@ABitRusty That is what I am thinking, but was not sure. I know self-taught violinists don’t have the instructor watching, and that there are also different ways to do it. I also know many successful violinists are self-taught. I am not talking successful as being professional only, but able to play so they enjoy it, also. That said, I don’t think my violin hold is so that it would cause physical injury, which it could if my neck was bent. That is what concerns me most.

I could play long notes on my cello as background so I am not playing the exact notes as the violin. Notes that are appropriate. Maybe half and whole, with the occasional quarter, counting at a tempo I would be able to handle on my violin. I just hate to stop playing my violin completely.

Maybe, it won’t take me too long to get comfortable with the proper cello hold, finger curves and bowing. The problem was that it was going to cause issues as I progressed, which he demonstrated. If that is the case, that it won’t take long to get the proper feel, it should not take a long time to get up to snuff because I have been playing it and can hit the right spots on the fingerboard. That is what I am waiting for before alternating between the two. My violin is quite further along.

Sometimes unhappy situations (cancelled classes leading to dropping the instructor) lead to better circumstances (an instructor paying attention to detail). Hopefully, my new instructor will continue on that road. I can always ask him to check, periodically.

Thank you for the encouragement, @HP. It is hard to teach, even when you are good at the subject, no matter the subject. 

Right now, I feel good. I might watch more online videos, Fiddleman ones for sure, and check them against what I have been doing to double check. Maybe I was taught correctly for the violin. I just thought of that. Such a simple way to check it out! Duh! I want to check the thumb neck position and finger curl. That is the main issue with my cello.

Considering what I learned at that first cello lesson, it just created doubt. 

My concern was that I may be holding my violin with my left hand wrong, curling my fingers and usimg my left thumb wrong. The same teacher that taught me cello the wrong way, was teaching me violin. She did not say anything about my hold, etc, so I am not sure now since I have to rid myself if the bad habits she taught me in cello. 

It was extremely difficult to hold my cello the proper way, and it makes sense to hold it that way, and not my old way that was so comfortable. I am concerned with maybe having been taught the wrong way for the violin, now. I don’t want to further cement that wrong way for my violin while waiting to restart those lessons. It is so hard to undo it.

I have scale books, song books, lesson books a plenty. Really do not need any more books. I am just concerned about what I was taught by the same teacher whi taught me cello wrong having taught the violin wrong. The techniques and mechanics were brushed over in both instances, so I figured I was doing them right. Turns out cello was wrong.

Thanks, everyone. 

One of the issues of the old habit, that I thought was the proper way to hold and finger, with the cello is my thumb position and the way my fingers come down onto the strings. I am not sure if that is different than a violin, now.

When I began cello a few years ago my thumb was flat on the backside of the neck going horizontal across the the back. My fingers, hard to explain. They were not exactly flat across the strings, but not curled and coming down onto the strings as perpendicular as possible (the proper way). My hold and fingers had me really struggling to reach the G string (next to lowest) and C string (lowest). My first instructor should have noticed the wrong thumb and finger positions at least at that point. The C string, because of that Suzuki progression of strings (which I detest), was pretty much skipped over for book 1, but the G string was used. 

The thumb is supposed to basically have the cello neck resting sort of on the tip, not the flatter “palm” side of the thumb, like I was doing. It was never mentioned in lessons, and that is what was comfortable, so what I have always done. It is also opposite where the second finger is on the fingerboard.

It is basically there to be a folcum for the fingers and give the fingers stability as they press on the strings. Apparently, the fingers are supposed to not stretch and flatten out and reach to those G and C strings. The thumb can move over towards the G or C string, keeping its “shape”, with the second finger if your hand is too small to “rock” over to the G and/or C string. That is the best I can describe it. It is not what I have been doing, in the class last week, it did make it easier to “rock” the fingers, and was easier to reach that G and C string.

The fingers are curled to touch the strings as perpendicular as possible. Mine are touching the tip of the finger, but due to my thumb, my knuckles are flexed almost straight. That is a no no and will be an issue later, for example, with vibrato and shifting.

Is this basically how the violin is used with the thumb and fingers? If so, I am so doing it wrong. My thumb is showing up a little on the side, not just resting on the backside. I think I am right with my thumb on the violin based on videos here and on YouTube. It really can’t just rest in the backside like a cello. That big cello is supported by resting into the chest, the violin does not have as much support. 

Are my fingers supposed to be curled and hitting more perpendicular like a cello? I can’t remember if that is how I do it, or not. But, it is something I am going to pay attention to. It is hard to see this on videos because it is so fast and usually, the curl of the fingers from the first knuckle to the strings is hard to see. Plus, reading how from people you have been joining in with on a forum seems to stick. We are all in the same boat.

Thank you.

@Pete_Violin No worries about fingernails. Started cello before violin and cellists should not have lonh fingernails, either. I got that right for both instruments.