How to play the violin

This is a list of tips on how to play the violin.

• When holding the neck of your violin, ensure your wrist is curved and your posture is perfect in order to create a rich tone.
• Make sure your left wrist does not "collapse". You should support your violin with your neck and shoulder. Your left hand must be free to move.
• Keep your fingernails trimmed short. You should depress the strings with the tips of your left hand, and you can't do that with long nails.
• Your bow should move perpendicular to the strings. Lead your bow with your right wrist. The stick of the bow should be slightly tilted toward the fingerboard (away from your face).
• Your bow should move between the fingerboard and the bridge. When closer to the bridge, it will be louder. Play closer to the fingerboard to play more quietly. (for the beginner: the fingerboard is the long, black piece running down the center of the instrument)
• When playing quiet sections of music, keep using all the bow but press down lighter.
• Practice! Practice! Practice! (As a guide, college majors are recommended to practice roughly 2 to 4 hours per day. At least an hour a day should be expected as a bare minimum for serious practitioners.)