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. Unlike fiddle, there is one proper way to hold a violin. 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. It's highly recommended when studying violin to find a qualified teacher. You truly do want to establish good habits from the start.

The following instructions are for the right handed violinist (for left handers, just follow the instructions reversing the positions):

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 violinists/fiddlers will use a shoulder rest. Surprisingly, this can make or break your comfort; many violinists/fiddlers cannot live without one. Bob Napier (House Violinist/Fiddler for the Alabama Theatre quotes, "The essential shoulder rest, I cannot play my best without my shoulder rest...(or beauty) rest"...

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.

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