How to hold the Violin
Correct Posture
Holding a violin incorrectly can suppress its sound and prevent you from performing advanced techniques correctly, preventing you from improving pitch and speed, and causing the violin to slide while playing. A violinist uses the hand, chin, jaw, collarbone, and shoulder to keep the violin balanced and secure. Follow these steps to accommodate it correctly.
![](https://www.wikihow.com/images/thumb/e/e9/Hold-a-Violin-Step-1-Version-4.jpg/v4-728px-Hold-a-Violin-Step-1-Version-4.jpg.webp)
Sit in a chair with a straight back. It doesn’t matter if you decide to sit or stand, the important thing is that you keep the middle area involved, and that you sit or stand straight. You must feel that you have power through your body.
![](https://www.wikihow.com/images/thumb/6/66/Hold-a-Violin-Step-2-Version-4.jpg/v4-728px-Hold-a-Violin-Step-2-Version-4.jpg.webp)
Don’t slouch. Slouching can lead to a slowing down and subsequent pain. When sitting, both feet should be flat on the floor with the same position as if you were standing.
![](https://www.wikihow.com/images_en/thumb/9/9a/Hold-a-Violin-Step-3-Version-4.jpg/550px-nowatermark-Hold-a-Violin-Step-3-Version-4.jpg.webp)
Accommodate your feet. If you are standing, place your feet at a comfortable distance. They should be slightly closer than the width of the shoulders, with the left foot a little in front of the right. Distribute your weight evenly between both feet. When you move while touching, you can change the weight between your feet.
Accommodating the violin
Place the violin on your neck and shoulder. You should rest the wide end of the violin on the left collarbone with the neck of the violin facing out. It should feel like a relatively natural and stable position.
![](https://www.wikihow.com/images/thumb/e/e1/Hold-a-Violin-Step-4-Version-4.jpg/v4-728px-Hold-a-Violin-Step-4-Version-4.jpg.webp)
Place your chin on the chin. Lower your head until you touch the chin guard. This may seem a little less natural, but you shouldn’t put in too much effort either. The chin should only fall, not stretch.
![](https://www.wikihow.com/images/thumb/0/08/Hold-a-Violin-Step-5-Version-4.jpg/v4-728px-Hold-a-Violin-Step-5-Version-4.jpg.webp)
- Tilt your head correctly. Now that your chin is on the chin, tilt your head a little to the left so that you look 90 degrees from the violin. You should tilt your head in such a way that the rest of the chin extends along the jaw and ends up on the chin.
![](https://www.wikihow.com/images/thumb/7/79/Hold-a-Violin-Step-6-Version-4.jpg/v4-728px-Hold-a-Violin-Step-6-Version-4.jpg.webp)
![](https://www.wikihow.com/images_en/thumb/7/75/Hold-a-Violin-Step-7-Version-4.jpg/550px-nowatermark-Hold-a-Violin-Step-7-Version-4.jpg.webp)
Holding the violin while playing
![](https://www.wikihow.com/images_en/thumb/f/f8/Hold-a-Violin-Step-8-Version-4.jpg/550px-nowatermark-Hold-a-Violin-Step-8-Version-4.jpg.webp)
Keep the angle of the violin relatively stable while playing it. When you play the violin, the angle of the violin will fluctuate from left to right depending on the type of music and your comfort level. However, the angle should not deviate more than 20 degrees
![](https://www.wikihow.com/images_en/thumb/9/96/Hold-a-Violin-Step-9-Version-4.jpg/550px-nowatermark-Hold-a-Violin-Step-9-Version-4.jpg.webp)
Keep the violin straight with the strings parallel to the ground. The violin has a tendency to fall with poor posture, so pay attention to your posture if you notice the violin falling out constantly. To make it simpler, tie a string to the ceiling and secure it to the violin scroll. Make sure the string is short enough to be taut when the violin is in the correct position.
![](https://www.wikihow.com/images_en/thumb/d/da/Hold-a-Violin-Step-10-Version-4.jpg/550px-nowatermark-Hold-a-Violin-Step-10-Version-4.jpg.webp)
Place your left hand at the end of the violin’s neck, before the struts. Hold your neck between your thumb and left index finger, as if you were pinching it. You don’t need to hold it too tight; otherwise, you will have cramps in your hand.
![](https://www.wikihow.com/images_en/thumb/e/e5/Hold-a-Violin-Step-11-Version-4.jpg/550px-nowatermark-Hold-a-Violin-Step-11-Version-4.jpg.webp)
Roll your index finger around the top of your neck. The remaining fingers should not play the violin. The violin should rest lightly on that knuckle. The weight of the violin should be evenly distributed between this knuckle and the collarbone.
![](https://www.wikihow.com/images/thumb/b/b4/Hold-a-Violin-Step-12-Version-3.jpg/v4-728px-Hold-a-Violin-Step-12-Version-3.jpg.webp)
![](https://www.wikihow.com/images/thumb/c/ce/Hold-a-Violin-Step-13-Version-3.jpg/v4-728px-Hold-a-Violin-Step-13-Version-3.jpg.webp)
Source: https://es.wikihow.com