1. Created by: Mrs. Cates, Ms. Coghill, Mrs. Barthel Photos by: Karely
Washoe County School District 5th Grade Exploratory Violin Unit Guitar Position
Created by:
Mrs. Cates, Ms. Coghill, Mrs. Barthel
Photos by: Karely

2. Starting from Rest Position
“I place my left hand on the left shoulder of the violin to hold it securely. My right hand cradles the bottom of violin without touching the bridge. Nothing should be touching the strings in rest position.”

3. Guitar Position
“My right thumb touches the side of the fingerboard so my index finger can pluck the strings.
My LEFT hand finger tips pinch the string down, while my RIGHT hand plucks the string.”

4. Finger Shape
“Make sure your finger knuckles are high so your fingers can curve like a rainbow. This helps your finger stand up, which gives you the best tone.”

5. Finger Placement
Each of my fingers pinches the string down on the colored tapes:
1st finger (index finger) goes on red
2nd finger (middle finger) goes on white
3rd finger (ring finger) goes on blue

6. Now you know how to play in Guitar Position!