A. THE HAND: you should hold the violin at the end of the fingerboard near the pegs, between the fleshy upper half of the thumb and first finger between the first and second knuckles. Holding the violin in this way will keep your fingers nimble and dexterous.
B. THE FINGERS: the fingers on your left hand should extend up from the big knuckles and curve downwards to meet the fingerboard. You must avoid placing your fingers flat on the fingerboard. Curved fingers are essential to manoeuvring around the fingerboard and playing your notes in tune.
C. THE WRIST: the left wrist should remain straight as it supports the violin. Keeping your left wrist straight stabilizes the left hand and allows the fingers to move freely. A bent left wrist will flatten the fingers as they come down onto the fingerboard. This will result in bad intonation and a serious lack of finger dexterity.
D. THE ELBOW: the left elbow should be sufficiently elevated to hold the violin parallel with the floor. It should not be at your side. The left elbow should also stay parallel with the right edge of the violin. Keeping the left elbow at this angle provides your hand and fingers with leverage necessary to maintain a useful hold on the violin. A sagging elbow will cause the violin to droop. Allowing your violin to
droop will greatly diminish your ability to play the violin.
E. THE SHOULDER: the shoulder should be at rest and situated normally. The left shoulder should not be raised to pinch the violin under the chin. Rather, place the chin down to the chinrest to steady the violin. If this feels uncomfortable, use a shoulder rest or a sponge to help secure the violin.
