Can you play the viola like this?

Hi everyone:


My 11 yrs old daughter wants to play the viola at school however, because of an accident, she can't bend her left hand at the angle needed. My question is this: can you play the viola with the right hand and if so, what adjustments need to be made to the viola in order for it to work?


Anyone?

Can you play the viola like this?
Problem with the wrist? or the fingers? No you don't want to restring the viola. How do you know that the wrist problem won't affect the bowing in any case? Not that anyone plays viola backwards.


Maybe the cello, or the double bass. If the physical problem prevents her from playing any string instruments there's always woodwind, brass, percussion and keyboard. Oh yeah, singers make music too, I forgot.


She should look into another instrument.
Reply:Nice. I am happy for you and your daughter. yes, bass or double bass, either is fine. I am a double bassist. The two of you should see this site http://www.isbworldoffice.com/ Report It

Reply:Don't just re-string a regular viola - the sound post will be in the wrong place. You'll need to get a left-handed viola for her, most likely - it sounds contradictory, but most of the complex fingering (one the strings) is done with the right hand on the left handed viola. Hopefully she'll have little trouble with the bow in the left hand. Yes, they do make left-handed violas - but it will take some searching, you probably can't just go pick one up at the local music store.
Reply:Maybe she'd like the clarinet?
Reply:I believe the viola could be restrung to be a mirror image of the right handed setup, but I wonder whether your daughter will be able to bow in an efficient manner with the limited range of motion of her left hand. I certainly hope she will be able to do it. Another obstacle could be finding an instructor who can adjust to her requirements.





(I am very strongly left handed, but do not play the viola, unfortunately.)
Reply:I believe it's possible but if she's right-handed, it may be difficult to control the bow with her left hand. However, a little extra practise will be able fix that.





One concern will be that she may find it difficult to join orchestras and some other ensembles because with her instrument the other way, it may be hard to share a music stand.





Apart from that, I don't think there are any problems. The strings will need to be strung the other way and you may need to get the instrument fitted with a chinrest on the other side.
Reply:I do not know the correct answer, but I am a music teacher, who had to make adjustments in college because my wrists are frozen from juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. In college, I just did an independent study. Now that I am a parent and my daughter plays violin with the local Suzuki school, I fool around with it. I do not think (just a guess) that reversing to the other hand is possible. However, I would guess that thee may (and again, just a guess) to reposition the viola so that she would be playing it in a different way to get the sound out. I have to do that, in a way, as a pianist. There also is the chance that she would feel more comfortable with the cello.





Dr. Mary Arlin, a professor, recently retired from Ithaca College, was a violist who actually stopped playing years ago after being in a car accident, but that may have been more emotional than physical, as she actually lost her husband. It also was decades ago.


I listed some links which may help.





Best of luck to your daughter!


-Ashley

purchase flowers