How to Play the Violin

Learning how to play the violin requires a lot of practice and dedication. It helps if you are able to read music before you get started, but it's not necessary.

If you can afford it, get a violin teacher. The hands-on experience will make learning easier and quicker. A violin teacher, especially one who has been teaching for a while, will be able to pick up on mistakes you may be making and show you the right way to play without making you struggle to figure it out.

If you can't afford to get a violin teacher or you'd prefer to teach yourself, it's not impossible. It just may take a little longer. You'll need a violin and a bow, as well as rosin for your bow. The rosin is what helps your bow to make noise as it glides across the violin strings. If you can get one, a metronome will help you keep beat.

It's easiest to learn how to play while sitting straight up, so find a straight-backed chair. Use a shoulder rest, meaning you're positioning the violin between your shoulder and chin. Wrap your left hand around the top of the violin and, using a fingering chart, learn how to hold your fingers for different notes.

Make sure you use the pads of your fingers as opposed to your fingernails when plucking the strings.

To use the bow, put your thumb on the inside part of the bow and your three middle fingers on the outside. Your pinkie should be on the top, near the adjustment screw. Pull the bow gently across the strings, putting just a little pressure on it. Pull the bow until the front of the bow is down near the edges of the strings. This is called "Down bow." "Up bow" is the opposite, as you can probably imagine. Start with the tip of the bow at the edge of the strings and move the bow up.