One finger for each position?

January 26, 2015 at 07:19 PM · 1st position on the G string: 1 plays A, or goes back for a G#/Ab; high 2 plays B (later on you can introduce a low 2 Bb); 3 plays C (high 3 for C#); 4 plays D.

You really, really, really need a good teacher.

January 26, 2015 at 09:51 PM · Try thinking about it diatonically (according to the scale), not chromatically. Each subsequent finger you put down plays the next highest note in the major or minor scale you are playing, not the chromatic scale. For instance, if you are playing in G Major, on the G string, your first finger will play A natural, your second finger will play B natural, and your third finger will play C natural. When you shift to third position, your first finger goes where your third finger would be in first position, on the C natural. In fourth position, your first finger will be where your fourth finger would be in first position, on D natural. In the case of flats and sharps, you usually use the same finger as you would to play the natural note. For instance, if you have an accidental B flat, the flat third in our key of G Major, on the G string, you will still use your second finger, just placed a half step lower than it would be for B natural. On the D string in first position, then, the first finger is used for both E and E flat, the second finger for both F and F sharp, the third finger for both G and G sharp.

January 26, 2015 at 10:34 PM · In addition to what previous posters suggest, the phrasing/interpretation of the piece itself often helps determine what fingers go where.

So that, in general, the hand span over any two strings (1st finger on g-string to 4th finger on d-string, for instance) marks an octave, but if your piece is predominantly chromatic, your original pattern would more likely work.

It's helpful to know what notes tend to be covered by which fingers, but the exceptions are often what makes the music speak.

January 27, 2015 at 12:07 AM · Well after reading what Jake said, I realize that I had naturally begun to play very similar to that. Last night though when I was trying to keep my hand with the first finger over the first notes- it somehow seemed to help my playing, but I'll be glad to naturally open up my hand again. I think this al started when I realized I was having trouble fretting the first row of notes after the nut. My hands are a bit on the larger side and I broke the ring and small fingers years ago, which has been a liability in learning instruments ever since. Keeping my hand purposely closed though has seemed to give me better intonation.

And so if I'm hearing this right, it seems that the third finger would cover all the whole tones at the fifth position, if I were in C, and then the fourth finger would generally reach up to the row of whole tones at 7th??? Or would most violinists tend to shift up to third position by then? I'm still a bit muddy on how to reach back to 1st from 2nd, that's what I have trouble with, and getting the next note of a scale if its just one space up on the fingerboard, my fingers don't bend and clench together well.

Anyway, thanks for the help. I'm learning everyday, and just got the 5 string viola set up again after working the pins around a bit and cutting the bridge shorter. Big 16 inch booming sound- with a throaty low C- but almost too big by the time I wrap my left hand all around the wide neck. Playing some Scottish fiddle studies that have both videos on youtube and written notation, so that's helping me find the notes, and I love that style!

January 27, 2015 at 04:26 AM · I fear I may have not explained myself well enough.

There are seven commonly used positions on the violin, though higher positions are possible.

The most frequent positions in simpler music are the first and third.

In first position, the default position of the first finger is one whole step above the pitch of the open string. On the G string, the first finger rests on A. The default position of the second finger is one whole step above the first finger—B on the G string. The default position of the third finger is one half step above the second finger—C on the G string. The default position of the fourth finger is one whole step above the third finger—D on the G string.

If you need to sharpen or flatten notes, you just sharpen or flatten the appropriate finger. For instance, if you are playing on the G string in first position and you need to play a C sharp, you just place your third finger, which would normally play C, just a bit higher (high 3). If you need a B flat, play your second finger low (low 2). But this isn’t a shift; you’re still in first position. Don’t move your hand, just place the finger higher or lower. If you need an A flat, don’t move your wrist and entire hand closer to the scroll, just make kind of a “Y” shape between your first and second finger so that the first finger hits the A flat while the second finger doesn’t move from its default placement hovering over B natural. This gives you all the chromatic pitches from the open G string up to the D string without moving your hand. Repeat the same finger positions on the D string and you get all the chromatic pitches up to the A string, and so on.

It is possible to play any music entirely in first position, so long as it doesn’t go higher than the B you get by playing your fourth finger on the E string. In fact, many traditional fiddle players never leave first position at all. The main reasons to shift, other than playing higher than that B, are to avoid potentially choppy string crossings and to have a more consistent tone color by playing a phrase all on one string. A note played on a lower string has a darker sound than the same note played on a higher string. I recommend you really nail down first position before you worry too much about shifting.

The next position to learn after first position is third. To get to third position, slide your entire hand, wrist, and arm from the elbow up so that your first finger is where your third finger was in first position. It’s third position because the first finger takes the place of the third finger: Second position has your first finger take the place of your second finger, fourth position has your first finger take the place of your fourth finger, and fifth position has your first finger take the place of your fifth finger, if you have one, and so on. On the G string, that means your first finger in third position plays a C. The second finger plays a D, the same note the fourth finger plays in first position. Third finger plays E, fourth finger plays F. The same rules for making sharps and flats apply.

At this point, you should probably just focus on playing scales and music in tune in first position only. When you’re confident in that, start practicing third position. Leave the other positions for later.

Hope this was clearer.

January 27, 2015 at 09:09 AM · Nice explanation.

Thanks for taking the time to write that!

January 27, 2015 at 04:04 PM · Visuals also help. Just a very basic (but nice and clear!) chart like this helps sort it all out.

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Violin_first_position_fingering_chart.svg

January 27, 2015 at 04:47 PM · I don't know what's going on, but I clicked the personal website listed on your profile, apparently there are some kind of computer virus on your personal site, because it looked like my computer has been infected (that's what my computer said).

January 27, 2015 at 05:40 PM · I second that first position chart from Wikipedia Commons, linked by N.A. Mohr.

A picture really is worth a thousand words!