres.