Double jointed pinkies??

February 18, 2016 at 04:22 AM · Greetings!

I have the same issue with both thumbs. which will occasionally lock backwards on to the bow (eh), or the violin neck (ouch when I snap it back!).

My advice is to always be completely relaxed in both hands, especially the bow hand.

For the bow, I hold it so lightly that a it of pressure would knock it from my hands. :) To replicate the feeling of a completely loose bow hold,hold a pencil the same way with no pressure, feeling how balanced it is, and how almost no effort is actually needed to move it around. :D

February 18, 2016 at 05:29 AM · Thanks for your advice. I have issues with tension in my hands that were getting very severe up until last year when I got another teacher who helped me be more relaxed in my hands. My bow hand pinky has gotten stronger, still working on my left hand pinky.

February 18, 2016 at 05:30 AM · Thanks for your advice. I have issues with tension in my hands that were getting very severe up until last year when I got another teacher who helped me be more relaxed in my hands. My bow hand pinky has gotten stronger, still working on my left hand pinky.

February 18, 2016 at 05:30 AM · Thanks for your advice. I have issues with tension in my hands that were getting very severe up until last year when I got another teacher who helped me be more relaxed in my hands. My bow hand pinky has gotten stronger, still working on my left hand pinky.

February 18, 2016 at 01:07 PM · When I was younger I had an issue that my pinkie finger on my left hand would "lock" if I pressed down the wrong way. Then I'd have to flex it around to "unlock" it before I could continue with, say, a passage of 16th notes, and then it would hurt for a while. What I had to do was just practice a lot of studies and scales with *some* fourth finger work that were below my technical limit (i.e., NOT Schradieck No. 1, that would have been way too intense at the time). The goal was not so much to build up the "strength" in that finger, but to learn how to put it down correctly every time, with the right curvature and especially the right hand position supporting it, and for that correct trajectory to become automatic. Nowadays, I only have this "pinkie locking" problem when I'm playing truly carelessly (i.e., only a few times a year), and it seems to rectify itself pretty much immediately. I realize my issue is quite different from yours at a very basic level, but the cure might be quite similar.

July 19, 2016 at 07:49 AM · Hi there. I am an adult beginner violinist. I never realised how annoying my double jointedness could be! I have double-jointedness in my right hand pinky, third, and fourth finger. This makes it incredibly difficult for me to hold the bow correctly (or even mildly incorrectly). My teacher recommended an exercise to strengthen my pinky (as this is the worst offender) but it doesn't seem to be helping at all. The exercise involves making a claw position with my right hand, touching my fingertips on a flat surface, and repeatedly tapping my pinky on the surface without moving the other fingers. Can anyone recommend any other exercises? As I can only play for 15 mins at a time before my pinky actually hurts - a lot. I know I may never overcome this, but I'd appreciate some suggestions as to how to alleviate the annoyance and still manage to keep control of the bow.

July 19, 2016 at 01:25 PM · Lift objects up using one weak finger.

Ex: I throw the garbage out with my left pinky only. :)

July 22, 2016 at 02:26 PM · Elisheva,

You could try the "windshield wiper" exercise with your right hand. Hold the bow with your thumb and middle (longest) finger, hold the index finger up. Use your pinky to slowly raise and lower the bow tip. The bow should rotate on your thumb at the frog. Do this over a sofa because you may drop the bow during the exercise. Like any exercise, start with a few repetitions and increase.

September 5, 2016 at 07:51 PM · Thank you so much. Will add to my exercise regime! Someone recommended to me Carl Flesch's exercises but they seem too advanced for me. These are all great suggestions. Thank you.