A. REST POSITION:
- Stand up straight with your feet shoulder width apart and the left foot lightly in front of the right.
- Grab your violin at the fingerboard with your left hand, and place it under your right arm with the strings facing away from your body. Use this position when you need to walk with the violin or when you are taking a break from your practicing.
B. READY POSITION:
- Stand up straight with your feet shoulder width apart and the left foot slightly in front of the right.
- Using your left hand, grab the violin securely by the fingerboard.
- Using the right hand to guide the violin, place the violin on your left collarbone. The violin should be parallel to the floor.
- Turn the head gently to the left and place the chin on the chin rest.
- Once the violin is steady, let your right hand fall down to your side.
- The violin should rest securely when placed between your shoulder and your chin.
- Hold your violin using your left hand between the thumb and knuckle on your 1st finger.
- Your left elbow should come well underneath the violin, so that the tip of your elbow is parallel to the corners of the violin on the right side.
C. IMPORTANT POINTERS:
- RELAX! Your left shoulder should feel relaxed and in its naturalposition. Try not to elevate the shoulder to stabilize the violin. If you find yourself doing so, secure the violin with a sponge or a shoulder
- POSTURE! The violin should be parallel to the floor and your leftelbow out and away from the side of your body. Stand up straight. Don’t slouch!
D. PRACTICE:
- Move step-by-step from REST POSITION to READY POSITION asinstructed above. Take great care to execute each move separately,carefully and as instructed. Practice these moves slowly at first toform good habits! Once you feel comfortable with moving step-by-step from REST POSITION to READY POSITION, execute the process fluidly, in one smooth motion. Feel everything fall into place as youmove slowly into the READY POSITION. PRACTICE TIP- Practice infront of a mirror!
