Placement of Fingers and Thumb - Violin and Viola

The great violin pedagogue Ivan Galamian suggested that placement of the fingers should be the determining factor for the placement of the thumb and elbow. Galamian wrote, "the fingers have to be placed in such a way to allow them the most favorable conditions for their various actions." (Principles of Violin Playing and Teaching, p. 14). Once the player places the fingers correctly on the fingerboard, everything else – the thumb, the hand, arm, will find its correct place. The basic position for the fingers should be naturally curved, over the fingerboard, and the fleshy point of the fingertip should make contact with the string.

The wrist should be straight. A bent wrist will restrict finger movement, cause pain, and could lead to carpal tunnel syndrome.

PREV |1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 |

| 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | NEXT