- Opening up the hand – invite, encourage, do not insist!
- Play all stretching and widening exercises pp at first, to release and melt the webbing between the fingers.
- Keyes sliding: hold one finger, slide other fingers up one at a time, do not allow held finger to buckle or move. Keep wrist in relaxed but straight line.
- Kourgouf sliding: place all four fingers on string, slide each finger up one half-step, beginning with fourth finger; do not allow hand, wrist or other fingers to move; then slide back down beginning with first finger.
- Dounis Daily Dozen #3 – sliding.
- Stretching: 3 fingers in third position on E string, first finger on A string, slide first finger back to first position, do not allow other fingers to move or buckle. Continue with successive fingers.
- Dounis stretching: Artist’s Technique of Violin Playing, pp. 24-29. 1-2 minutes maximum, no finger pressure whatsoever. Be very careful of this one!
- Simon Fischer Basics: “Widening at the Base Joints”
- Simon Fischer Basics: “Minimum Finger Pressure”
- Simon Fischer Basics: Thumb Spa, Thumb Counterpressure
- Dounis Daily Dozen # 2 – holding and releasing.
- Framing the hand – all the world is a quadruplestop!
- The fourth finger is king, and the hand is balanced and energized between third and fourth fingers, while releasing and reaxing in thumb, index and second fingers.
- The wrist is relaxed but straight.
- The hand is melted and released to bring the third and fourth fingers closer to the neck/fingerboard.
- Think finger patterns at all times – on string and in the air.
- Keyes finger patterns on one string – chromatic and diatonic.
- Galamian one-position scales. Hold fourth finger down continuously.
- Doublestop for string crossings.
- Sevcik Opus 1 Part IV # 2 – holding and releasing.
- Kourguof – holding and releasing.
- Schradieck “The School of Violin Techniques” Vol. 1 pp. 2-4 – air patterning and releasing.
- Kreutzer #9 – air patterning and releasing. Use second finger to fourth as much as possible.
- Sitt 50 Daily Finger Exercises.