FINGERING TAPE:
- To assist beginning violinists, some violin teachers use thin strips of colored tape (e.g. book binding or scrapbook tape), to mark where to place their fingers on the violin fingerboard. Once beginners know where to place their fingers, the tape is removed.
- Rather than use precise measurements to place fingering tapes, it's best to place them by ear. This is due to the fact that variations in the width and shape of each person's finger may affect where each tape should be placed.
- The tape is used to mark a regular 1st finger (such as the note B on the A string), high 2nd finger (e.g. C# on the A string), third finger (e.g. the note D on the A string), and 4th finger (e.g. the note E on the A string -- sounds the same as open E).
Visit our Music Store - Rosin & Accessories page for a sampling of fingerboard tape.
FINGERBOARD CHART:
- A chart of the violin fingerboard is provided. Fingering for notes played in the 1st position can be found to the right of the fingerboard. Most violin music for beginners uses only the 1st position.
- Fingering for notes played in the 3rd position can be found to the left of the fingerboard. These notes require the violinist to "shift" the position of their hand to a higher position on the keyboard in order to play these notes. For an explanation of shifting, visit the Shifting & Positions page.
- The fingerboard chart shows many instances of two musical letters being placed on the same space. This indicates those two notes are enharmonic, meaning, even though they are named or "spelled" differently, they sound the same pitch. For example, in the first position on the A string, D# and Eb have the same sound (and are enharmonic notes). This note could be fingered using either a high 3rd finger, or a low 4th finger. The pitch would be the same.
- All variations of notes and fingerings in higher positions were not labeled and shown (the entire length of the fingerboard can be used to finger and play notes).