Fingers too big for block fingering :(

January 31, 2012 at 05:56 PM · DO NOT continue lifting your first finger off (that is a bad habit to break). I have huge hands and I can play everything in first position. There is a video of Itshak Perlman on YouTube talkIng about fingering, and he only needs to move fingers after he is shifting high up on he instrument.

Make sure you are using the tips of your fingers. I have a few older students who have trouble getting the two notes close enough. The main problems are the fingers not touching the very tips, or just a lack of flexibility of the fingers.

January 31, 2012 at 06:13 PM · "… should I work harder on keeping my fingers blocked …?

Yes -- and get some specific help from your teacher on this. A basic principle of violin technique is to keep the fingers down as long as possible. This will really pay off when you get into more advanced playing. If you don't break the habit of unnecessarily lifting the fingers, you risk jeopardizing your intonation -- in spite of what you just described -- not to mention that you will slow yourself down in rapid scale passages.

Keeping the fingers down is also an aid to building the hand and forearm muscles -- crucial in developing finger independence and manual dexterity.

January 31, 2012 at 06:15 PM · @Shawn when I read the OP, Perlman also came to mind because his fingers look as fat as sausages and yet he plays like ... like Perlman.

You have to figure out how to get your fingers to coexist on the fingerboard to the greatest extent possible and I suggest having a good discussion with your teacher about that. I have the same problem but perhaps to a lesser degree and we just have to find ways to manage.

February 1, 2012 at 06:13 PM · Thanks so much for the advice. As soon as I read your comments I went back to practicing with my fingers down.

I have already spent at least 20 hours practising this single piece so far. It took me 8 hours alone before I could get through it from start to finish with my bow moving in the right direction on each note. I'm starting to think my teacher may have deliberately given me something really difficult to test me.

I can't play the practice piece in tune with my fingers blocked yet but on the bright side i'm not falling into any bad habbits (thanks to you). Its only 3 days till I see my teacher again. I'm probably going to end up spending at least half the lesson talking through all the left hand problems i've had this week. At least im not strangling (squeezing the neck really tightly) my violin as badly as I was 5 days ago.

Rosie.

February 1, 2012 at 09:05 PM · > Make sure you are using the tips of your fingers.

I'd try not playing on the extreme tips of your fingers. Play on the soft pads instead. Because of their flexibility, you can actually get your half step even closer than if you just used the tips. You'll have to use a minimum of pressure to achieve this!

While there might be times playing on the tip of the finger can be useful, spending most of your time on the pad will result in a better sound and more accessible vibrato.

February 2, 2012 at 12:02 AM · Your fingers are not to big for keeping them on fingerboard - within a few weeks you will know what I mean. Squeezing the left hand is also a common problem, I still have that often. Just practice over and over again and it will get better.

That is why I love the violin: even if you do not know how to solve a problem you will feel instantly when you get better which is great for motivation.