Where to Find and Tips for Playing in Third Position on the Violin
Do you think you are ready to start learning third position? In this post, I’m going to show you how to find third position and to give you some third position playing tips.
Watch the video to hear me play a fun improv in third position. Third position is the first position you learn after first position. It’s pretty easy to find. You just replace your third finger in first with your first finger.
The note third finger plays in first position is D (fourth line on the staff). When you are learning third position, think note names. Always think note names and not numbers in positions. This same note in third position is played with the first finger.
While working in third position, make sure your palm is always facing the fingerboard and that it’s not flipping out. We always want our palm to be facing the fingerboard. You can test this by playing your fourth finger in third position and when lifting that it stays hovering above its spot. We don’t want the fourth finger freaking out, standing up tall or hanging out underneath the violin. He always needs to be above his spot.
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Fastest way to learn third position on the violin is to spend roughly 10-15 minutes of your practice reading third position. My Master the Position series is excellent for learning to read notes and making finger associations because they are written based on finger patterns! Just like you first learned first position, you can learn third position.
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Become a MASTER third position player with finger pattern EXERCISES in Master Third Position Practice eBook.
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Getting to know third position on the violin
A great way to get to know third position on the violin right away is to understand the distance between your first and your fourth finger. In first position, the first to four is a pretty wide distance. When we move up into higher positions, the distance gets smaller. The fourth finger is going to be closer to that first finger.
Exercise time:
1.Play fourth finger on the A string followed by the first finger. Physically feel the distance between the two fingers.
2. Play fourth finger in third position on the A string followed by the fourth finger. Take note of the smaller distance.
Pay attention to your thumb
The other thing you want to watch out for is your thumb. When you play at the third position, your thumb needs to be in its third position home. Not hanging out in the first position home and not hanging out in a fifth position home.
The thumb just lives pretty much right across from that first finger depending on your hand shape when you play. For me, my thumb is hanging out with the first finger, when I shift up and the third it’s still hanging out there with the first finger.
Don’t leave your thumb behind as you go up into third position.
Exercise time:
1. Play first finger on the A string in third position as D followed by the four as G. Really listen to your one and four.
2. You can play these as quarters notes. 141414
3. Speed up to eighths, to triplets and then to sixteenths
This is a fabulous exercise to get to know where your four lives and the distance between the one.
4. Play D, F 131313.
5. Play as quarters, eighths, triplets, and sixteenths.
6. Play 121212 D to E match your second finger with the open to really hear that it’s in tune. Play quarters, eighths, triplets, and then sixteenths.
Do make sure as you’re doing these exercises, your fourth finger stays hovered above the spot and that your hand is not flipping out.
7. Play E to G, 242424.
8. Play E to F, 232323. Play quarters, eighths, triplets, and sixteenths.
9. Repeat this on all strings while thinking your note names.
After this exercise, you’ll find that you’re going to get to know third position really well.
Want to know the best learning order for the violin positions? Check out my post here.
Happy playing!
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