Fingerboard Worksheets for Viola and Cello

Here are some fingerboard worksheets for violin, viola and cello. A couple months back, I got a call to substitute last minute for a theory class for our local Suzuki school. As I talked with the theory teacher, she suggested that I do some fingerboard mapping activities. Break out the fingerboard worksheets! Most of their classes focused on reading rhythm patterns and learning staff note. Several parents had asked how the staff notes corresponded to the instrument their child was learning. (The theory teacher was a non-string player, and as she is taking classes herself hadn’t had a chance to look up the fingerboard diagrams.) I told her I already had a violin fingerboard diagram and had done this work with my own students.

I already had created a violin fingerboard worksheet for my students. So, I quickly switched out the string names and clef signs and Voila!!! Fingerboard worksheets for viola and cello. Here is the activity I did with the kids in class. The steps I went through with each class.

Activity

1. We “air” played the D scale. We sang the letter and pretended to put our finger down as we sang the corresponding letter going up and down the scale.

2. Then I had them draw a circle on the fingerboard where the first letter of the scale was. (Be sure they don’t jump ahead and draw all the circles on the fingerboard. Part of the process is doing this in order.)

3. The next step was to draw a whole note on the staff below that matched the note we just drew on the fingerboard.

4. After we drew the whole note on the staff, go back up to the fingerboard and draw a circle where E (the second note of the scale).

5. Then draw the whole note on E on the staff.

6. After we had completed all 8 notes going up the scale. We played the scale on our “air” instruments again, looking at the worksheet.