These studies accompany the article “Using the 4th-finger without tension” published in the February 2017 edition of ‘The Strad’ magazine (click on the links below to view the PDFs). To order a copy of the magazine please visit The Strad website.
4th-finger unaccompanied study
Pizzicato Ping-Pong (from Chapter 8 of Violinworks Book 1)
The aim of this study is to practise keeping the 4th-finger over the strings (click here for a demonstration video):
- Play the left-hand pizzicato notes gently, keeping the 4th-finger curved and relaxed.
- Gently swing your elbow under the violin to transport the hand between the G and E strings (swing it to the right to reach the G-string and to the left to reach the E-string).
- As you move your elbow, your relaxed left-hand should pivot effortlessly about the neck of the violin so that your forearm, wrist and hand always form a straight line when viewed from the scroll, whichever string you’re on.
Play-along backing track for Pizzicato Ping Pong: