It depends on the context. Muting with a finger is very abrupt and doesn’t sound good in places where a fade works best. Most of the time it’s the bow that determines the end of the note; if you’re trying to back off gently, lightening the bow engagement will accomplish this. It’s also useful this way because it allows you to swell back into a note if desired.

If it’s a note on an adjacent string, there are a few considerations. One is whether it will be better to let it ring in harmony or whether it will clash if it isn’t stopped. Thinking about how much the note will ring ahead of time is also useful—plan ahead during performance and while practicing. That way you may be able to minimize the ringing by either changing the attack or the bow position. It’s a bit like working around a wolf: if you know where it is and how to play through it, you can deal with it.

There are times where you may find it just works better to mute with a finger. It’s a technique that comes in handy in specific places. As long as it makes sense in its application, it’s not a bad technique.

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Originally posted by learn2turn

If you want an note to end without ringing, such as playing exactly a quarter note and then a rest, is it desirable to mute? I've found myself using a finger on my left hand to mute the note. I find that clearing that hold the bow without moving. And of course lifting the bow would simply let the note ring.

So, can anyone enlightening me on the best techinque(s) to end a note?

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Not sure what "best" technique means... 

I don't really think about it, find I tend to do fairly automatic, perhaps coming from instruments and noodling, experimenting... most often it's some combination of LH/RH. 

Playing stopped notes, usually the finger just slightly lifts pressure; but if open string just let my finger fall slightly to dampen/mute; helps keep fingers low barely above string. Probably mostly first finger. Do need to be aware a bit of potential harmonic nodes of the string might happen, esp 1/4 and 1/3 length. I suppose it's possible to keep a stopped finger held down, and use a second finger to go down and mute, like in open string... don't know if any advantage over just slight lift to stopped finger though.

But I also use the RH. Sometimes lift bow. But often find bow doesn't have to lift off the string; rather can just stop it's forward direction; with the bow hair still in contact will mute the string. Bow can also be used with a bit of transient bite to mark the end. For me, these are probably mostly used with the LH mute above, again I don't really think about it.

Hmm yea I think I do a bit of the ”transient bite” thing when I want an abrupt stop. PLaying in a style called “staccato” - with minute separations between each note - will train how to create quick sharp clean stops with the bow. (In violin sheet music, a dot over the note indicates notes played in staccato style.)

I did learn to do the muting for guitar, and it was one of the hardest things for my ole brain! Playing on one string while stopping vibration/ringing of the other string with a spare finger….felt weird and tricky!