The left hand frame needs to be set up for long-term and varied demands. At all stages of learning we need to be developing hand …read more
Left-Hand Fundamentals
Correct Left-Thumb Placement
Most of the time we need to use all four fingers equally and therefore the thumb needs to support the 3rd and 4th fingers as …read more
Incorrect Left-Thumb Placement
The thumb as shown here acts as a counterbalance only for the lower fingers and barely supports the 3rd and 4th fingers. There are individual …read more
Left Wrist in Line
“Make sure you use the whole arm to strum across all four strings. Don’t distort the wrist.” Moving the whole arm under the violin is …read more
View from Scroll
“Make sure you use the whole arm to strum across all four strings. Don’t distort the wrist.” In this view from the scroll you see …read more
4th Finger Pizzicato – Single Notes
Let your left arm carry the finger from one string to another string. Plucking the string with the 4th finger of your left hand develops …read more
Shuttle Between High & Low
Use the arm to move the hand and fingers not just across strings but also from low to high positions and back. This exercise takes …read more
Set Up Left Hand from 3rd Finger
When you establish the hand frame from the 3rd finger you can tune the 3rd finger to the open string below, as both notes are …read more
A Major Scale
The A Major scale on the A and E strings uses the Mid Finger Pattern with 2nd and 3rd fingers close. The one-octave scale starting …read more
Start in 4th Position
Starting in 4th position or higher allows you to rest the palm of the hand against the body of the instrument. This gives stability to …read more