Posture and Technique

Practice Makes PERMANENT! Click here for helpful practice tips!

The posture and technique that students learn in class needs to be reinforced at home, in order to foster good habits, and allow them to succeed on their instruments. If students reinforce incorrect habits at home, it will show up in the classroom and during performances. It is important for students to be focusing on playing correctly, and not just on playing the right notes. An important part of their overall grade is based on students' demonstration of the following components of correct string playing. See below for instrument-specific tips for building good habits. Pictures will be added soon for further clarification!

Violins and Viola

- Student should be sitting (or standing) tall.

- Feet are flat on the floor (as much as possible).

- The instrument is parallel to the floor (with the scroll pointed at a wall).

- Students should be using some form of shoulder rest at all times!

- The violin should sit UP on top of the shoulder and point to the left at a 45 degree angle, with the side of the jaw on the chin rest, not the actual chin.

- The left hand should be out by the nut of the instrument, with the left thumb on one side of the fingerboard, and the base of the index finger touching the other side.

- Left thumb is not sticking up over the fingerboard, but barely peeking.

- Left wrist is not collapsed under the instrument (no pancake hand!). There should be a straight line from the elbow to the base of the pinky.

- Left fingers are curved over the fingerboard (two knuckles are visible), and students are playing on the fingerTIPS!

- When fingers are not being used, they are hovering over the fingerboard.

- Right fingers are relaxed, the pinky is on top of the bow, and the thumb is slightly bent.

- The bow should make a straight line on the string, directly in between the bridge and fingerboard (no crooked bows!).

- Students should not be pulling their arms back, but extending out in front to make a straight bow.

Check out this article for great pictures and more details:

Cellos and Basses

- Student should be sitting tall.

- Feet are flat on the floor on either side of the cello (as much as possible).

- The end pin should be out far enough that the bottoms of the C bouts (the cut out sides of the cello) are even with the top of the legs.

- Students should be able to rock side to side without holding the instrument.

- Left wrist is not bent, and the fingers make the shape of a "C," as if holding a peach.

- Left elbow should not droop directly down, but should be pointing out and just slightly down.

- Neither arm should rest on the cello.

- Left fingers are curved (two knuckles are visible), and students are playing on the fingerTIPS!

- Right fingers are relaxed, the thumb is slightly bent, and the fingers are all dripping down.

- The bow should make a straight line (parallel to the floor), between the bridge and fingerboard (not aimed towards the ground).

- The elbow should rise and fall with every down and up bow.

- Down bow = rise, up bow = fall