Low 2nd finger awkwardness

Howdy fellow fiddlers! Is it just me or is the low second finger (G natural on the E string / C natural on the A string) really awkward? When I'm on the E string and need to hit the G natural, I always feel more comfortable if the side of my hand / side of my index finger is away from the fingerboard, but then floating around like that I feel a bit lost so that can't be right. Actually, it's only super awkward when I need to go from a G natural to an F# - those two fingers just don't like sitting together on the E string. I know the violin is a very personal instrument and everyone has to adjust to suit themselves, but I'd be interested to know if anyone else has encountered this and what they've done about it! Thanks in advance, fiddlers...

Hi there!

I have problems with the low second finger when going to/from the forth finger. I keep practising scales etc and hoping it will get better but I still struggle. Maybe different hands are just built in different ways and maybe it's just naturally easier for some people than for others? I've often though how all of us fiddle players, each with different physical builds, try to squeeze our bodies round the same fiddle shape... There's got to be differences in how we all adjust to our instrument.

Good luck,
Sofie

I understand exactly what you are talking about and had (past tense) the same problem for many years.

There are many factors to making the fingers work better, however I suspect the source of your second finger problem has to do with your first finger. The first finger is very strong and can easily lock up the rest of the hand. To prevent that from happening, the first finger should be slanted (the knuckle pointing towards the scroll) significantly more than the second finger. By doing this, the tension is released in the first finger. and allows the second finger fall into place. Additionally, you can learn to get a springy type action with the first in this position which can start to translate to the rest of the hand.

The first finger slant is especially helpful when playing a half step between the 1st and 2nd fingers as you described.

It will probably feel very awkward at first but it's well worth it!