Check out this video to learn more about solving your left hand: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/fdupdbB8s7u6mKc.html

As a cellist learning to play the viola, I place my thumb as I do for my cello, between the first & second finger, as per Duport's essay.

very helful

1st finger

My thumb is naturally when I make a relaxed claw is against my second finger so I keep it that way when I hold the violin. Also I feel my third finger hit the correct tune when my thumb is against my second finger, otherwise the note would be flat.

or sometimes in between the first and second

matur suksma

I have my thumb by my first finger, and this does cause my pinky to collapse at the knuckle. My pinky is very short in relationship to my other fingers and my hand is narrow. I've tried moving my thumb up, but as you said, the rest of the fingers want to creep forward. I think I'll try it again. Since I've been playing the other way for so long, it will probably take a long time to retrain my hand. I'll try it again later today.

Where to begin - make a fist. Where is the thumb in relation to other fingers? ;) Starting with thumb all the way in the back for a hand that I, as a teacher see, is going to be too small - that's not good decision for me as a teacher, as it will create the incorrect muscle memory. Getting a student to switch thumb position for the hand frame will take extra time (and a lot of bad intonation) if they are set up incorrectly at the beginning. Of course there are instances when the thumb must always be by first finger - for example, performing a trill with 1st and 2nd finger.

Judging from videos on KZfaq, the superb historical violinist Tossy Spivakovsky placed his thumb completely UNDER the neck at all times, even in first position! I'd like to hear some discussion of the pros and cons of that approach 🙂

Hi dear sir

I'm not sure this advice is entirely right. I see that the thumb position completely depends on what you're doing and how your hand behaves. For instance. Pinching my thumb and fourth finger creates tension, but on violin thumb on fourth finger would seem to be almost tension free. I'll take the advice of avoiding tension though!