Violin Lessons: Class 8 - Block vs Independent Fingering

When you need to play several notes on the same string, especially in the ‘descending’ order, some teachers teach their students to hold all three or four fingers on the string and then raise them one by one as they make their transition through the notes. This is known as block fingering.

I personally prefer independent fingering. This is where you only use one finger at a time to produce the desired note. The other fingers that are not involved do not rest on the fingerboard. This gives you greater flexibility especially during more advanced playing techniques.