Video on Teaching Development of “Left-Hand Frame”
Video on Teaching Opening the Space Between Left-Hand Fingers
Teaching foundational left-hand techniques includes teaching:
- Position of the left hand on instrument’s neck
- “First Position” position
- About an inch from the fingerboard’s nut
- Upper strings: Double contact (base of first finger and middle point of upper digit of left-hand thumb touch instrument’s neck); thumb and first finger across each other (on viola closer thumb closer to second finger)
- Lower strings: Single contact (middle point of upper digit of left-hand thumb touches instrument’s neck); thumb positioned between the first and second finger
- The height (level) of the left hand as related to the fingerboard on varied strings
- Straight wrist
- Hanging and movable elbow
- “First Position” position
- Shape of the left hand
- Fingers round and hovering above the string
- Left-hand frame
- Left hand and left elbow aligned and movable
- Thumb movable
- Open space between the instrument’s neck and the wedge between thumb and first finger (upper strings)
- Orientation of first finger towards the player’s face (upper strings)
- “V Opening” between first and second finger
- Finger movements
- Vertical
- Horizontal
- Lateral
- Elbow and hand movements
- String crossing
- Changing positions
- Fingering patterns
- Five fingering patterns (upper strings)
- Five tonal patterns (lower strings)
- Playing in tune
- Spatial orientation (tapes and stickers)
- Aural orientation (singing and audiation)
Desired outcomes:
- Double contact (for upper strings) with no squeezing between thumb and base of first finger
- Left-hand frame
- Alignment between the hand/wrist and elbow
- Movable thumb
- Orientation of first finger’s nail facing player
- “V Opening” between first and second finger
- Straight wrist
- Movable elbow
- Aural and physical prerequisites for playing in tune
Course handout: