I am designing a finger guide for the violin, any suggestions?

[eschlem]

Mandabplus3,

I suppose unlike the flute, tape isn't used to adjust pitch on a violin.  So I would say changing pitch isn't normally an argument against using tape on the fingerboard in the beginning stages.

One of the first steps of learning to play the violin is mainly kinesthetic, I believe.  The tapes are like "training wheels" for the beginner student to learn how to place the hands, where to put the fingers.  Once the student has memorized finger placement and has solidified the hand frame, the tapes come off. 

My very first violin was made out of a margarine box with a ruler attached to it with masking tape and a dowel for a bow, to practice stance and how to hold the violin and bow.

There were also tape markers on the bow, half bow for shorter notes, whole bow for longer notes. 

I listened to the Suzuki pieces on recordings and then played them by ear, with the markers as guides.   

As a mature musician, I later "rediscovered" that really the best way to improve my intonation was to record myself playing scales, lots and lots of scales. That sort of practice really provided a solid foundation for learning performance pieces. 

As far as perfect pitch is concerned, I can memorize a pitch and hunt around from there, but absolute pitch seems pretty unattainable for
me as an adult.  I agree that it may be possible for children to attain it, however.  My kids have already amazed me when learning how to read at the age of 1 (thanks to Dr. Titzer, Little Reader, and don't forget DadDude's Fleschcards), so who knows what else they are capable of if I start early enough? 

[Adria Sorensen]

Google " note read with shapes and colors on the violin"  for the suzuki book 1 song " go tell aunt rhody" if you want to check out my idea for teaching violin

[Skippy]

I have been teaching violin for 41 years.  I have taken some Suzuki training and using Suzuki books as well as my own books.  I have designed and written my own Color-Shape method.  I have written one book for Violin and 4 books for Piano using the same method.  There are 5 colors which correspond to the five fingers.  On Violin, the THUMB = PINK, the INDEX finger = BLUE, the Middle finger = GREEN, the Ring Finger = RED and the little finger = ORANGE.  On the right hand for piano, the colors go in the same direction.  The little finger = PINK and the RING finger = BLUE, the Middle finger = GREEN, the Index finger = RED and the THUMB = ORange.  Each color is represented by a shape and the books are printed in black and white and then colored by the children.  The shapes are PINK = STAR, BLUE = SQUARE , GREEN is a WEDGIE (or GREEN EGGS on PIANO) , RED = Triangle and Orange = a Diamond.  The children color their songs.  For more information my website is mapleleafmusicschool dot com.  Many songs which are easy to sing are very hard to play on the violin because of the bowing and the fingering.  Also on Youtube, check out Cassandra playing the "Train Express Song".  It takes the child often 2-3  months to hold the violin nicely and to bow correctly, even before using the left hand fingers.  If any questions, just email me through the form on my website.

[Adria Sorensen]

Tape isn`t used to adjust violin pitch. However, once each open string note is adjusted to the correct pitch for notes G, D, A, and E for the violin, the tapes on the fingerboards should naturally be in tune as a result of the open strings being at the correct pitch.... the violin pegs are used to adjust the pitch of each open string note on the violin. Typically tuned using the piano. Turning the peg toward you lowers the pitch and turning the peg away makes the pitch higher

[Skippy]

 I have been teaching violin for 41 years.  I tune the violin to standard tuning, G,D,A,E.  However, the beginner uses only the E String and the A string.  I  use only 3 colored stripes which I place under the strings.  You must understand that most violin teachers use only certain keys at first.  The child usually spends some months on the \keys of A Major and D Major.  After the child can play well in these keys, the next key to add is G major.  Other keys are avoided the first year.
On the A String, Do = PINK for open A, Re = BLUE for note B, Mi = GREEN for Not C Sharp, and Fa = RED for the NOTE D.
The E String is the same-  SOL = PINK = NOTE E, FA = BLUE = NOTE F Sharp, LA = GREEN and is NOTE G sharp, High DO is RED and is NOTE A
Notes such as C natural, F natural, B flat are avoided for the beginning months, maybe even the first year.  And the Note B flat is definitely avoided, usually for the first 2 years.  Besides this the violin MUSSuzuki Violin T be very small, the LEFT arm must make a Bit VEE shape and not be at all straight.  My granddaughter started out with a 1/32 size.  I also own violins in 1/`16 and 1/10 sizes which I RENT to my students.    I highly recommend the book called "They're rarely too young and never too old to twinkle" by Kay Collier Slone, published by SHAR Publications.  In teaching Suzuki, the student learns by rote, and by listening.  Their are also many clips on Youtube, if you type in Pretwinkle: Suzuki Violin Class -- This is by teacher Eric Davenport.  All the best, Skippy

[lois1]

Skippy, are your books available to buy online? I'm a cellist teaching my 4 year old son to play the violin after a fashion... we are a long way from any violin teachers where we live... Online would of course be an option but not yet. So always on the look out for different resources. Thanks!
Lois

[Skippy]

Hi Lois, Sorry my books are not available online.  However, I do have some extra ones at my studio,  Contact me through my email   which is
 skippym at eastlink dot com or my website www mapleleafmusicschool dot com and I'll look into shipping you a book.  All the best, Skippy

[lois1]

Hi Skippy, your email address bounced back to me. I sent you a personal message on here. Thanks

[Skippy]

Hi Lois,
My email should be [email protected]     (It should be dot ca NOT dot com.  Also my website is mapleleafmusicschool dot com

Sorry about the confusion with my email.    Songs with flats are very challenging for beginning violinists.  Avoid the Keys of C,F, Bflat and Eflat.
Stick to the key of D at first and maybe A.  Later add the key of G.  Do not use the smallest finger for many months, as there is much to learn with the other three fingers,  (The index finger, middle and ring finger)   Making the bow go back and forth is s challenge.  Try emailing me again.  Skippy in Canada

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