The Basics: Playing the Violin

" Using the bow correctly takes practice as it can be a difficult process, especially in the beginning."

The Basics: Playing the Violin

The violin is a bowed string instrument with four strings that are tuned in perfect fifths. It is a beautiful instrument, but learning to play it is a long and difficult process. You need to be disciplined, hard working and committed. Without daily practice it is unlikely that you will achieve mastery on the violin.

A violin can be plucked, and a number of musical pieces actually call for this way of playing a violin. Most musical pieces though require the use of the bow. Using the bow correctly takes practice as it can be a difficult process, especially in the beginning.

Learn proper bow technique..

First off, you need to prepare your bow. Make sure that the hair of the bow is tightened to the correct tension. You tighten the bow by turning the end screw clockwise. The bow is correctly tightened if you can fit a pencil in the middle of the bow between wood and hair. Never use your fingers to check on the tension, since the oil from your hand can damage the hair on the bow. Always remember to loosen the bow at the end of practice. You also need to regularly rosin your bow; about every few days depending on how often and how long you practice. The rosin is a device that you glide up and down the bow hairs a few times to ensure proper sound. Do not overdue it as that could lead to a scratchy sound.

Second, once you have correctly prepared your bow, it is time to practice. A bow is held correctly by gently laying your index finger on the bow’s grip, while your other fingers are placed at equal distances from each other on the same edge. Place our ring finger on the pearl circle on the side of the bow. Your pinky, meanwhile, is placed on the lower edge and curled slightly inward. Do not hold the bow too tightly, but rather relaxed and loose to allow you to bow effectively.

Third, now on to the correct stance in holding your violin. Stand up straight. The correct placement for your violin is between your jaw and shoulder, whereby it is held by your jaw resting on the chin rest. The scroll of the violin should be pointing straight forward. Your left hand should be curled in a relaxed fashion around the the base of the violin’s neck. Make sure that your wrist is not touching the violin.

Fourth, putting bow and violin together. Playing the violin involves more than simply pulling the bow over the strings. In the beginning, you want to tilt the bow slightly towards yourself to produce sounds. With practice, and as your handling of the violin gets more mastery, you will pull the bow along the strings with a fair amount of pressure as straight as possible. Remember, the more pressure you apply, the louder the sound that is produced. But do not go overboard, too much pressure will make the sound appear scratchy. Practice changing from playing one string to playing another string. Continue practicing until only one string is being played at a time without touching the other strings.

And with that, all that you need to do is practice.