Having a bit of a wobble with the fingering in bars 17 - 19. It's in Time pieces for Viola Part 1.

Could anyone take a look and see if i'm supposed to stick with the fingering printed, or can I go back to first position and stuff all the moving around

Thank you

No fingerings are compulsory in exams - the general regs. say that 'any good practical fingering' is acceptable.

The printed fingerings in this piece get you sneaking around the fingerboard by small shifts, some of only a semitone. This is a really useful skill to acquire, especially on the viola, where several small shifts can often be easier to disguise than a large one.

However, if you're really not comfortable with them, then go with 1st & 3rd, just make sure they're in places where they don't distract the listener from the musical sound you're producing.

Thank you

I've been practising again today and it *is* getting easier. I just wasn't that sure about the small hops, but I will persevere

Either that or I will have to play 'Oh what a beautiful morning' and get that slurring right up AND down bows

Doest that mean where it says: '4' on top of a note that you can use an open string instead of the forth finger?

Yes, although it's a good idea to get used to using your 4th finger, and they've suggested it for a musical or a technical reason, for example to avoid an awkward string crossing.

(This is assuming the note in question is a natural, that it's not an E flat or A flat!)