Lora Staples - beginning violin and fiddle expert

Pinky Builders - Excercises for your pinky finger

How to increase strength in your little finger.

In this video, Lora teaches you an easy way to increase the strength, reach, and flexibility of your pinky finger.

Released on February 5, 2014

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Comments, Questions, Requests:

Dimuthu Dewagama on May 5, 2020 @2:17 am PST
After 20 year I am trying to play violin. Main problem is I cant play exact note(pitch). Therefore I'm using chromatic tuner. But always it displays +/- 10 frequency error. What should I do?. Your videos are really helpful. Tnx
reply
Loralyn Staples - host, on May 5, 2020 @12:26 pm PST
Hello Dimuthu,
It is possible that your tuner got dropped and is malfunctioning. But, the most COMMON mistakes people make with tuners are the following:
1) Instrument setting: sometimes a digital tuner has special settings for specific instruments, like Ukelele, or Guitar, or Violin. Make sure you have your tuner set to violin, or "chromatic" if it has an instrument setting.
2) Calibration: Tuners have a calibration feature which sometimes gets set wrong. You need to find that setting and make sure it is set to 440. (that means pitch A is set to the universal tuning of 440 hz.
Good luck! Much respect to you for taking up your violin!
lingxi on April 21, 2020 @7:56 am PST
hello Lora! thanks for your advice about Bonmuisca shoulder rest, really helped a lot. I have one question about pinkie. on the first second and third position my pinkie is ok to play any notes. but when goes to higher position. it's very hard for my short pinkie to stand independently and vibrato, my hand shape is quite parallel to the finger board because of my short arm and short finger. so my hand shape on high position very tight.
if you could give me dome advice about how to play on high position with short pinkie. that would super helpful. thank you so much!
reply
Loralyn Staples - host, on May 5, 2020 @2:51 pm PST
Hi Lingxi
The only advice I can give you is probably something you already know about.
As you go into higher positions, (especially on the G string), you need to rotate your elbow under to the right. This will help your pinky by bringing him ABOVE the fingerboard more.
Also, DO NOT allow your wrist to bend OUT. Most people think that helps the pinky, but it is just the opposite. Keep your wrist straight. Look in a mirror. When your wrist is straight, it FEELS like you are committing the ultimate sin of bending your wrist IN, but you aren't. It only feels that way. (bending the wrist OUT is much worse than bending the wrist IN, so when in doubt, bend the wrist IN)
I hope this helps you.
There are other things you can do do help a short pinky. Figure out ways to ELEVATE PINKY higher is also helpful. If you find my video that shows a LINE on the knuckles of the left hand, that concept will help your pinky. You draw a line on your knuckles of your left hand. Then, make the line slant by moving your PINKY knuckle higher than the index knuckle. (use a mirror)
I hope some of this will help you!
Lina Soares on May 16, 2018 @3:13 am PST
I would like to have a printed sheet for finger exercise on violin. I have completed book Essential Elements book 2 in violin and would like exercise my 4 fingers on them thank you
Edward Tan on June 3, 2017 @11:07 pm PST
Thank you.
Gilby Pereira on September 23, 2014 @2:30 pm PST
Ciao Lora , complimenti per i tuoi video !!! Sei fantastica e metti molta passione in quello che fai !!!! Mi sono da subito colpito e attratto a seguire le tue lessioni per il modo semplice delle tue espletazioni . Che fa sembrare possibile suonare !!!!!! Io sono un cantante lirico corista e vi è venuto questa passioni per suonare il violino... Spero di farcela !!!!!!! Sono alle prime armi .... La mia domanda è : devo mettere molta pressione sulle corde per immettere un suono ?.. E l'arco anche ?
Karen Wenzel on March 29, 2014 @4:24 pm PST
This is helpful for me teaching 2nd - 3rd grade violin class that meets once a week. We began using 4th finter about a month ago.
What would be some other finger strengenthing exercises? Even bow arm/hand relaxing and or strengthening?
Thank you, Karen
reply
Lora * VSM MEMBER * on March 31, 2014 @11:30 am PST
Hi Karen
You sound like a wonderful teacher, seeking out good resources for your students!
I know Virtual Sheet Music won't mind if I share my youtube channel with you. It has tons of helpful videos on topics like left hand speed and dexterity, keys to tone production, equipment maintenance, left hand posture, and much more. Find it here: https://www.youtube.com/user/RedDesertViolin
Also, your students might benefit from my online lessons. I have lots of teachers sign up for my lessons just to get some ideas on how to present difficult concepts. Find out more here:
http://www.reddesertviolin.com/
Thanks for watching, and I will see what I can do to add more goodies to this video library!
Karen Wenzel on March 31, 2014 @10:18 pm PST
Thank you so much, I will check out these. I feel like I have just discovered a treasure.... or you have given me one. ♫
Simone * VSM MEMBER * on March 5, 2014 @3:57 am PST
very useful, thks
Carole * VSM MEMBER * on February 5, 2014 @7:39 am PST
My pinky broke in an accident and is nearly healed. How do I continue to practice with 3 fingers?
reply
Lora * VSM MEMBER * on February 6, 2014 @8:21 pm PST
If your pinky is nearly healed, can you start to use it with the others? If not, then it is a good time to work on FINGER INDEPENDENCE. Try to play 2-finger patterns, avoiding pinky. Here is my FAVORITE, and it develops ring finger independence which is HARD. If you are on the A string, it would be C#,D,C#,D,C#,D,C#,D, then play C#,D# also 4 times. Then play the reverse of that: Play D,C# 4 times, then D#,C# 4 times. DO THIS WITH NO MOVEMENT FROM YOUR PINKY, and it will benefit your left hand technique until your pinky heals, then you can do these type of exercises with all 4 fingers. Also very important: Make sure you keep your hand relaxed. For some reason, we want to clamp down with our hand when doing this exercise.....it is just a mind over matter type thing! Take care of that pinky! Be patient!
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