• Introduction to Left Hand Position
• Preliminary Exercises for Violin and Viola
• Developing the Shape of the Left Hand
• Developing Hand Shape Exercise No. 2
• Preliminary Finger Exercises Cello and Bass
• Placement of Fingers Violin and Viola
• Thumb Placement for Violin and Viola
• Common problems Violin and Viola
• Common problems - Collapsed wrist
• Common problems - Hyperextended Wrist
• Common problems - Poor Thumb Placement
• Worm Hole
• Three Points of Contact
• Cello Left Hand Position
• Bass Left Hand Position
• Elbow and Shoulder Cello and Bass
• Common LH Problems Cello and Bass
• Cello/Bass Problems -- The Sagging Elbow
• Cello/Bass Problems --Thumb hugging the neck of the instrument
• Cello/Bass Problems -- Collapsed Wrist
• Cello/Bass Problems --Sloped Fingers
• Hand Frame
• Finger Shape
• Finger Placement Markers
• General Left Hand Position Principles for All the Strings

Thumb Placement for Violin and Viola

The thumb should be lengthened and straight, but not locked or stiff. The thumb should never be hyperextended. One way to achieve this position is to have students hold instruments in front of their bodies in rest position and ask them to "shake hands" with the  neck of the instrument.

There are many viewpoints about the "exact" placement of the thumb in relation to the neck and fingerboard, but since thumbs come in varying sizes it is difficult to give an exact placement. If the fingers are naturally curved, over the fingerboard, and the fleshy point of the fingertip of all four fingers can make contact with the string, the thumb is likely in a good position.

On viola, the same principles hold true as for the violin, but some violists bring the thumb closer to center of hand to help with the longer stretches required. If you are interested in this topic, the great violist William Primrose discusses the differences between violin and viola technique in the book Playing the Viola : Conversations with William Primrose by David Dalton.

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