Playing up high (5th position and beyond) can create some unique challenges for violinists. In this post, I'll share my best tips for playing high notes on the violin.

Note Reading

Reading notes that are high up on the E string with lots of leger lines can be very difficult at first! It's so easy for the eye to get lost, especially when these notes are relatively new to you. Eventually, you will memorize these notes, just like you have with the notes in 1st position, 2nd position, etc., but here are some tips to help you navigate reading high notes in the meantime.

• Don't be afraid to write in note names! Try to avoid writing note names above every single note because that can get confusing, but if there's a particularly high jump or a note you always forget or miss, write the note name by it.

• Determine which notes are line notes and which are space notes. Most repertoire does not go above a high B, so if you have the line notes (from fifth position: C, E, G, B) and the space notes (from fifth position: D, F, A, C) memorized, that already eliminates half of the possibilities, greatly increasing your chances of playing the notes correctly.

Hand position

• The thumb should come completely underneath the instrument, resting in the crook that connects the neck and the body of the violin.

• The elbow should come inwards (toward your body) and around.

• The finger angle changes. The fingernails no longer point towards you, but instead, behind you.

Pitch

High notes sound much different than notes in the lower positions. If you're having trouble hearing them and refining your intonation, here are some things that can help.

• Play the passage in a lower octave. This will help you hear what pitches you're aiming for.

• Practice with a tuner. Your tuner will tell you what pitch you're playing and if you're in tune (or not!)

• Practice with a drone. This works particularly well if you're having trouble hearing or nailing a particular note (or notes).

• If you have some basic piano skills, play the passage in the proper register on the piano. This will help you understand how those high notes should sound. Bonus points if you record yourself playing it on the piano and then practice along with that recording on the violin.

Sound Quality

It can be very easy for high notes to sound screechy 🙉 Here's how to make your high violin notes sing.

• Move the bow closer to the bridge.

• Be lighter on the bow; you do not need to put as much weight into the bow in the high registers compared to the lower ones.

• A bit of feedback or white noise is totally normal.

• Pick one note, any note, and sit on it for awhile. Play around with contact point, bow speed, and arm weight, until you find a combination that sounds pleasing.

What questions do you have about playing up high?