I am a cellist who has always found it necessary to work with leverage rather than the "strength" of my muscles.  This is due in part to leftover traces of trauma in my physiology that shows up as excess muscle tone, but that is the topic of another article.  Besides that condition, I am short and have small hands with loose ligaments.  

I remember when I first started playing cello, the Eastman School of Music was offering free "physical evaluations" to members of the Rochester community so that parents…Read more