October 2014

To lift OR not to lift, that is the question...

I have always been somewhat obsessed with violin/viola technique. I've studied with the best, but there is one thing that I have constantly gone back and forth with in regards to left hand finger action. As I get older I am so much happier with my teaching/playing as I have taken on certain beliefs about violin playing. After years of trial and error I still remain perplexed when it comes to whether or not the fingers should be lifted off the fingerboard individually (so that only one finger is on the fingerboard at all times) or kept down in the Patterns of the key and lifted one by one as you would do if you were descending down a scale. I've found pros and cons to both. thoughts?

1 reply