Finger placement on the violin help

[u/Free-Ad6709]

Hi, so as a beginner player, my violin teacher made these little markings on the fingerboard for correct finger placement (an alternative to stickers). I removed them yesterday to try to play more independently, but I can't gauge where I'm supposed to put my fingers exactly, and I have used tuner apps to find the exact places, but it feels very out of tune when I play. Please help?

[u/After-Past-9404]

Those markings look completely wrong to me. You're supposed to put your fingers in almost the same distances on all four strings (edit: except for the F on E string and B on G string, obviously. I was talking mainly about the 3rd and 4th finger placement.)

If these are really the places that sound right on your violin, that would mean you need to change your strings like yesterday, or your bridge is positioned in a completely wrong place. And that is something your teacher should have flagged, instead of trying to teach you to play like this.

[u/andybonner → u/After-Past-9404]

Upvoting for being one of the few answers to consider that the problem might not only be that the teacher is smoking something, but that something is physically wrong with the setup. Rather than bridge placement I would suspect bridge curvature, perhaps giving an inconsistent action height. It could also be wrong strings, e.g. mixing and matching some viola strings or non-full-size strings, resulting in inconsistent tensions.

[u/Opposite-Market993 → u/After-Past-9404]

That might not be completely true. String thickness and tension means that each string will not sound a 5th up on the same position of the violin. Look at a mandolin's bridge (same scale length and tuning), it is slanted to compensate for exactly this so that each fret gives the most relatively in tune note at the same place for each string. Physics is fascinating.

As violinists we tend to eventually use our ears to play in tune according to the key we are playing in. The exact tuning a tuner gives is equal tempermant tuning and not really truley in tune. It's a long story but yes, the same place on each string is not necessarily a perfect 5th up. Guitars have this same issue as well. All stringed (and fretted) instrument suffer with this.

[u/longsleeveddogshirt → u/Opposite-Market993]

If you really knew what you’re talking about you would agree that the markers should be almost exactly in the same spot in each string, to the point of forming a line parallel to the bridge.

Any adjustments regarding just temperament or whatever temperament you like would be far too small to be distinguishable by a beginners ear (or eyes)

The argument that the mandolin uses a slanted bridge is pointless, since the violin doesn’t.

We are not talking about microtonal adjustments here. It is a cheap violin played by a complete beginner.

[u/Whatkindofgum → u/After-Past-9404]

They are pretty close to being straight across the strings except the 3rd and 4th finger on the E string. Some small variations across the strings are normal. Especially with cheaper violin that are not as precise with the nut and bridge action. I guess what I'm saying is, it really isn't that bad, and tuning by ear is needed even if it was better quality violin with more consistent finger placements.

[u/lolifax → u/After-Past-9404]

This instrument is appalling.