String Pedagogy Notebook

Introduction to Left Hand Position
Preliminary Exercises for Violin and Viola
Developing the Shape of the Left Hand
Developing Hand Shape Exercise No. 2
Preliminary Finger Exercises Cello and Bass
Placement of Fingers Violin and Viola
Thumb Placement for Violin and Viola
Common problems Violin and Viola
Common problems - Collapsed wrist
Common problems - Hyperextended Wrist
Common problems - Poor Thumb Placement
Worm Hole
Three Points of Contact
Cello Left Hand Position
Bass Left Hand Position
Elbow and Shoulder Cello and Bass
Common LH Problems Cello and Bass
Cello/Bass Problems -- The Sagging Elbow
Cello/Bass Problems --Thumb hugging the neck of the instrument
Cello/Bass Problems -- Collapsed Wrist
Cello/Bass Problems --Sloped Fingers
Hand Frame
Finger Shape
Finger Placement Markers
General Left Hand Position Principles for All the Strings

Elbow and Shoulder Placement for Cello and Bass

For cello and bass, if the thumb is placed properly and the wrist is straight, the elbow position should naturally fall into place, provided the left shoulder is relaxed and not being raised.

An exercise for placement on cello and bass is to ask the students to reach out to the side with their left hands and grab an imaginary orange or baseball. Then bend the elbow and place the fingers on the D string and place the thumb behind the second finger.

POSTURE • INSTRUMENT SIZING • INSTRUMENT POSITION

BOW HOLD • BOW STROKE • INTERMEDIATE RIGHT HAND SKILLS • ADVANCED RIGHT HAND SKILLS

LEFT HAND POSITION • SHIFTING • VIBRATO • ADVANCED LEFT HAND SKILLS