Violin Lesson #31; finding 2nd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th positions

[Personaility15]

Do the positions change when you play different majors like G major? When do you know when to change positions? Last year, I was in beginning orchestra my high school put me in advanced this year , so I'm trying to catch up with everybody. Do you have videos on learning the intervals? How do you change a note into a natural and flat? MY book Essential Elements give me different fingerings for certain notes so should I go by the book or what my teacher tells me?

[akimbogeo]

Hi professor V, I like your videos AND your attitude. Are you from the mid-west? You've got this can-do attitude going on that is coupled with a relaxed easy going style. Keep it up.

[346ZackFair]

Proff i have a question not on this lesson....almost pro musicians prefer to play the E string on A string.prefer to play the D in G....yes ths helps especially when the piece is hard but when the piece is easy why they prefer to do this.they have same note whether you play the note in G or D.

[GlooStikk1]

high five! you're the best!

[VRJaguarandi]

In what order positions should be learn?

If i´m on 1st should I move to 2 or to 3?

Thanks and advice

[professorV]

Hi VRJaguarandi, Almost all editions teach 1st then go to 3rd, but I like to introduce 2nd very early, just so my students won't be afraid of it. Good luck.

[selinaross11]

@IsaacDTL the highest position is 13th :)

[ruuditalien]

Todd! I've already posted a 'thank you' comment but can't help adding more! Thank you: your efforts are terrific!

[hayato10]

hi prof V, I got an electric violin but near the bottom of the neck as i shift to lower positions, the gap between the board and the string gets bigger. half way through the gap gets to about a quarter of an inch and it hurts my fingers pressing so far down... do you think it's the bridge too high, or simply the finger board built too low? Thanks.

[azhar13579]

pls find this video ....its a maestro from india.,..just type in....................KV, Mannil Intha Kaathal

[rita026]

@azhar13579 why not post a link?

[azhar13579]

,KV, Mannil Intha Kaathal

[onzki]

I'm starting to learn violin now and having hard time to know positions.. I play guitar too and in comparison, it's easier due to the frets. Am I correct if I assume that in violin-there's really no established method? I mean a child with short fingers can spot a note relative to his own experience/ear training and an adult with longer fingers can spot the same note relative to his own personal method /ear training.

[IsaacDTL]

Whats the highest position ?

[GoodNamesUnavailable]

@IsaacDTL the 100th

[kingaM34]

Hello,I'm from Poland,I play the violin for 6 years now and for the last three years I've been playing and learning on my own,I can't take lessons,I haven't such a possibility now,but I want to learn more,such as playing positions,so I have a question: when should I know on which position I can play,better first or for example third?Does it depend on if it's comfortable?I play rather by ear than from the score.

I've watched some of Your films,thanks to You I can play arm vibrato;)thank You,Kinga

[bnmuzic]

i love the way you teach, thank You. I would rather each position mentioned with the beginning note then a little exercise to reinforce. Glad we have you.

[1983McKenna]

I love your teaching Professor. You really inspire me to do well!

[forbiddenluv211]

Professor, my left pinky is shorter than the other and i couldn't reach the (other) F note on e until this lesson with the helpful hints on shifting to 5th position. I'm going to give them a try now. Thank you and keep the lessons coming!

[laurinw]

Hi professor, why does my shoulder ache as I'm learnimg to play better fiddle. It's as if I'm tensed up.

[vivisweet123]

Thanks you very much! I'm playing four season spring and there is a part who go to all these position.i will play that for a competition and i was worry and you helped me. Thanks you again!

[jw10010]

thanks so much for all this help!!! im finaly getting 5th position right!!!

[seepdyclucluxter22]

thiz really helped me a lot, I am trying to learn how 2 play "Dry Tear" and there are some notez on there that are WAY above the staff, and I was having problems on how to get thoze notez

thnx :)

[StephaneGrappelli]

you're the best teacher in the world, the tip of keeping the pinky on the string helped me a lot, thanks!

[johnnybolas79]

i never played the violin before

[monosynthzero]

After seeing this video, I feel like I know the instrument a lot better. I always wondered how it was possible to consistently find different positions without frets. I have a cheap violin though, so it drops out of tune easily and is generally harder to intonate than nicer instruments I've played.

I have been playing for about two years, so going through all of your videos and remembering what you're teaching is speeding along both my knowledge and ability. Thank you for what you do!

[718aronallen]

thanx to professorV i am plaing violin for a while just from books w'out any teacher so this is really bringing me to a much better point of plaing thanx again and my brother said the same thing

[vagabonda1982]

hi professor

thanks for your lessons.. :)

but this is too fast..to understand

[nameUnavailab1e]

Nice Halloween decorations.

[Ohgod95]

I love your vids.

[SirJohnSteedEsq]

Professor V your teaching is quite impeccable, much more personable than some of these "so called" experts. Keep them coming!

[professorV]

Thank you, Sir John. I will do my best.

[azhar13579]

@professorV pls find this video and let me know what you think ....its a maestro from india.,..just type in....................KV, Mannil Intha Kaathal

[tobijeh]

at first i had the same missing video problem as well! later found that its still available in HQ mode ^^

[mangoman500]

on your web, it says lesson 31 is desending shifts and this lesson doesnt exsist

[InsaneChef]

positions are totally my weakness. I had to have those stickers for ages =(

[lunacullen24]

hello professor v..i have a question..umm.....i have difficulty using my pinky when we do scales like the G majosr sclae two octaves and its really hard for me even though ive been playing for 3 years and im a pretty okay player...i play second violin and sometimes first...have any tips..ideas....i love these ideas i learned how to do vibrato now...thanks alot sir!! :)

[professorV]

Do you have trouble reaching the 4th or is it a control issue? If you can't reach it, you'll probably need to either place your thumb lower on the neck or pull the elbow under the instrument more. You really should be able to reach all four fingers at once. Control comes from steady practice with the 4th. You might try trills with the 4th every day for just a minute or two. Good luck.

