Copyright © 2009 Violin Stars This program may not be copied or reproduced in any way without permission.

Violin Stars Level 1

Lesson 1
Welcome to Lesson 1. Here are your tasks for this lesson

Learn how to how to tune the violin

Learn how to hold the violin

Learn how to hold the bow

Tuning the violin

So let's begin our first task - tuning the violin. The violin is tuned in 5ths.
The thinnest tightest string is the E string. The next one over is the A
string, then the D string, and the lowest thickest string is the G string. If
you haven't already, you should consider investing in a basic tuner for
your violin. You can get one for around $15. Here is a picture of one.

These tuners are good for beginners because they tell you exactly what to
do! You simply pluck the string, and the tuner tells you if it is sharp or
flat. They aren't 100 percent accurate, but they will get you close, and
for now that's good enough. So if you don't have one of these, I suggest
you get one. Some tuners will also give off a pitch that you can listen to
and then tune your string to it by ear, but you need to have developed a
good ear in order to do that. Once you have good pitch that is the more
accurate way to tune and that is how I do it, but for now a simple tuner
that will get you close is good enough. They also make tuners that clip
onto your scroll and they are even more accurate, so that's something
else to consider.

Now in the meantime if you don't have a tuner or a piano to tune to I

have included a reference Tuning Track that you can use to tune your
violin's strings. You will tune the A string first, then the D, then the G,
and finally the E.

In order to tune the violin, you must turn either the pegs or the fine
tuners. You should only turn the pegs when your violin is really out of
tune. When the violin is really flat, then you have to turn the pegs in
order to get it up to pitch. But keep in mind that turning the peg just a
little, increases the pitch by a LOT! So turn slowly and pluck the string
as you turn it. When you are close to the correct pitch, then you can use
the fine tuners to bring it up the rest of the way.
The fine tuners are located on the violin's tailpiece. You will notice that
my violin only has two of them, but most student violins are setup with
one on each string. The fine tuners do slightly reduce the tone of the
violin, so most advanced players use only one fine tuner, two at the most.
But while you are learning, the tuners make life much easier! You cannot
break a string when turning the fine tuners, so they are much safer for a
beginner to use while learning how to play.

How to Hold the Violin

Okay, well now that you have your violin tuned, it's time to learn how to
hold the violin. You will probably want to attach something to the back
of the violin first to make it more comfortable for you. Most advanced
players like to use a shoulder rest. Here is a picture of mine.
You attach it to the back of your violin. The taller end of the shoulder
rest goes on the left side of the violin's back and the shorter end will be
on the right.

Here is what it looks like when properly attached. You can get a decent
shoulder rest for around $20. Kun is a well known brand. Mine is a Viva
rest that was around $35. However, most of us don't start with one of
these. To get yourself started you can use almost anything for padding. A
piece of foam and two rubber bands can work quite well.

Take the two rubber bands and attach them over the two lower corners
of your violin and around the end pin.

Then turn the violin so that the back is facing you.

And then slip the foam under the rubber bands.

It's a cheap, comfortable alternative to a shoulder rest, and some players

actually choose to keep using a sponge instead of a shoulder rest!
Everyone is different and so whatever makes you the most comfortable,
then that's what you should use.

Okay, now it's time to learn how to hold the violin. This is actually more
complicated than it looks, but if you get into the habit of doing it right
then it will become completely natural to you. To get started, pick up
your violin. The picture shows Christina in rest position. Rest position is
how we hold the violin when we are not playing. To do rest position,
simply tuck the violin under your right arm. The strings should be facing
away from you.
Now take your left hand and grasp the left side of the violin's body.

The back of the violin should be facing you.

Now rotate your arm and turn the violin counterclockwise. The backside
will still be facing you, only now the violin should be upside down with
the scroll pointing towards the ground.

Now lift your arm up and set the violin on the left side of the top of your
head.
Now let the violin slowly roll down down the left side of your head past
your ear . . .

Until it lands on your shoulder. The violin will probably be too far to the
left at this point, but that's okay! It's better to start with it too far over
than not far enough.
Now turn your head to the left and find the chinrest. In the picture
Christina can't reach the chinrest because her violin is still too far to the
left.

If this happens, then pull your violin slightly to the right until you can
reach the chinrest. Don't be afraid to wiggle around until it feels
comfortable!
Many people make the mistake of pulling the violin too far to the right
and resting it on their chest instead of their shoulder. This causes the
scroll to droop towards the ground. Don't make this mistake!

Here is the correct way.

Now that you have the violin on your shoulder you can take your right
hand and pluck the strings, also known as pizzicato. However, make sure
you keep your fingers out of bow country! Bow country is the space
between my thumb and index finger shown in the picture.

Even when our fingers are clean they have a natural oil on them and if
this gets on the part of your strings where you bow, it will make the bow
slide and not grip the strings. For the same reason, you want to keep
your fingers off of your bow hair as well. Now if you accidently touch
your strings or bow hair once in a while, don't panic, it won't cause any
harm. It's only if you touch the strings or hair a lot, that problems arise.

Okay, now while your violin is on your shoulder try plucking each string
with the index finger of your right hand. You can hook your thumb on
the corner of the fingerboard as shown in the picture. This supports your
hand.
This picture shows my finger plucking the E string.

And this picture shows me plucking the A string.

