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I'm learning first position fingering on the violin, and I find it very awkward to get my fingers on the A string and beyond to the G string.

I make sure to have the violin positioned correctly and to keep my left wrist neutral. However, like I said getting my finger round especially to the G and D strings is very difficult and feels unnatural.

Is it just a matter of training my muscles to endure these manoeuvres or am I missing something?

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The best idea is to consult a violin teacher so he or she can see how you hold the violin. Anyway, the way you hold the violin can make a big difference on this matter. Well you say you hold it correctly but small changes can make wonders. But it is nevertheless a bit harder to play on the D and G strings.

Here are some things that could make a difference:

1) The left elbow should move a bit to the right when playing on the deep strings.

2) Try out moving the violin to the left, only a bit.

3) Check that the left hand is not a bit under the violin. You might need to raise it a bit.

4) Could be that the left thumb is too high up in the air forcing the hand to be a bit under the violin.

Make your experiments with those ideas.

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    Just to add some details, the left elbow rotates under the instrument to keep the fingers over the string you are playing, keeping your fingers in relativity the same position on each string. The elbow can come in pretty far to the center of the body by the G string. The violin should be out about 20 degrees from the center of your body, and tipped inward slightly. – Alphonso Balvenie May 18 '19 at 21:36
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Typically, the awkwardness you feel when you first begin to play the violin is temporary and doesn't last for long. But some factors having to do with posture can affect your playing. The best route would be to find a good mentor, but meanwhile, make sure that:

  • Your left wrist should never touch the neck of the violin. It should remain slightly curved at all times. This also may help with intonation.
  • Curve your fingers around the fingerboard so it forms a roof, making sure the thumb is located well enough under the fingerboard so that it never causes your hand to feel uncomfortable, especially when stretching the fingers.
  • Adjust your elbow accordingly as you move across the strings.
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getting my finger round especially to the G and D strings is very difficult and feels unnatural.

When you play a note on the G string the position of the fingers of your left hand over the G string should be the same in relation to the G string as they are over the E string in relation to the E string (and the same, of course, for D and A) when you play a note on the E string. In other words, having got your hand into more or less the right position it shouldn't be that much more difficult (but nevertheless it is, see below).

This is done by moving your left elbow right and left under the violin. To play on the G string move the elbow to the right. This will position the fingers and hand correctly over the G string. To play on the E string move the elbow left and, again, this will position your fingers and hand correctly over the E string.

Of course the position with your elbow moved all the way to the right is very awkward and uncomfortable to begin with and this makes playing on the D and G strings much more difficult. Like most problems violinistic it gets easier with practice and time.

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  • I should have probably mentioned I'm a bodybuilder, and my mobility isn't great - getting my elbow under the violin is very difficult, but I'm improving. – user1997744 Apr 2 '20 at 12:30

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