Rethinking first position

Across contemporary instrumental pedagogy, there is broad agreement on one fundamental principle: the earliest movement patterns established by beginners profoundly influence later technical development. In The Teaching of Action in String Playing, Paul Rolland argues that sound technique does not arise from holding fixed positions, but from coordinated, efficient movement involving the whole body. Freedom of movement, balance, and functional coordination are not advanced skills to be introduced later; they form the basis upon which technique is built. Motor learning research supports this view. Nikolai Bernstein, together with Richard Schmidt and Timothy Lee, describes skill acquisition not as the repeated imitation of external forms but as the gradual development of adaptable movement patterns through perception, sensory feedback, and continuous adjustment.

What this research does not tell us, however, is something rather more specific: Which initial left-hand position best supports this natural organisation of movement?

Historically, the prominence of first position is entirely understandable. It offers beginners a clearly defined and seemingly manageable starting point. From a biomechanical perspective, however, there is little reason to assume that it is the only - or necessarily the most advantageous - option. Several pedagogical approaches have questioned this assumption. The Bornoff String Program, for example, adopts a broader view of early left-hand development. Likewise, Eylem Arıca's research into alternative starting positions demonstrates that the question continues to be discussed within the profession. Some of the teachers interviewed even expressed a preference for beginning in higher positions. One participant remarked: "I think 4th or 5th position is even better than 3rd as the body of the instrument helps aligning the hand." Another commented: "Actually, fourth position is ideal for most ... I believe that fourth position is most comfortable."

These observations do not constitute scientific evidence in favour of any single teaching sequence. They do, however, demonstrate that the idea of beginning in a position other than first is by no means unfamiliar within the wider string teaching community. Nor does the idea of reconsidering beginner teaching exist in isolation. It forms part of a much broader evolution in string pedagogy, in which long-established assumptions have repeatedly been re-examined. 

Paul Rolland placed natural movement and physical freedom at the heart of technical development. Géza Szilvay's Colourstrings approach integrates audiation, listening, movement, and musical imagination from the very first lesson. Although these approaches differ considerably in both philosophy and methodology, they share an important underlying principle: children should experience the instrument as a whole rather than being confined to a small section of the fingerboard.

Seen from this perspective, a further question naturally arises. If we take a holistic view of the child*, should we not also take a holistic view of the body's organisation while playing? This is precisely where the Tuneful approach begins. The question is no longer simply: "Which notes should beginners learn first?" Instead, it becomes: "Which movement organisation provides the strongest foundation for everything that follows?"

Our own work begins with this question. Fourth position is not significant simply because it is a higher position. Rather, it is valuable because it naturally encourages an efficient organisation of the left arm from the outset. In fourth position:

• the elbow moves naturally underneath the instrument;
• the upper arm rotates inwards;
• the hand settles into a balanced, functional alignment;
• all four fingers become an integral part of the hand frame from the very beginning.

Importantly, this organisation does not result primarily from verbal instruction. The position itself encourages - and, to a large extent, requires - it.

By contrast, students can often play successfully in first position before this underlying organisation has fully developed. This is particularly true when the fourth finger is introduced only gradually. As a result, the inward rotation of the upper arm may remain underdeveloped until much later. When students subsequently move into higher positions, this organisation often has to be established retrospectively. Our experience suggests that it is considerably easier to establish efficient movement patterns from the beginning than to replace habits that have already become automatised.

In Tuneful from day one, children begin in the middle of the fingerboard rather than at the nut. Natural harmonics provide secure tactile and auditory reference points. From the first lesson onwards, left-hand pizzicato (LHP) is used as a fundamental practice tool, integrating finger action, arm organisation, audiation, listening, release, and rhythmic stability into a single coordinated gesture. Rather than learning isolated positions one after another, pupils gradually develop an understanding of the entire fingerboard as a connected musical space. Work in fourth position - and subsequently in first and the remaining positions - therefore becomes a natural continuation of an already well-established spatial awareness.

One observation from our own teaching has been particularly striking. Over many years, my colleague and I have repeatedly noticed a distinct developmental shift once children become genuinely secure in fourth position. The change extends well beyond technical fluency. Many pupils begin to move around the fingerboard with greater ease, shift more confidently, and approach new repertoire with noticeably less hesitation. Their playing often becomes freer, both physically and musically, as the left arm no longer needs to compensate for an underlying organisational pattern that has never been fully established.

This observation is, of course, not a controlled research finding. It is a recurring pattern that has emerged from many years of practical teaching. Nevertheless, it raises an interesting possibility: perhaps what appears to be a question of position is, in reality, a question of movement organisation.

Aus den genannten Überlegungen ergeben sich zwei interessante Thesen:

Proposition 1
A functional organisation of the left arm need not emerge only in response to later technical demands. It can—and perhaps should—form part of a student's earliest learning experiences.

Proposition 2
The choice of the initial left-hand position may influence not only technical development but also a player's long-term freedom of movement and musical flexibility.

These propositions are not presented as definitive conclusions. Rather, they are intended as an invitation to observe, to experiment, and to engage in professional dialogue.

Research and Theoretical Perspectives
(Motor Learning, Perception, Movement Science, and Embodiment)

Nikolai A. Bernstein. The Co-ordination and Regulation of Movements, 1967
Richard A. Schmidt, Timothy D. Lee. Motor Control and Learning: A Behavioral Emphasis Human Kinetics, div.
Marc Leman. Embodied Music Cognition and Mediation Technology, 2008
Richard Shadmehr, Sandro Mussa-Ivaldi. Biological Learning and Control: How the Brain Builds Representations of the World, 2012

String Pedagogy: Tradition and Contemporary Approaches
(Freedom of Movement, Audiation, and Holistic Beginner Teaching)

Paul Rolland, The Teaching of Action in String Playing, 1974
Ivan Galamian, Principles of Violin Playing and Teaching, 1962
Yehudi Menuhin, Violin: Six Lessons with Yehudi Menuhin, 1971 und Videomaterial
Géza Szilvay, diverse Veröffentlichungen, Skripte und mündliche Überlieferungen über Colourstrings
George Bornoff, Bornoff String Program (freight zugängliche Überlieferungen)
Shinichi Suzuki, Ability Development from Age Zero, 1981

Survey Research on Alternative Starting Positions
Eylem Arıca, An Analysis of Violin and Viola Instructors’ Opinions of Using the Third Position as the Home Position for Beginning-Level Violin/Viola Education, 2021

The Authors' Pedagogical Development
Erdmute Maria Hohage, Angelika Schepke, Tuneful from day one
Erdmute Maria Hohage, Angelika Schepke, Tuneful in 4^th and 1^st position