5 Ways to Fix Your Violin 4th Finger

If you've played violin for even a year, you know how trick playing with the fourth finger can be on the violin. Even many professional players still feel uncomfortable using their 4th finger freely while playing. However, it doesn't have to be so difficult! In this video I will show you 5 tips that will set you on the path to fixing your violin fourth finger technique difficulties

[April.Lillie]

This is the best video I’ve ever seen on fourth finger. I have all these issues and often wondered how to fix them. Now I know. Thanks ever so much!

[gracethroughfaith]

I'm so lucky to have the best violin teacher in the world ✨ I needed literally every part of this video 😅

[fidpiano]

great video. I am an older adult and play mostly folk, celtic style violin. most tunes played are often in 1st position . so I began playing tunes in Bb, Eb so that I had to use my 4th finger. still am working on improving my 4th finger skills and playing in other positions. scale work too

[williamkinney]

Number 5 reminds me of a lesson I had with the concertmaster of the LA Phil. I shifted up to a high note on the g string with my third finger and he told me basically that I should try to use my fourth finger for things like that so it doesn’t get weak.

[diegovillegas]

Nice video, I really liked it. What way can I train the independence of my fingers? You know any tips?

[sailordora]

Damn, my fourth finger is just so bad, it collapses when touching the fingerboard. I came up with the little exercise you suggested some weeks ago, and practiced that. The results are still dreadful though, but I hope I'll get better if I keep working on it. It's nice that You suggested the exercise. Thanks for all the valuable info 😊 (PS. ❤)

[pluutoop]

Our favorite YouTube teacher!! Love the stache 🕺🕺

[kimchi]

I was looking for tip #3! Been playing violin for 10 years so far and I get that problem sometimes! Thanks for the tips!

[chandanpur]

Hi Murphy...! I watched your video fix 4th finger on violin.... I found it very useful. I want to learn violin from the very beginning I just stated to run a bow on strings...

[yvonnasun]

THANK YOU for this video. I just started learning 9 months ago and I don't even practice much but i started developing trigger fingers in varying severities in my left hand 3/4 fingers. The pressing down instead of pulling motion you mentioned is exactly what I was not doing and caused my trigger fingers. I'm wearing some finger braces to prevent this pulling motion to let the tendons heal right now, and hopefully i can go back to playing soon!

[TheSparshofMusic-wnde]

This video was very helpful! Thank you!

[williamnichols]

Literally today I noticed I can't seem to use 4th finger well with 'regular' thumb position. I can get it done with thumb-under, but it hurts. I can also get it done with high thumb and it doesn't hurt. But then I'm thinking, 'who do I think I am, trying to play with the high thumb like that?'
... Glad you mentioned that we should experiment.

[J_Meep]

Thank you so much. I've been playing violin for years and I just could not find out why my fingers kept coming so high off the fingerboard, especially the fourth finger. I always draw it back really high for some reason as I go to put it down. Turns out it's because of how I was putting it down. I have a collapsed fourth finger!! 😭

[MMJ]

I requested this video - thank you SO MUCH! Now, where can I get a chin rest like yours that goes across the center?

[momoma]

Hey, very articulate and clear video! I really like it!

I am currently (still) working on my collapsing knuckle on the fourth. But I wonder, if you can remember, was yours stuck as well (or just collapsing)? Because I am working on wiggling my last knuckle up and down as my all other fingers are able to do this and as you use this motion for vibrato for example.
I can wiggle it already, lets say on one certain level (depending on my other fingers alignment) and since I am able to do this, I can keep my finger stable round, when all other fingers press the string down, lets say I can uplift my last knuckle. Without this, it was quite hard for me, to even being able to do your exercise. But I am doing it already 1 year and wonder how I can speed it up. Maybe I can now again try to add your exercise. Its just a really weird trained finger since I started using it in my childhood. 🤦‍♀️ because my teacher said "round finger" and I was "overmotivated". Was a good teacher, but she didnt see this.


For the handpostion: I like how it helps the fourth finger, when the hand is more on the fourth, but as you say, it causes loosing flexibility for the first finger. Now I try to find a middle way :D just sharing:D

Thanks for your great content! :)

[anaisthevenin]

How do you get such a great sound when you're on 3rd, 5th etc... Position ?? I can't get a nice sound when I'm in 3rd (and higher) position and it's very annoying, no matter how hard I press the bow against the string it sound weird, as if there was wind or something...

[kamikan]

testing the pinky against the thumb I realized that if you "point" forward with the pinky instead of going downard to the thumb it will collapse
this also can happen when you try to move your pinky knuckle forward, everything is normal but the pinky get kind of "stuck" and wont go rounded until you unstuck your knuckle. This could actually be used for fast passages because it gets closer to the string and more isolated from the 3rd, but is bad for vibrato and probably in the long run is slower xd

[mobin_theboss]

Thank you so much
It was really useful for me 😍

[SaraS-]

Thanks for this! My lefy pinky tends to tuck under my ring finger naturally even off the violin, whenever I curl my hand. Any tips?

[jerusalem]

But my pinky on my left hand just so happens to be a good amount shorter than the one on my right 😞