The fingerboard is an important part of playing simple songs on the violin. It helps with hitting the right notes and improving your playing skills.

The fingerboard is the long, narrow piece on the violin where you place your fingers to make different sounds.

Main Functions of the Fingerboard:

1. Finding the Right Notes:

   • Where you place your fingers decides what note you play. For example, if you put your first finger in the right spot, you get a whole note. Moving your second finger a little higher gives you a slightly higher note.
   • It's important to put your fingers in the right place. Even a tiny mistake—like a movement of just $1/16$ inch—can make the note sound off by $20$ cents. This really matters in Western music.

2. Improving Your Skills:

   • Beginners usually focus on using the first three finger positions. These positions cover about $80\%$ of easy songs.
   • Using the correct fingers—like your index finger for one note and your middle finger for the next—helps you remember better and makes your fingers more skilled.

3. Learning the Notes:

   • The fingerboard helps you see and feel where the notes are, making it easier to remember. Studies show that students who use the fingerboard well can learn simple tunes up to $30\%$ faster than others.

To sum up, the fingerboard is key for hitting the right notes, improving your playing skills, and memorizing songs when you play the violin.