Beginners Music Theory/Other Stringed Instruments

Other stringed instruments

(With the exception of harp)

0, 1, 2, 3, 4

Finger identifications: 0 = open string (no finger used) 1 = index 2 = middle 3 = ring 4 = little + = Thumb = (cello/bass) Thumb position

Note that the bass does not use 3 (ring finger) until moving up to thumb position, which means that bassists can only finger 3 notes before needing to shift, unlike other string instruments which can finger 4 notes before shifting

On violin/viola/cello, the distance between two fingers can be either a whole step or a half step, but on bass (below thumb position) the space between the fingers is always a half step (1-2 is a half step, and 2-4 is a half step)

In thumb position, the pinky is not used, only the thumb, index, middle and ring are used