Yoga for String Players
Key Signature On-line Game
Practice Expectations: 20 minutes "A-Day"
Practice Metronome
Yoga for String Players
Key Signature On-line Game
Practice Expectations: 20 minutes "A-Day"
Practice Metronome
Left Hand Technique: All Instruments Video
Violin "only"
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Viola "only"
Double Bass
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Bow Grips/Bow Grip Exercises (All Instruments)
Double Bass
(1) Buy a soft rubber stress ball, wrap your fingers AND thumb around it and compress all your fingers and thumb evenly towards the center in sets of ten. I keep a ball next to my pillow and do at least three sets of ten each night (when I remember to!)
• (2) Make a gentle fist with your LH and bring it up to a playing position, opening it out naturally as you go to put curved fingers on the string and thumb on middle of back of neck. Press down gently then inspect the groove made in the pads by the string. Observe where the string falls on the pad under each finger tip.
• (3) The groove should be back a little from the very top of your finger. Many people have a flat spot between the center of the finger print and the final rounded tip of the finger. I aim to bisect this flat spot with the string groove.
• The "pianist's hand shape" rests this flat spot on the keys. Sit at a table or keyboard and rest your hand on your curved fingers as though you are playing. The finger ends approach the "keys" at something like 45 degrees, definitely not too vertically.
• (4) Think of your curved fingers being hooks not presses. With your fingers bunched up side-by-side hook them over something and pull towards you to feel their strength. Now position them on the string with no thumb contact on the neck and hook the string down to click on the fingerboard. Now place your thumb in position and hook the strings down to your thumb - the neck and strings happen to get in the way!! Repeat clicking the string down onto the fingerboard with your curved fingers like you are doing a gym exercise then repeat as you gradually spread your fingers into note spacings. Try to keep this hooking sensation, not squeezing and flattening/collapsing as you open out.
• (5) Keep your thumb on the back of the neck and raise/lower your fingers by flapping from your big knuckles while maintaining the curved finger shapes. The muscles that cause this action start back as far as your elbow and work through your wrist to your fingers, which is why the alignment of everything is so important.
• The strength of your fingers comes from their arched shape as well as muscles. The actions of raising and lowering them should almost end up feeling dissociated from their hooked strength once you have the knack of it.
Cello:
• Is there a direct line running straight from the left elbow through the base knuckle of the fourth finger to the fingerboard through the finger pad?
• Does the elbow height allow quick sliding up and down the fingerboard?
• Is the thumb relaxed and opposite second finger pad?
• Does the hand and fingerboard form a tunnel? (a “C”shape?)
• Are the fingers curved, and not collapsed?
• Are the base knuckles above the fingerboard?
• Is the first finger tilted back slightly toward the fingerboard nut?
• Does the finger articulation (move) function from the base joint?
Violin/Viola:
Hold the Violin/Viola on a two supports: Your left collar bone and thumb.
• Twist your wrist toward the thumb so that your fingers will stand tall over the top of the fingerboard.
• Now straighten your wrist so that your index finger will be low and the pinky high.
• Keep spaces between the fingers, especially between fingers one and two.
• Turn all fingers on their left side so that they are like a fan opened toward the pegs.
• Before placing your pinky on the fingerboard, relax it, turn it on its left side and then place it down on the fingerboard.
• Hold your thumb opposite the first finger on the other side of the fingerboard.
• Your elbow should be pointed straight down toward the floor.
Double Bass
(1) Buy a soft rubber stress ball, wrap your fingers AND thumb around it and compress all your fingers and thumb evenly towards the center in sets of ten. I keep a ball next to my pillow and do at least three sets of ten each night (when I remember to!)
• (2) Make a gentle fist with your LH and bring it up to a playing position, opening it out naturally as you go to put curved fingers on the string and thumb on middle of back of neck. Press down gently then inspect the groove made in the pads by the string. Observe where the string falls on the pad under each finger tip.
• (3) The groove should be back a little from the very top of your finger. Many people have a flat spot between the center of the finger print and the final rounded tip of the finger. I aim to bisect this flat spot with the string groove.
• The "pianist's hand shape" rests this flat spot on the keys. Sit at a table or keyboard and rest your hand on your curved fingers as though you are playing. The finger ends approach the "keys" at something like 45 degrees, definitely not too vertically.
• (4) Think of your curved fingers being hooks not presses. With your fingers bunched up side-by-side hook them over something and pull towards you to feel their strength. Now position them on the string with no thumb contact on the neck and hook the string down to click on the fingerboard. Now place your thumb in position and hook the strings down to your thumb - the neck and strings happen to get in the way!! Repeat clicking the string down onto the fingerboard with your curved fingers like you are doing a gym exercise then repeat as you gradually spread your fingers into note spacings. Try to keep this hooking sensation, not squeezing and flattening/collapsing as you open out.
• (5) Keep your thumb on the back of the neck and raise/lower your fingers by flapping from your big knuckles while maintaining the curved finger shapes. The muscles that cause this action start back as far as your elbow and work through your wrist to your fingers, which is why the alignment of everything is so important.
• The strength of your fingers comes from their arched shape as well as muscles. The actions of raising and lowering them should almost end up feeling dissociated from their hooked strength once you have the knack of it.
Cello:
• Is there a direct line running straight from the left elbow through the base knuckle of the fourth finger to the fingerboard through the finger pad?
• Does the elbow height allow quick sliding up and down the fingerboard?
• Is the thumb relaxed and opposite second finger pad?
• Does the hand and fingerboard form a tunnel? (a “C”shape?)
• Are the fingers curved, and not collapsed?
• Are the base knuckles above the fingerboard?
• Is the first finger tilted back slightly toward the fingerboard nut?
• Does the finger articulation (move) function from the base joint?
Violin/Viola:
Hold the Violin/Viola on a two supports: Your left collar bone and thumb.
• Twist your wrist toward the thumb so that your fingers will stand tall over the top of the fingerboard.
• Now straighten your wrist so that your index finger will be low and the pinky high.
• Keep spaces between the fingers, especially between fingers one and two.
• Turn all fingers on their left side so that they are like a fan opened toward the pegs.
• Before placing your pinky on the fingerboard, relax it, turn it on its left side and then place it down on the fingerboard.
• Hold your thumb opposite the first finger on the other side of the fingerboard.
• Your elbow should be pointed straight down toward the floor.