Help from a beginner adult player

September 2, 2010 at 5:47 PM

I have a new violin instructor and she is suggesting that I hold the violin with the tip of my thumb and index finger. Well the problem with this is I am not double joint therefore it is difficult to hold an violin on an upright thumb. Can someone offer a suggestion?

Also, I have tried numerous, chinrest (center mount, side mount) as well as numerous shoulder rests such as Bon Musica, Wolff, Kun, Malache, Sponges etc and can't seem to get the right combination. The violin continues to slip from under my chin and i don't understand why. Also, I am attempting to angle the violin downward vs parrallel to prevent my left shoulder from hurting. I have had a shoulder injury and it hurts to rotated my eblow under the violin. Can some please offer some suggestions. I have been playing for 2 years now as an adult and I am ready to throw in the towel.

From Terez Mertes
Posted on September 3, 2010 at 10:13 PM

>Also, I am attempting to angle the violin downward vs parrallel to prevent my left shoulder from hurting. I have had a shoulder injury and it hurts to rotated my eblow under the violin.

This is tough, b/c I find a certain comfort, myself, in angling it in a more parallel fashion (although my teacher has occasionally angled it down for greater finger ease. When my violin is up higher, in the parallel fashion, my thumb is a shelf of sorts. The hold your teacher suggested sounds a little precarious, although it sounds like a way not to use the thumb/hand as a crutch of sorts, in first position.

My only suggestion would be seeing if you could pop in to visit another teacher and have them look at your hold, see if they suggest something different. Even considering a teacher who is more attuned to your physical needs?

On this:

>The violin continues to slip from under my chin and i don't understand why.

I find that I tuck my chin too close sometimes when I can sort of lift my left shoulder a bit, or the left hand/arm that's holding the neck. These are ways of getting your violin closer w/o clamping your chin down to keep it from slipping. Really, it's your left hand holding the violin in place; I imagine people who don't use shoulder rests do that. In fact, maybe you can find some answers for yourself if you check the v.com archives for one of the many threads on whether or not a shoulder rest is necessary/preferred. I love my shoulder rest, but try not to use it as a crutch, just as I try not to clamp my chin down to keep the violin in place. I think it's a balance - chin, shoulder, left hand/arm.

As for the injury and dealing with the pain - ow, sympathies. Be sure to do lots of stretching. i'm a big yoga fan for keeping things flexible, but don't know if that will help you here.

Good luck to you on this. I'm an adult beginner too - I can appreciate the different challenges.

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Help from a beginner adult player

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