LESSON ONE

Parts of the Violin and Bow

It is important to learn the names of all the parts of your violin and bow. Do this for a few minutes each day until you know them from memory. Have your teacher or a friend test you on the names of the parts.

How to Hold the Violin and Bow

Here are the correct positions for holding the violin and bow.

Holding the Bow

Left Hand Position

Holding the Violin

How to Read the Fingering Diagrams

The numbers on the fingers correspond to the numbers and letters used throughout the book

Pizzicato

A good way to begin playing the violin is to hold it in the playing position and to play the open strings pizzicato, which means plucking the strings with the index finger of the bowing hand. Since you won’t be using the left hand to help play the notes, the strings are described as open.

Before you begin, memorize the names of the open strings. To play a note pizzicato, place the tip of your right thumb against the upper right corner of the fingerboard near the E string, as shown in the photo. Pluck the strings with your index finger about five centimeters along the fingerboard. Try plucking each of the four strings and saying the name of each string out loud as you pluck it.

Pizzicato

Practice playing the open strings pizzicato in the order shown. The first time you play the exercise, say the names of the strings out loud as you pluck each one. The second time you play the exercise, count 1, 2, 1, 2 etc., and keep the notes even.

Playing With the Bow (Arco)

Playing with the bow is called arco playing. This is the most common method of playing the violin. As with pizzicato, the best way to begin is to play the open strings. Hold the bow in the manner described in Lesson One and place the hair of the bow on the open A (2nd) string near the frog of the bow. The bow should be at right angles to the string. Draw the bow slowly across the string all the way to the tip. This is called a down stroke, and is indicated by the symbol .

As you play your down stroke, make sure your right wrist and forearm are relaxed, as this will create the best sound. After you reach the tip of the bow, hold it steady for a moment and then slowly push the bow back across the string until you reach the frog. This is called an up stroke, and is indicated by the symbol .

Once you can produce a good sound on the open A string, try playing each open string with a down stroke and then an up stroke. Before you started playing your teacher may have applied rosin to your bow. If you are having trouble getting a consistent sound, you may need to rub a little more rosin on the hair of the bow.

To make sure you sound only one string at a time, you will need to lower your bowing arm slightly when moving from a lower string to a higher string (e.g., open G to open D) and raise the arm slightly when moving from a higher string to a lower string (e.g., open E to open A). When moving between strings, do not lift your bow off the strings, but change the sound to the new string by changing the angle of the bow.

Things to Remember

It is important to work on bowing technique with a teacher right from the beginning, so that you do not develop any bad habits which will have to be corrected later.

Arco

Practice playing the open strings in the order shown. Count 1, 2, 1, 2 etc., as you play, and alternate your bow strokes. Each 1 count will be a down stroke with the bow and each 2 count will be an up stroke.