How to Loosen up your Left Hand Fingers and Move them Independently | Violin Lounge TV #233
This episode of Violin Lounge TV gives you a good warm up exercise that loosens up your left hand fingers and trains you to move them independently. This is an important exercise that will help you develop a good left hand technique.
These exercises are useful for beginners to professionals and everything in between. You just need your violin. You can put away your bow.
Your finger frame:
Place your first finger on the A flat on the G string, your second finger on the F on the D string, your third finger on the D on the A string and your fourth finger on the B on the E string. It’s important to put down all fingers and check if they are all in tune. This can be quite a stretch. Watch the video to see how this looks like.
Exercise 1:
As you are in the prepared position (see above), lift one finger while leaving the others firmly on the string and put this finger down again firmly. Do this a couple of times with all the fingers. If your fingers start to hurt, stop here and build it up another time.
Exercise 2:
Lift your first finger, put it down, and then your third finger. Go back and forth a couple of times: first, third, first, third, etc.
Exercise 3:
Lift your second finger, put it down, and then your fourth finger. Go back and forth a couple of times: second, fourth, second, fourth, etc.
Exercise 4:
Lift your first and third finger at the same time and put them down again. Repeat this. Hold your second and fourth finger firmly on the string.
Exercise 5:
Lift your second and fourth finger at the same time and put them down again. Repeat this. Hold your first and third finger firmly on the string.
Exercise 6:
Lift your first and third finger and while putting them down lift your second and fourth finger. Do this back and forth a couple of times.
Exercise 7:
Lift your first and fourth finger and put them both down again.
Exercise 8:
Lift your second and third finger and put them both down again.
Exercise 9:
Lift first and fourth finger and while putting them down lift your second and third finger. Do this back and forth a couple of times.
Also make up your own exercises to train the independent movement of your fingers!
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Hi! I'm Zlata
Classical violinist helping you overcome technical struggles and play with feeling by improving your bow technique.
Check yourself:
- Don’t lift fingers that your shouldn’t lift
- Put the fingers down firmly
- Play in tune, check if you have your fingers on the right spots on the string
Second finger frame
If you want to make a variation on this exercise and perhaps make it a little more difficult, try all the exercises with this finger frame:
Put your first finger on the F on the E string, your second finger on the C on the A string, your third finger on the G on the D string and your fourth finger on the D on the G string. Your fingers are all apart, not close to each other.
I hope this is a good warm up exercise for you and a good way to train the independence of your left hand fingers. It’s a good motor skill exercise for violin playing.
Please share your experience with these exercises in the comments below!
Love,
Zlata
PS: Do you have questions or struggles on violin or viola playing? Post a comment below or send an e-mail to info@violinlounge.com and I might dedicate a Violin Lounge TV episode to answering your question!
6 Comments
Submit a Comment
How to Loosen up your Left Hand Fingers and Move them Independently | Violin Lounge TV #233
In this episode I comment on a video sent in by a viewer who wants to improve her vibrato as a beginner violinist
I’ll teach you how to loosen up your wrist, so you can create a beautiful sounding vibrato and control it’s tempo
When you only use your arm and lock your wrist, it’s hard to control your vibrato
In the video I give some exercises to start using your wrist for vibrato and move your arm a little less. In this way you can control the tempo of your vibrato and your violin will be more stable.
Start with vibrato when you learned the third position
If you’ve learned how to shift between positions, you are already used to a motion that is a bit similar to vibrato. It will be easier to learn vibrato at this point.
Learn a Beautiful Vibrato on the Violin
Join this free mini Mini Masterclass
Hi! I'm Zlata
Classical violinist helping you overcome technical struggles and play with feeling by improving your bow technique.
First practice vibrato in the third or fourth position
In this way you have support from the violin and it’s easier to move your wrist. You can do the exercises with a metronome in different tempi, so you can get control over the tempo and adjust your vibrato to the note and the piece you are playing.
When the exercise goes well, move to the first position.
Let me know in the comments how this video helped you improve your vibrato!