[SakaiXYuji]

thank you, i finally get how to play 5th position XD

[d8899]

I am an adult, relearning on my own. I am using Whistler and other books to help The goal is to sight read . Your videos are helpful. Finding the right teacher is not easy.

[killergirls]

God bless you, sir!You always make it crystal clear with your instructions.You are a gifted teacher.

[telsona]

Hi,

I am an ex -pat living in Peru where I have not been able to find a violin teacher. I have found your lesseons absolutely capital and have recently learned vibrato from your videaos which I found to be great. thanks again for taking the time to put out the videos. Greatly appreciated. You are a fantastic teacher!

[LasFrambuesas]

Hello :) I just wanted to say thank you for your videos and specially for being quite clear when you explain something, you see... I talk in spanish, not english (well i'm learning in fact), and I can still undestand what you say (most times)

I've found your vids really usefull.

again, thanks

jimena, from Argentina (A very far away land :P)

[professorV]

Hi LastFrambuesas, Thank you for the note. I'm glad you can follow what I am saying! Best Regards.

[Tman4000]

Thank you so much for these videos! I can't wait to start practicing when I get my violin!!!!

[iwillownz]

yeah, good tips! i finally can play a piece my teacher gave me!

[mtsVeL]

Great Tips!!!

Thanks! ^^

[AndromedaAiken]

What advice do you have for a violinist who is small in stature? I have quite alot of trouble with the last few notes on the 3-octave D major scale. I hope you know which notes I'm talking about. Any tips for that? My thumb tends to go right onto the top rib (leaving the neck joint) but my teacher wants my thumb to stay behind the neck joint because he feels that's not the furthest of stretches and hence wants me to keep the "thumb on the top rib" for really big stretches. HELP!!!

[misstake1989]

However I don't really know how to find a second position. I found fantastic composition which demand second position playing but I don't really know how to find it on my fingerboard. Thank you :)

[professorV]

Hi misstake, While in first position, place a two on the A string. Remember, a low two on A is a C and a high two is a C#. Either one is fine, just know which one you are playing. Now, replace that second finger with a first (make sure you are still playing the same note). You are now in second position. Make sense?

[misstake1989]

Thank you so much! Now I know how to find it! :)))

[professorV]

Excellent! The same rules apply to 3rd and

4th positions.

[misstake1989]

Good day, Professor! I'm from Poland. I've started my violin lessons since I was 14 and then, after a year, I've decided to abandon my music school. Well... it was a bad decision. Now I am 19 and I bought my own new violin because I really wanted to start again. I remember the notes, remember how to hold my bow and I can play the easiest compositions. I really love your videos. With your help I can play better :)

[pikachoi2007]

Hello Teacher Todd, I just observed that your tail piece has 4 fine tuners? aint right? also, is that dominant you are using

[professorV]

No, this is just a student instrument that I was using, not my "real" one. My good violin was in the shop for repair.

[pikachoi2007]

what happened to your good violin? how'd will i know to consider a violin to be good. do you have any post using that good violin so that I can see the difference with the sound using dominant. thanks

[professorV]

Yes, the Wohlfahrt #40 is on my good violin (what I posted yesterday). I doubt you can tell a difference (except the color of the varnish - it's orange) because I just played ricochet!

[likeXsoXlovely]

I'm currently a freshmen in highschool, and have been playing since the 2nd grade. I still can't shift:(

[saucyasian]

My hands are small, so when I shift really high, my thumb comes around the fingerboard. Is this a bad habit? I know cellists have to do stuff like this, so it okay for a violinist?

[professorV]

I've seen several really good violinists do that, and do it very well. It's better than straining your hand, or wrist! Just practice getting back down (getting the thumb back around the neck).

[LuciferOuAnge]

Hello professor!

I'm from China and now learning to play violin in my spare time in Germany. You video helped me a lot. I always had a problem to find the 4th position. Thanks a lot. I would be very happy if I had such a good teacher as you. :-)

[professorV]

Thank you and good luck with the violin!

[exanimous]

i want a teacher as you

[goodyones]

Hi,professor,My name is Dr.Cruz,with 3 years of violin,and congratulations to you for the excellent hability to teach.Please do you have dvd for teaching violin as a private lessons?.

[professorV]

Hello Dr. Cruz, Thank you for your nice comment. Sorry to say, these videos are all there is.

[brian777999]

Very helpful. I was just wondering the other day how I can find 4th position. I teach myself now as I cannot find any violin teachers in Cairns.I guess I will have to change how I find the 3rd position LOL

[foxmansayyad]

Hey professor, my name is ahmed and i am Egyptian.. i play violin from 6 years, i am nearly proffesional, but you know... ur videos showed me very tiny things that i missed in playing violin .. and they helped me a lot ... Thank you very much .. u r great

[professorV]

Thank you Ahmed, I'm glad to help. I wish you all the best with your career!

[Linuxica]

The violin beginners in Youtube are indebted to you. Wow! Your videos are very good!!

[professorV]

That a very nice thing to write, Linuxica. Thanks for it.