How to hold the violin - Basics 1/3
This is the first of 3 beginners videos:
1- The Violin
2- The Bow
3- First Notes
These 3 videos are the foundation on which you can build the rest of your studies.
The violin is one of the most un-ergonomic instruments of all.
Needles to say, if you are doing it wrong it can cause injuries in a later stadium.
This is the reason we host weekly live lessons online, to prevent you from creating "bad habits".
In my 30+ years of teaching experience I have seen many bad postures which are quite hard to fix afterwards.
So my advice, online lessons can be great, but do not do it alone, we are here for you to correct any bad habits, preferably even before they occur. (Yes, I see them coming)!
The shoulder rest
Shoulder rest come in many shapes, there are 2 which I can personally recommend:
Wolf
Bon Musica
These are highly adjustable which will contribute to playing comfortly.
It is recommended that you buy it in a violin shop (luthier) as he can adjust the height and bending personally for you.
He can also advise you personally, which is always better than having to find everything out yourself.
I will show you in the video (at the bottom) how to attach it to the violin.
The best violin posture
Here comes the important part of the basics, your posture (violin-posture).
First of all, it is always best to practice while standing up.
Practicing sitting down will make it easier for "bad habits" to sneak in. (Especially back problems).
Place the violin ON the left shoulder and keep the shoulder relaxed.
The position of the violin will be slightly to the left this way, which is good, your fingers will reach the strings more easily.
Be sure not to turn your body to the left, keep standing up straight when you place the violin on the shoulder.
Keep the left hand open.
The fingers should be placed round on the fingerboard, we will deal with that in the first lesson of the beginners course.
Remember to have short nails!
If your nails are too long, you won't be able to place the fingers round on the fingerboard.
So, cut them as short as possible.
