Violin Finger Chart
First position, every note · strings G–D–A–E (perfect fifths) · tap to hear
How to play
- Tap any dot to hear the note and see its name, finger and placement. The top dot of each string is open; below it the numbers in the corners are fingers 1, 2, 3, 4.
- Because the violin is fretless, most fingers have a low and a high spot a half step apart. For example on the D string, low 2 is F♮ and high 2 is F♯ — the same finger, moved. That choice is what makes a scale major or minor.
- Use Highlight scale to light up just the notes of a key (and its root). This shows the finger pattern for that key across all four strings.
- Open strings plays G–D–A–E. Play runs up through the highlighted notes. Vol sets volume. Keyboard — Tab + Enter/Space.
Ever wondered about layout of all the notes on a Violin fingerboard? Here is an interactive chart that will map out entire fingerboard with all the notes available in first position. There’s a possibility to click around the chart directly on screen and experience it yourself if you wish. It even shows you precisely where each finger should be and lets you hear how those positions sounds in real time.
In the diagram below, there are four string running vertically across the main part of the instrument; from left to right these are G, D, A, and E. These are open notes on a guitar (the white bar above each one). Beneath the nut are the fingered notes written out in semitones. Numbers in the corners of the dots shows which finger to play them with. Notice that some of the fingers has two notations (high or low). These show where you put your finger for either a flat note or a sharp note that falls into the same fingering pattern.
How to Use the Violin Chart
Simply tap on each of the dots on the chart to view name of the note along with exact position of where your fingers should go to play it in the hero section at the top. You will also get number of hz (frequency) plus alternative names for notes that has a note with the same sound. You get instant feedback on both your theory and intonation without having to refer to another chart.
To isolate the notes of any particular key, use the row above labeled ‘highlight scale‘. Just click on the key you want such as A minor or G major and every note not associated with the selected key will be dimmed out. You can see what finger patterns are for each string then. It’s very useful if you want to visualize how they move from one key different than another.
Open strings involve playing each open string in turn, starting with lowest and moving to highest. Use this as an opportunity to get your ear tuned into the natural sound of instrument.
Play, This will run through the currently highlighted notes in ascending order. If you have a scale selected then it will simply play the scale. Otherwise, it will cycle around all the notes on board. The slider located bottom right adjusts master volume. This controls loudness of all generated tones to match your headphones or surroundings.
Fullscreen expands the chart to cover the screen to give a bigger picture of the fingerboard. If you’re working from a small device, or just wish to concentrate completely on visual layout, this would of been useful.
The widget is also fully keyboard controllable. You can tab around the interface elements and then press space (or enter) on a note dot or a button which has focus to activate it. This means you don’t have to touch your mouse at all, but instead use it in a way that more closely reflects how we work musically.
If you forget, the help panel also offers a short overview of the interface controls. Tap the how to play button in the header to show/hide it. This includes some basics about interactions (e.g., how tapping functions) as well as an explanation of the high and low finger positions.
You can choose other scale types, pick them out, and try matching shape of the scale as it appears on the board. Even if you get some similar sounding notes, like G major and the A minor, the shape of those scales will differ. Listen for what interval is created when you click on a pair of notes playing randomly, and work towards your ear training this way. Seeing where your fingers are placed also reinforces how that translate into pitch.
While you practise your scales or read from sheet music, use this tool as a reference. Without all of the advanced technique clutter, it give you a clear mental map of what is in first position. Take a couple of minutes a day to click through the notes so that you get familiar with how they are laid out. By seeing and hearing the right positions again and again, your muscle memory will improve.
To begin with, just tap on the open strings to get familiar with the approximate range of pitches. Then, go through them string by string, tapping on each dot in turn to hear the note it represents. Spend some time learning each set of sharps or flats and notice which notes is in the highlight. Before long you’ll feel confident navigating first position both visually and aurally.