6 Comments
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John Norton on May 21, 2016 at 4:24 am
Hi Zlata, I enjoyed your fingering video. I like the first idea as a novice can finger it reasonably, it is an open harmony diminished seventh chord. The finger working is a fine exercise but stop when tired. The second “Geminiani position” in fourths is another matter. It was recommended by Balliot and earlier ones. Later authorities such as Joachim said with modern instruments and longer neck lengths do not use it for earlier studies. You make it look so easy but It is not easy for advanced beginners and early intermediates. But I really like your first exercise. I’ll let you know about the second one in a year or two (groan). Zlata it’s always delightful to hear from you and thanks for your wonderful videos.
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Violinist Zlata on May 22, 2016 at 5:50 pm
Hi John, glad you like the exercise and yes: these are things to build up slowly and not to rush in to. Also it’s good to know I have hyperflexible joints and muscles, so these kind of things come easy to me (other things are more problematic however). For me the second frame is easier than the first one, but I guess that’s not normal. Thanks for your comment and kind regards from a rainy Holland, Zlata
Reply
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Michael A. Wilson on June 3, 2016 at 1:06 pm
Dear Zlata
Reply
This seems similar to one of the exercises in “Free your Vibrato” course, except this looks more complicated and harder to master. I have been trying to figure out how to save the text instructions below the video. These looks like excellent finger exercises to do even while watching TV. I think that I will have to save this entire page so I can refer back to it often. I always appreciate your Violinlounge lessons in addition to all the work you have done on the Academy. I don’t know how you have the energy to put all these things together. Your enthusiasm in your presentations is also great.
Your student
Michael-
Violinist Zlata on June 3, 2016 at 1:13 pm
Hi Michael, I’m very happy to read that you are so content with Violin Lounge TV and the Violin Lounge Academy. All the best, Zlata
Reply
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Thisbe on January 27, 2020 at 9:56 pm
Oooops, it hurts! 🙂 This exercises are so good and not disturbing my neighbours. It reminds me a little of the book Urstudien by Carl Flesch. But your short overview is very useful, I will make a screenshot so I can start tomorrow.
Reply-
Violinist Zlata Brouwer on January 29, 2020 at 12:12 pm
Great! And yes, Urstudien are very good exercises as well.
Reply
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Hi Zlata, I enjoyed your fingering video. I like the first idea as a novice can finger it reasonably, it is an open harmony diminished seventh chord. The finger working is a fine exercise but stop when tired. The second “Geminiani position” in fourths is another matter. It was recommended by Balliot and earlier ones. Later authorities such as Joachim said with modern instruments and longer neck lengths do not use it for earlier studies. You make it look so easy but It is not easy for advanced beginners and early intermediates. But I really like your first exercise. I’ll let you know about the second one in a year or two (groan). Zlata it’s always delightful to hear from you and thanks for your wonderful videos.
Hi John, glad you like the exercise and yes: these are things to build up slowly and not to rush in to. Also it’s good to know I have hyperflexible joints and muscles, so these kind of things come easy to me (other things are more problematic however). For me the second frame is easier than the first one, but I guess that’s not normal. Thanks for your comment and kind regards from a rainy Holland, Zlata
Dear Zlata
This seems similar to one of the exercises in “Free your Vibrato” course, except this looks more complicated and harder to master. I have been trying to figure out how to save the text instructions below the video. These looks like excellent finger exercises to do even while watching TV. I think that I will have to save this entire page so I can refer back to it often. I always appreciate your Violinlounge lessons in addition to all the work you have done on the Academy. I don’t know how you have the energy to put all these things together. Your enthusiasm in your presentations is also great.
Your student
Michael
Hi Michael, I’m very happy to read that you are so content with Violin Lounge TV and the Violin Lounge Academy. All the best, Zlata
Oooops, it hurts! 🙂 This exercises are so good and not disturbing my neighbours. It reminds me a little of the book Urstudien by Carl Flesch. But your short overview is very useful, I will make a screenshot so I can start tomorrow.
Great! And yes, Urstudien are very good exercises as well.