First Time Violin Players

Congratulations on choosing the violin! It is an excellent first instrument for young musicians because it’s available in fractional sizes, allowing children to size up as they grow. As a music student, or a parent of a music student, you will want to know these basics soon after purchasing or renting your violin from West Music.

Parts of the Violin

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Taking Your Violin Out of Its Case

The violin is a wooden instrument that should be handled with care. Follow these instructions or the instructions given to you by your music director to prevent damaging the instrument when taking it out of its case.

1. Place your instrument case on a flat, steady surface.
2. Make sure the case is facing upwards before opening.
3. Carefully remove the violin from its case using both hands.
4. Attach the shoulder rest if you use one. Many shoulder rests have feet that gently fit onto the back of your violin. Put one pair of feet on at a time, being very careful when doing so.

Before packing up your instrument, make sure to clean the viola and its bow with a soft cloth. Cleaning the instrument, bow, and strings will help maintain the protective varnish on the wood and help the strings last longer. The, carefully place the viola back into its case, again using both hands. Make sure every buckle or snap is fastened and every zipper fully closed before picking up the case again.

Below is a clip from Alfred Music showing you these steps in more detail. Alfred Music is the publisher of the popular Sound Innovations method book series, designed to help young students.

[su_youtube url=”https://youtu.be/buZNJCjGG70″ width=”360″ height=”240″]

Holding Your Violin

Another key skill to learn early on is how to properly hold your violin. You can do so by following the 3 basic steps outlined below. However, have your child ask their music teacher for more specific directions including proper posture.

1. Hold the violin over your head with the scroll to your left.
2. Lower the violin onto your left shoulder.
3. Place the chin rest under your chin, keep the violin level with the floor.

Shop In-Store

Looking for a wide selection of orchestral instruments and a chance to play before you buy? Visit your local West Music store.

Related Articles

• Finger Placement for String Instruments
• String Instrument Care Tips
• 7 Tips for Practicing
• Practice Tips for Young Musicians

Have questions? Need advice? West Music is here for you! Give our school orchestra experts a call at 800-373-2000.

Adapted from Alfred Music’s Sound Innovations for String Orchestra 1: Violin.
Special thanks to our partners at Alfred Music for providing us smartmusic® videos and additional materials.