Have you decided to learn the violin? Although it can be a bit challenging, the entire experience can be very satisfying. Violin teaches you patience, dedication, and perseverance. In the beginning stages, you may find it difficult and overwhelming. However, the right knowledge and a good grasp of techniques can help you immensely in your training. As a beginner, the most basic technique that needs to be perfected is the way you hold your violin.

Although it is a small instrument as compared to many other instruments, it needs to be properly aligned to your entire body. We will discuss 3 aspects that you need to work on to ensure that you are holding the violin in the right manner.

Achieving right posture

Wondering how a good posture helps you play the violin? With the right posture, you can avoid long-term injuries. By practicing a good posture while playing the violin, you are essentially creating a healthy way to express your creativity without affecting your body. You will be able to play with ease which can help you to showcase your potential better. Also, the right posture can help keep good eye contact with your audience without any strain. Now, let’s discuss how to achieve it.

1. Body posture while sitting or standing- If you plan to play the violin seated, make sure to sit on the front half of a firm chair with a straight back. When standing, the distance between your legs should be a little less than shoulder width. Always, keep your right foot slightly behind your left foot.
2. Upright position- Keep an upright position without slouching. This will help you to play without strain. Maintain a straight posture but relax your muscles so that you find yourself flexible while playing the violin.

Positioning the violin

As a beginner, you may find that the violin can be an uncomfortable instrument to play. However, you can try to make it comfortable for you with good positioning. Here are the steps to get the positioning right.

1. Placing the violin- Start by resting the violin on your left collarbone. The neck of the violin should be facing outwards. Get yourself comfortable in this position. Shoulder rests are usually advised to help you feel comfortable while playing. You can use shoulder rests which are available separately. Consider your shoulder shape while purchasing it. While it is possible to play without shoulder rests, your violin learning experience can get uncomfortable and in the process of achieving your goals, you may injure yourself.
2. Placing the chin and jaw- Lower your head slowly and place your chin on the chin rest. Make sure there is no strain while doing this. Tilt your head a little to the left so that your jaw and chin are placed comfortably on the chin rest. Keep the violin at an angle so that from your nose a line should extend outwards.

Make sure you don’t grip the violin with your jaw, chin, and shoulder. It should feel natural and comfortable without any tension.

Playing the violin with the right hold

After achieving the right posture and positioning, it’s time to start playing the violin. Below are a few important tips that you should follow while playing the violin.

1. Hold the violin in place- Always keep the violin parallel to the floor. Due to bad posture, it may drop while playing. Keep a check on posture and keep correcting the hold. It may be difficult initially. By practicing consistently, you can create the right habits. While playing, you may notice that the violin keeps shifting from the left to the right. Just make sure that it does not deviate too much.
2. Hold the neck and bow properly- With your left thumb and left forefinger, gently hold the violin’s neck. The violin should be placed on the knuckle of the left thumb. Make sure none of the other fingers touch the neck of the violin. Your left wrist and forearm should be straight. Hold the bow in your right hand. The thumb should rest on the side of the bow that faces you. Just make sure your little finger of your right hand is resting on a screw and the forefinger is resting on the bow’s pad. While playing, keep the bow hair flat.

Good posture and positioning give you good mobility while learning to play the violin. Relax your body muscles before playing. You can play in front of a mirror to check your overall positioning and posture. Hold the violin upright, face forward, and start playing.

While playing, consider that the violin and bow are a part of you or an extension of yourself. This will allow you to play it more naturally and comfortably.

Violin positioning can a bit hard to master. You can take the help of a private violin teacher, who can guide you throughout your violin learning journey and can even correct you whenever necessary. At Music4humans, you can find excellent violin instructors. Start perfecting your skill and book a violin lesson today!

Music4humans is an online music learning platform that offers various music courses from experienced music teachers from all around the world. Schedule a music lesson online today

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