How To Hold the Violin

Comfort Comes First
It's very critical that you learn to hold the violin properly. Violin studies are most critical in the foundation stages. A standard has been established for proper violin positioning that dates back for centuries. Remember, what habits you develop today may or may not be contributory to your advancement tomorrow. You truly do want to establish good habits from the start.

1. Begin by sitting in a comfortable armless chair or standing up...whatever you'd feel most comfortable doing.

2. Place the violin carefully under your chin and rest it on your left shoulder...making sure your chin is resting on the chin rest. If your violin doesn't have a chinrest, it's highly recommended that you buy one before attempting to learn without one. Additionally, many violinist will use a shoulder rest. Surprisingly, this can make or break your comfort; many violinists cannot live without one.

3. Make sure that the neck is resting between the thumb and first finger. Be sure not to allow your palm to rest up against the neck.

4. The bow should be held lightly with the thumb and fingers. Make sure the little finger rests on top of the screw. The first finger should be resting on top of the pad and is used to relieve and add tension to the bow strokes.