Comments on: do small hands imply higher difficulty in learning violin? http://www.learningviolinblog.com/81/do-small-hands-imply-higher-difficulty-in-learning-violin/ All about learning violin Tue, 22 Nov 2011 06:31:50 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.2 By: banana http://www.learningviolinblog.com/81/do-small-hands-imply-higher-difficulty-in-learning-violin/comment-page-1/#comment-170 banana Wed, 21 Apr 2010 02:36:59 +0000 http://www.learningviolinblog.com/81/do-small-hands-imply-higher-difficulty-in-learning-violin/#comment-170 There are advantages and disadvantages in having small hands when playing violin. Unfortunately the disadvantages outweigh the advantages. But usually it you won't see the disadvantages until you reach the advanced levels. The nice thing about violin, though, is that there are multiple ways of playing the same note, which means that most of the time you can find ways around the problem. Violin is a lot more flexible than piano (but it's also way harder!) advantages: -being able to squeeze 2 fingers really close to another (for example, when trying to play two notes on two different strings at the same time, or in the higher positions where notes are close to each other) -easier to trill disadvantages: -vibratos have to be bigger with more arm motion -hard to stretch to reach notes when you need to in more advanced music -smaller finger width= cannot press down 2 strings at a time with one finger, especially in higher positions where the strings are further apart from each other.<br><b>References : </b><br> There are advantages and disadvantages in having small hands when playing violin. Unfortunately the disadvantages outweigh the advantages. But usually it you won’t see the disadvantages until you reach the advanced levels.

The nice thing about violin, though, is that there are multiple ways of playing the same note, which means that most of the time you can find ways around the problem. Violin is a lot more flexible than piano (but it’s also way harder!)

advantages:
-being able to squeeze 2 fingers really close to another (for example, when trying to play two notes on two different strings at the same time, or in the higher positions where notes are close to each other)
-easier to trill

disadvantages:
-vibratos have to be bigger with more arm motion
-hard to stretch to reach notes when you need to in more advanced music
-smaller finger width= cannot press down 2 strings at a time with one finger, especially in higher positions where the strings are further apart from each other.
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]]> By: bahamashogg http://www.learningviolinblog.com/81/do-small-hands-imply-higher-difficulty-in-learning-violin/comment-page-1/#comment-169 bahamashogg Wed, 21 Apr 2010 02:04:59 +0000 http://www.learningviolinblog.com/81/do-small-hands-imply-higher-difficulty-in-learning-violin/#comment-169 Just get a small violin? they come in different sizes you know.<br><b>References : </b><br>http://musiced.about.com/od/beginnersguide/a/vsizes.htm Just get a small violin? they come in different sizes you know.
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http://musiced.about.com/od/beginnersguide/a/vsizes.htm

]]> By: legolas072 http://www.learningviolinblog.com/81/do-small-hands-imply-higher-difficulty-in-learning-violin/comment-page-1/#comment-168 legolas072 Wed, 21 Apr 2010 01:51:59 +0000 http://www.learningviolinblog.com/81/do-small-hands-imply-higher-difficulty-in-learning-violin/#comment-168 I honestly think it's easier if you have small hands. I have larger hands for a woman, and i always joke that i have 'viola hands' because i have issues with how close my fingers need to be once i get above 5th position. So honestly, I'd rather have small hands. :-D<br><b>References : </b><br> I honestly think it’s easier if you have small hands. I have larger hands for a woman, and i always joke that i have ‘viola hands’ because i have issues with how close my fingers need to be once i get above 5th position. So honestly, I’d rather have small hands. :-D
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]]> By: Muse - Viktor's Mommy http://www.learningviolinblog.com/81/do-small-hands-imply-higher-difficulty-in-learning-violin/comment-page-1/#comment-167 Muse - Viktor's Mommy Wed, 21 Apr 2010 01:30:59 +0000 http://www.learningviolinblog.com/81/do-small-hands-imply-higher-difficulty-in-learning-violin/#comment-167 It just depends on your personal abilities and dexterity, much moreso than the size of your hands. The former concertmaster for my university's orchestra is a very thin, small woman with smallish hands, and she had no problems with violin; when she was studying cello, she had some issues, but it wasn't a big thing. When I played violin (back in "the day"), my small hands didn't cause issue, either.<br><b>References : </b><br> It just depends on your personal abilities and dexterity, much moreso than the size of your hands. The former concertmaster for my university’s orchestra is a very thin, small woman with smallish hands, and she had no problems with violin; when she was studying cello, she had some issues, but it wasn’t a big thing.

When I played violin (back in "the day"), my small hands didn’t cause issue, either.
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]]> By: nancymomkids http://www.learningviolinblog.com/81/do-small-hands-imply-higher-difficulty-in-learning-violin/comment-page-1/#comment-166 nancymomkids Wed, 21 Apr 2010 01:06:59 +0000 http://www.learningviolinblog.com/81/do-small-hands-imply-higher-difficulty-in-learning-violin/#comment-166 As a music major in University I had to take 6 weeks of each instrument. Violin and cello were difficult to almost impossible because of my small hands. In my experiance, I'd say try something else. Nancy<br><b>References : </b><br> As a music major in University I had to take 6 weeks of each instrument. Violin and cello were difficult to almost impossible because of my small hands. In my experiance, I’d say try something else.

Nancy
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]]> By: Erin http://www.learningviolinblog.com/81/do-small-hands-imply-higher-difficulty-in-learning-violin/comment-page-1/#comment-165 Erin Wed, 21 Apr 2010 00:26:59 +0000 http://www.learningviolinblog.com/81/do-small-hands-imply-higher-difficulty-in-learning-violin/#comment-165 Small hands won't be a problem, having thin fingers can make some technical passages easier since they can be closer together. <br><b>References : </b><br> Small hands won’t be a problem, having thin fingers can make some technical passages easier since they can be closer together.
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]]> By: wsjulz http://www.learningviolinblog.com/81/do-small-hands-imply-higher-difficulty-in-learning-violin/comment-page-1/#comment-164 wsjulz Tue, 20 Apr 2010 23:45:59 +0000 http://www.learningviolinblog.com/81/do-small-hands-imply-higher-difficulty-in-learning-violin/#comment-164 No because the violin is so small, and instead of long reaches, you have position shifts where the whole hand moves up. In fact, the higher grades you go, the further up the fingerboard the positions go, and the closer together the fingers have to be.<br><b>References : </b><br> No because the violin is so small, and instead of long reaches, you have position shifts where the whole hand moves up.

In fact, the higher grades you go, the further up the fingerboard the positions go, and the closer together the fingers have to be.
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]]> By: natureschaos2 http://www.learningviolinblog.com/81/do-small-hands-imply-higher-difficulty-in-learning-violin/comment-page-1/#comment-163 natureschaos2 Tue, 20 Apr 2010 23:25:59 +0000 http://www.learningviolinblog.com/81/do-small-hands-imply-higher-difficulty-in-learning-violin/#comment-163 Small hands should not cause a problem with the violin. You don't make the same long reaches that you have with the piano.<br><b>References : </b><br> Small hands should not cause a problem with the violin. You don’t make the same long reaches that you have with the piano.
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