Are You an Open-hander Player?

There are two types of violinists in this world; closed-handed players, and open-handed players. And you’ve gotta watch those close-handed players.

They’re shifty.

I jest, of course. Yet I do think that we are roughly divided into two camps. When close-handed players set their hand to the violin, and I’m assuming all four fingers are out over the string, they will be most comfortable with the digits close together, perhaps all touching.

On the other hand – figuratively – an open-handed player will be very comfortable with space between the digits. Open-handed players like to stretch and reach around the violin. They are very comfortable with extensions.

Close-handed players have tighter drawn muscles and connective tissue. And as some of us acquire a few years under our belt we can tilt more and more toward this condition.

Not to worry, however, this is merely a call for us to become more shifty.

Of late I have been taking a very fresh look at fingerings with just this in mind. Yes, I am tending toward close-handedness now, yet the company is good. I think many of the greatest violinists, including Milstein, adapted themselves to changes in their physiques as they aged.

Those that didn’t either suffered injury or a gradual loss of fine motor control.

So this whole concept is particularly important for adult learners; many come to the instrument with inherent stiffness. This certainly doesn’t mean it is impossible to play effectively, it merely means you can’t play in the way a young thoroughbred will.

And if you ask me I’d say the close-handed have a greater potential to ‘pull heartstring’ than the open-handed for the simple reason that a ‘shifty’ approach to playing keeps the hand more in contact with the string from note to note.

What IS critical to know, and I am really going into this in a BIG way this month in the ‘Allegro Players,’ is how the left shoulder and UPPER arm play a huge roll in becoming a Shifter of consequence.

Once you’ve integrated these simple concepts you will feel infinitely more confident getting around the violin. And you’ll sound like a million to boot.

So if you’ve gone to your fiddle and confirmed what you already suspect – that you are naturally close-handed – this information is going to be extremely useful to you.

And as it happens, there’s a whale-of-a-big-sale going on at my website right now. On the ’Allegro Players’ course you can take advantage of a 40 purr-cent discount off the annual membership.

This situation won’t last long. I’d hop over there NOW and check all the savings out.

All the best,

Clayton Haslop

P.S. And stay tuned for a couple of great courses coming this January. Mendelssohn Concerto, Kreisler pieces, it’s going to be great fun indeed. Meanwhile, don’t neglect to take advantage of what’s available right now.