This video is for beginner students learning to hold their bow.
This video is for beginner students learning to hold their instrument.
Elements of a good bowhold:
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Round pinky on top of stick
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Round thumb
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Middle fingers wrapping around the bow
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Pointer finger and pinky separated slightly from middle fingers
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Middle fingers aligned with thumb
Mistakes to watch out for:
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Pinky collapsing/too flat
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Thumb collapsing/caving in/gripping too hard
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Weight too much on pointer finger
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Fingers too close together
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Thumb inside the frog instead of on the stick
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Thumb poking through the bow instead of resting on the bottom of the stick
Setup Song Lyrics:
Feet together, make a V
Take a step and sway like a tree!
Tap your strings, count 1, 2, 3,
And raise your violin like a Statue of Liberty!
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 --
Bring down slow, and you look great :)
Elements of a good violin setup:
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Straight back
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Shoulders relaxed back + down; no tension
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Violin up and to the left
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Instrument supported primarily under chin, not held up by left hand
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Relaxed left hand with fingers hovering over tapes
These pictures show how to put a sponge shoulder rest on correctly.
Sponge shoulder rests have a flat side and a curved side. The flat side goes against the back of the instrument, like in the second picture above. You'll notice that one end of the sponge is taller and the other end is lower. The lower end goes on the same side as the black chin rest on the opposite side of the violin. This allows the taller side to support the weight of the instrument and ergonomically accommodates the shoulder.
To attach the shoulder rest to the violin, put both rubber bands on the instrument like in the picture above. Then, place the sponge between the rubber bands and the body of the instrument. This allows the sponge to stay secure during play. When putting the instrument back in its case, always take the sponge off before putting the violin away. It is fine to keep the rubber bands on while the instrument is in its case.