Posture - Violin & Viola

Your shoulder rest needs to be facing the right direction

When playing, your instrument should be on your shoulder, not in front of you

Your elbow should be free to move, not pressed against your body

The thumb should be pointing up-and-down

Fingers should stay rounded

The wrist should be straight, not touching the instrument

Fingers need to be EXACTLY on the tapes

When holding the bow, the thumb needs to stay bent

Your thumb should be placed where the frog meets the stick

When holding the bow, the fingers need to be slanted, with the pinky on top of the stick

The Bow should be halfway in between the bridge and the end of the fingerboard

The Bow should be parallel to bridge - that means, the bow is at a right-angle to the string

Framing your bow (looking for the end of the fingerboard in between the hair and the stick) will help you make a better sound

Use your best bowhold, even when using a bow with a Bow Hold Buddy