The Violin Fingerboard — Understanding Third Position
After becoming comfortable in first position, the next important step is learning how to shift your hand up the fingerboard. Third position is one of the most commonly used higher positions on the violin and allows you to play higher notes while maintaining a relaxed hand shape.
In this lesson from Violin Theory Simplified, violinist Dayna Bee explains how third position works and why it feels like a natural extension of first position. You can follow more of her work here: Dayna Bee on Instagram.
What Is Third Position?
In third position, your first finger moves to where your third finger used to sit in first position. Even though your hand shifts up the fingerboard, your overall hand shape stays the same. The spacing between your fingers doesn’t change — only the location of your hand.
This makes it easier to play higher notes without stretching and allows for smoother melodies without relying on open strings.
Why Learn Third Position?
Third position helps you:
- Play higher notes more comfortably
- Create smoother melodic lines
- Maintain a more consistent tone across strings
- Access a wider range of violin repertoire
Just like in first position, you will still use Low and High finger placements to adjust pitch within the position.
Watch the Lesson
This short tutorial, taught by Dayna Bee, walks through third position step by step so you can visualize how shifting changes note placement without changing your finger spacing.
If you’re learning from the Violin Theory Simplified book, this video expands on the QR code lesson and helps bridge the gap between first position and higher fingerboard movement.