How to Find Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth Positions on the Violin
Watch the complete lesson and practice along with me
Fourth Position on the Violin
Fourth position has a particularly useful reference point: your first finger takes the place of your fourth finger in first position.
On the A string, for example, your fourth finger in first position plays E. When you move into fourth position, your first finger plays that same E.
This gives you an immediate connection between two familiar notes and helps you locate fourth position by ear.
Master the First Seven Positions on the Violin
Finding fourth, fifth, and sixth positions is an important step toward developing freedom across the violin fingerboard. But knowing where a position begins is only the beginning.
In Playing Fluency in the First Seven Positions, you’ll develop the positional awareness, secure intonation, and shifting skills that allow you to move around the fingerboard with greater confidence.
Rather than treating each position as unfamiliar territory, you’ll learn to understand how the positions relate to one another.
No more fingerboard fear!
Establish Your Fourth-Position Hand Frame
Once you’ve located fourth position, pay attention to the relationship between your first and fourth fingers.
As you move higher on the violin fingerboard, the distances between notes become progressively smaller. Consequently, the distance between your first and fourth fingers in fourth position is narrower than it is in first position.
Begin by alternating between your first and fourth fingers.
Listen carefully to the intonation of both notes and observe how your hand accommodates the smaller interval.
You can vary the rhythm, beginning with eighth notes and progressing to sixteenth notes as your coordination improves.
Keep your fourth finger rounded and allow it to land naturally on its tip.
Find a Reliable Home for Your Thumb
Your thumb is an important reference point for locating fourth position.
Make sure it has a consistent relationship with your hand rather than drifting backward toward third position or forward toward fifth.
Once you’ve established that relationship, try this exercise:
- Locate fourth position and establish your hand frame.
- Remove your hand from the fingerboard and relax your arm.
- Return directly to fourth position.
- Check your first-finger pitch and the position of your thumb.
- Repeat until you can find the position without hesitation.
The goal is to develop a reliable physical and aural sense of where fourth position lives.
Fifth Position on the Violin
Fifth position begins one step above fourth position.
On the A string, your first finger plays F natural in fifth position, replacing the second-finger F from fourth position.
You can also establish this pitch by first hearing or playing F in a familiar lower position and then locating the same pitch an octave higher on the A string.
As you move into fifth position, pay attention to the orientation of your left hand.
Your palm should continue to face the fingerboard rather than rotating outward. Allow the arm and hand to accommodate the higher position without unnecessary tension.
Practice the Fifth-Position Finger Pattern
Let’s remain in the key of C major.
On the A string, the notes of fifth position are:
- First finger: F
- Second finger: G
- Third finger: A
- Fourth finger: B
Notice that the interval between F and B is an augmented fourth, or tritone.
If you find that interval difficult to hear initially, you can experiment with B-flat before returning to B natural.
Begin by establishing the relationship between your first and fourth fingers.
Then practice smaller groups:
- First and second fingers
- First and third fingers
- First and fourth fingers
- Third and fourth fingers
Listen carefully to each interval.
If your third or fourth finger becomes unreliable, isolate the relationship between the two fingers and practice lifting and replacing them without disturbing the hand frame.
Repeat these exercises on all four strings.
The purpose is not merely to find fifth position once, but to become comfortable enough within it that the notes begin to feel familiar.
Sixth Position on the Violin
On the A string, sixth position begins with G under your first finger.
This is the same pitch played by your second finger in fifth position.
As you move from fifth to sixth position, you may notice that your thumb changes very little. Depending on your hand and instrument, it may move slightly farther underneath the neck as your hand comes around the violin.
The important thing is to develop a comfortable and consistent relationship between the thumb, hand, and fingerboard.
Establish Your Sixth-Position Hand Frame
As in fourth and fifth positions, begin by establishing the distance between your first and fourth fingers.
Because sixth position is higher on the fingerboard, the intervals are physically smaller still.
Practice the following combinations:
- First and fourth fingers
- First and third fingers
- First and second fingers
Listen carefully to the intonation and observe the changing distances between your fingers.
Then remove your hand from the fingerboard, relax your arm, and return directly to sixth position.
Can you locate G accurately with your first finger?
Repeat until you can find the position consistently.
Work through these exercises on each string.
Practice Shifting Between Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth Positions
Once you’ve explored the three positions independently, begin connecting them.
On the A string in the key of C major, the first-finger notes are:
| Position | First-finger note |
|---|---|
| Fourth | E |
| Fifth | F |
| Sixth | G |
Notice the intervals between the positions.
Fourth to fifth position: E to F is a half step.
Fifth to sixth position: F to G is a whole step.
Understanding these distances is essential to developing accurate shifts.
Begin by playing a short finger-pattern exercise in fourth position. Repeat the same pattern in fifth position, then in sixth.
Next, reverse the process, moving from sixth to fifth and back to fourth.
As your confidence develops, practice moving directly between the positions without stopping.
You can eventually repeat the exercise in other keys and on different strings.
The goal is to move through the fingerboard with a clear understanding of both the pitches and the physical distances involved.
Don’t Forget Your Bow Arm
Intonation is only one part of playing successfully in upper positions.
As you move higher on the violin, the vibrating length of the string becomes shorter. To maintain a clear, resonant tone, you’ll generally need to adjust your bow’s contact point closer to the bridge.
Listen carefully to every note.
A beautifully organized left hand is only half the equation; your bow must respond to the changing demands of the instrument.
For more on coordinating intonation and tone in the upper positions, explore my lesson:
How to Play High Notes on the Violin in Tune and With Good Tone
Your Practice Assignment
Choose one string and work through fourth, fifth, and sixth positions using the exercises above.
Begin slowly, establish each hand frame, and listen carefully to your intonation.
Then practice moving between the positions, first in C major and eventually in other keys.
As you become more comfortable, extend the exercises to all four strings.
I’d love to hear about your experience in the comments.
Which position feels most secure, and which one still needs your attention?
Happy practicing!
Heather Kaye Broadbent
Founder, Broadbent School of Violin Artistry
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