Now you should take a couple of minutes to practice going from rest
position to playing position. Make sure you follow all of the steps until
you can just pick up the violin and place it on your shoulder in one
smooth motion.

Preparing the Bow

Now it's time to set the violin down and pick up the bow. When you first
pick up your bow, it should be loose because every time you are done
playing you must loosen the bow before you put it away. Otherwise you
could warp the stick. When the bow is loose the hair is lying flat on the
stick, it should not be dangling around, if it is then it is probably too
loose. Here is a picture of a properly loosened bow.

So before you play, you will need to tighten your bow up just enough so
that the hair is not hitting the stick when you play. All bows are different,
some need to be tightened more than others. If your bow stick is soft then
you will need to tighten it a little more than a stiffer bow. Here is a
picture of a correctly tightened bow.
If you over tighten the bow then the stick will start to warp into a curved
shape. This is very bad for your bow and if you leave it that way it will
ruin the stick. Here is a picture of an overtightened bow.

So treat your bow with care and always remember to loosen it when you
are done. Try to keep the bow hair as clean as possible. Don't set the
bow on a table or on the ground, or anywhere where there could be dirt
or grease. The best place for a bow when not being played is in your
case! We should also mention rosin at this point. Contrary to what most
people think, you don't need to rosin every time you play. In fact if you
are only playing for a half hour or so a day, then you don't need to rosin
more than once a week at the most. You only need to rosin every day if
you are practicing for about four hours a day! Too much rosin makes a
big mess and will give you a scratchy tone.

Bow Hold
Now let's talk about bow hold. What you do at this point in your training
is very important! If you develop a correct bow hold now while your
brain is still learning then you will save hours and hours of time later on
down the road! This is where many people get lazy. But ultimately the
bow is what creates ALL of your tone, the left hand's job is to shape the
tone, but the bow hand is what creates the tone. Everyone can get this
right if they really try, there are absolutely NO excuses!

Here are some pictures of a correct bow hold.

Notice how the fingers wrap around the bow. Also notice how the little
finger does not go over the stick, but rather it sits on the top. Also notice
how the pinkie is bent. Do NOT let the pinkie go straight like a stick.

The beginner will place the thumb on the outside of the frog (shown in
the picture on the left). This encourages the hand to stay open. After the
beginner has developed a correct bow hold he or she may move onto the
advanced hold (shown on the right). The thumb then moves to the inside
of the frog.
Remember to always keep the thumb bent! There should be a relaxed
bend in the thumb and there should be no tension causing it to flatten
out or overbend.

Use a mirror to check your bow hold often. Your are training your
muscles how to do something new and it is very important that you teach
them to do it correctly! Constantly check your bow hold while playing
and never assume that your fingers will just stay put because they won't!
You must teach them. In the beginning you may need to check your bow
hold as often as every five seconds while playing! And no I'm not joking.
If you will commit yourself to this sort of discipline you will have a
beautiful bow hold within just a few days! Many people struggle with
their bow hold for years before finally getting it. So take the time now to
get it right and you will have great rewards later when you are playing
beautiful music.

“Curved pinky bent thumb” I say that constantly while teaching

beginners! It's a handy phrase to remember because those are the two
main keys to developing a good bow hold. If the thumb is bent and the
pinky is curved, then you have the basics down. Also remember to keep
your fingers very soft, do not squeeze the bow. This will take a lot of
work, but soft flexible fingers are what we want! However, it is our
natural instinct for our hand to turn into a 'claw'. When we don't know
how to do something we always respond with tension. Wiggle your
fingers on the bow and that will help ease out some of the tension. Keep
at it, I know you can do it!

Now I want you to practice setting the bow down and then picking it up.
Do this several times. See how quickly you can move all of the fingers to
their assigned places and remember curved pinky bent thumb! Once you
feel like you're getting the hang of it, I want you to carefully observe
your bow hold. What does it look like? Does it look like the pictures
above which show the correct bow hold? Really examine your fingers.
You are their teacher and this is very important.

Below are some pictures of incorrect bow holds. Many students will
develop one of these holds in the beginning. So take a close look and see
if you could be making any of these common errors.
In this picture the thumb has flattened out and is not bent. This will
cause tension in the hand.

In this picture the fingers are too far over the bow and the pinkie should
be curved and resting on the top of the stick.
In this picture the fingers are not wrapped around the stick, they are
perched on the top where they can grip like a claw. You can clearly see
the tension in the fingers.

This incorrect bow hold demonstrates two common errors. The first is
the stretched out pinkie, notice how it is resting on the screw of the bow,
this is wrong. Also notice how the index finger has gone straight and is
now sticking straight out. Many people do this and are unaware of it!
However, this will cause severe tension and your tone will be crippled.

And keep in mind that usually these errors occur while you are playing.
You will probably start out with a correct bow hold but 3 seconds later it
may change without you even knowing it! So stop constantly and check.
Don't complain, just do it!

Now, let us again examine the correct bow hold.

Do you see how relaxed and natural the hand looks? The fingers are
gently curved around the bow. The index finger reaches up just slightly
to wrap around the bow. The pinky finger is curved and relaxed. Nothing
should be forced.

Lesson 1 Complete!
If you would like to officially pass this lesson I will need you to send me a
picture of your correct bow hold. You can send it to
zclipse@embarqmail.com

You are now ready to view Lesson 1 on the DVD.