Violin Fingerboard

The fingerboard violin otherwise known as the violin fingerboard can also be referred to as the top of the neck of the violin.  On quality instruments, the fingerboard, the chin rest, the pegs, and the tail piece will all be crafted from one piece of wood, usually ebony.  Most ebony is grown in the rainforests of South America.  Ebony is used because it is a hard, extremely dense wood.  When finished correctly, it provides an excellent surface against which the strings of the violin can be pressed.

With constant use fingerboards can become worn over time.  Grooves will be worn in the fingerboard from the strings pressing against it.  Grooves or other irregularities in the fingerboard can greatly diminish the sound of the violin.  A qualified violin technician can resurface them to a like new state.

A properly formed fingerboard will have a slight concave shape as viewed from end to end.  In other words, the strings will be a little bit further away from the fingerboard at it’s’ center than at either end.  This slight concave shape greatly enhances the tone of the violin.  The fingerboard also has an arched or convex shape when viewed across its width.  The rough shape of this arch is carried through to the bridge so that each string is approximately the same distance from the fingerboard at any given point.

The angle of the fingerboard in relation to the top of the instrument, or the top of the body, is extremely important in producing quality sound and volume.  The placement of the bridge and its downward pressure on the top of the violin is also crucial to quality sound.

To help their beginning students, some instructor’s used pieces of colored scrapbook to mark where to put their fingers on the instrument.  Once the student knows where to place his fingers, the tape is removed.  It is important not to use precise measurements when placing fingering tapes.  Because each student’s fingers are different, it is best to find the precise placement for that individual student and then put the tape there.

There are also commercially made fingerboard charts that can be attached to the fingerboard of your violin.  They provide visual markers and play notes in tune by placing your fingers on the respective markers.  Most are fairly easy to attach and will not damage the fingerboard of your violin.

Of course, all of this information is designed to make you a better violin player.  Therefore, when speaking of any violin part, we must also talk about the most critical component, the student.  It is the violin student that interacts with the fingerboard, and for that matter, the violin in its entirety.  Starting with correct posture, whether sitting or standing, is very important.  Correct hand and finger placement without good posture is compromising, at best.  Every component of your violin may be perfect in its structure but without basic technique of the student the instrument could be considered worthless.  The fingerboard violin is just one of many parts contributing to a beautiful violin experience.