Shape Your Cello Tone! | Traction Model (Active Variables)

???? Start here:
???? The Traction Model (watch this first): https://youtu.be/S8cPF6C7qAk
???? Kinetic Chain for Cellists: https://youtu.be/gu_WDlQjO4s

**The final video on Passive Variables is currently in production. It will be linked here when available!**

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We’re often taught that tone production comes down to three main variables: weight, speed, and contact point. But as I explored in the last video, the Traction Model reveals a deeper mechanism underneath these “big three,” one that helps us understand a much wider set of factors that shape our sound.

In this video, we look at the Active Variables — the ones you can directly control while playing — and how each of them affects traction between the bow and the string. You’ll see how bow weight, bow speed, contact point, bow angle, and hair contact all work together to maintain a healthy stick–slip balance and produce a resonant, controlled tone. Along the way, I’ll share practical exercises and examples to help you feel how these variables interact in real playing.

You can also download the Traction Spectrum PDF from the link below, which shows how different variables shift traction along the spectrum.

The next video will cover Given Variables — the passive factors that come from the instrument or environment, such as string tension, humidity, and rosin. That video is still in production, and I’ll update the description with a link as soon as it’s released.

If this kind of deep-dive is helpful, make sure to like, subscribe, and share. More videos are on the way designed to give cellists a strong technical foundation for any style — from classical to contemporary worship settings and beyond.

TRACTION MODEL PDF:
https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/uamr0g25qvjht7ez5dd8v/The-Traction-Model.pdf?rlkey=ewissa3lnqn7tdfy3z5np3rq2&st=gtwgsr2n&dl=0

Chapters:
00:00 Intro
00:39 Stick-Slip Review
01:08 The Goal
01:27 Traction Spectrum Review
01:50 Active vs. Passive Variables
02:12 Weight
02:51 Speed
03:35 Contact Point
04:30 Angle
05:23 Hair Contact
06:20 What's Next?

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