In focus
- Today: For teachers and anyone who wants to readjust their left arm -
Left arm
How inward rotation works
Inward rotation: A useful skill from 4th position onwards, however, it that can be developed and incorporated right from the start
The inward rotation of the left arm often goes unnoticed – especially when starting to position the fingers in the 1st position, and particularly when the fourth finger is initially left out. If you have a particularly long fourth finger, this can often compensate for the lack of inward rotation – up to the third position. After that, it’s usually game over: you’ll need to relearn the technique. The best way to understand this inward rotation is when it’s required right from the start – for example:
- if fingering begins directly in 4th position, or
- if the fourth finger already plays an important role in 1st position.
If there is a need to retrain, this is often a good approach.
You can control the intensity of the rotationt yourself, for example by experimenting with the distance between your arm and your body. For physiological reasons, it may be helpful to lean forward slightly whilst twisting. This increases the distance from your body and allows you to adapt the rotation to your physiological conditions. We would also like to point out that the violin rest, chin rest and the way the instrument is placed should often be adjusted as a set. Whilst we are not aware of any general guidelines on this, we are happy to help with any queries you may have.
Further information
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Rethinking first position