S t r i n g    P r o j e c t

Promotional Guidelines

To promote you must play with good posture. Check your posture against this list:

    violin/viola   cello   bass

This is what you need to know to promote:

   Orchestra  Beginning Ensembles

Promotional Guideline Position Checklist for Violin/Viola:

Please Note:  In order to promote to the next ensemble or orchestra, the student must check-off each requirement for his/her instrument and turn in with the appropriate “Guidelines for Promotion” checklist WITH his/her private teacher’s signature.

GENERAL POSTURE

o Is the instrument supported by the shoulder in such a manner that left hand fingering can occur without tension?

o Is the left hand free to slide up and down the fingerboard?

o Is the body positioned with nose-bridge-elbow-knee-toe in approximate alignment?

o Is instrument positioned parallel to the floor?

o Does the elbow hang under the instrument and hang freely to allow proper finger alignment on all strings?

o Is the left arm and hand forming a straight line from the elbow to the base of the fingers?

o Is the right arm elbow opening and closing to allow for straight bowing?

LEFT HAND POSITION

o Are the fingers all curved with only the tips of the fingers hitting the strings?

o Are the fingers consistently in a functional position over the fingerboard, i.e., is the hand placed in such a fashion that the little finger could always pluck the strings?

o Is the hand free from clutching?

o Does the wrist keep a straight line with the rest of the arm?

RIGHT HAND POSITION

o Are all joints curved?

o Are the fingers flexible at all times?

o Is the thumb bent and not protruding through the frog?

o Does the index finger touch the stick near the first knuckle joint?

o Are the second and third finger pads touching the frog?

o Is the back of hand in the same plane with the forearm?

o Is the bow moving on the string parallel to the bridge?

o Is the contact point consistently about halfway between the fingerboard and bridge?