Feet and body
- Feet shoulder-width apart, weight even on both feet.
- Knees soft, not locked. Ribs stacked over hips.
- Shoulders relaxed and level — not raised toward the ears.
Chin rest and shoulder rest
- The violin rests on the collarbone, held by the weight of the head — not clamped by the chin.
- Chin rest should sit under the left jaw; height depends on your neck length.
- Shoulder rest fills the space between the violin back and your collarbone. If your shoulder lifts to hold the violin, adjust the rest.
Violin angle
- Scroll level with or slightly above your left shoulder.
- Violin roughly parallel to the floor.
- Angled slightly to the left of straight ahead — so the bow travels naturally across the strings.
Left hand
- Thumb opposite the first finger, gently touching the neck — not gripping.
- Wrist straight — not collapsed toward the fingerboard or pushed out.
- Fingers curved, tips landing on the string. No flat pads.
Bow hold
- Thumb bent, tip touching the frog and the stick.
- Middle and ring fingers drape over the frog; pinky curved on top of the stick.
- Index finger contacts the stick between the first and second knuckle — this is where you apply weight.
- Bow is balanced, not squeezed.
Bow travel
- Bow moves parallel to the bridge.
- Contact point stays between the bridge and the fingerboard, adjusting for volume.
- Wrist and fingers absorb direction changes — the arm should not jerk.
Quick 60-second check
- Stand tall, drop your arms, roll your shoulders back.
- Place the violin. Can you hold it without pressing down with your chin?
- Set the bow at the balance point. Are your fingers curved and relaxed?
- Play an open D, watching in a mirror. Is the bow parallel to the bridge?
If you can pass that check every session, you're already ahead of most self-taught players.