Setting up the left hand for success

Quick warmup routine and fingerboard marking suggestions

Once your students are familiar with playing on the open strings, it's time to add fingered pitches! Here are my favorite tips for getting a perfect left-hand set-up.

Many teachers use tapes or dots to mark the fingerboard. I like to use First Frets. It's also helpful to set the thumb's position on the side of the instrument neck with a foam sticker, felt square, or another tactile reference. Once you have mapped out the fingerboard visually, here is a quick one-minute warmup routine to get the left-hand limber and ready to play.

• Set all four fingers down on the fingerboard in the 2-3 pattern and tap each finger one at a time. Raise a finger from the base knuckle, and be sure to keep each finger curved. At first, it can be tricky for young students to keep the other fingers down while one is moving! But just like sit-ups make our core muscles strong, finger sit-ups help each finger become strong and independent.

• Beginning violin methods and repertoire often overlook the pinky, but it is an essential finger a little farther on down the road! A solid fourth finger also keeps finger patterns intact and in tune. A couple of fourth-finger strengthening exercises I learned from Orchestra Expressions include strumming all four strings with the pinky while letting the elbow swing below the instrument and using left-hand pizzicato on each open-string note. Students should aim to keep their pinky on the fourth finger tape or dot as they strum and pluck.

See these warmups in action:

Any other left-hand exercises you like to use with your students? Comment below or on any of the Violin Club social media channels.