The violin is held horizontally (parallel with the floor) and is angled to the left of a straight forward position. Place the violin on your left collar bone and rest the left side of your jaw on the chin rest.
Left Hand Position
The elbow should be under the centre of the violin. Keep the wrist gently rounded. Avoid resting the wrist against the violin neck.
The thumb should be opposite the first or second finger. Maintain a curved, open space between the thumb and index finger (a backwards "C").
Image: Beginning Bow Hold
Image: Advanced Bow Hold
Violin Bow Hold
Relax hand, slightly turn wrist to the left, and let the fingers drop into place. The tip of the bent thumb touches the frog contact point. Fingers gently curve over the top of the violin bow stick. The middle finger is opposite from the thumb.
Bow Posture for Each String Level
Changing strings with the bow arm is controlled mainly by the position of the elbow.
Here are a few pictures to illustrate the position of the elbow for each string.
Copyright for this website is owned by the State of New South Wales through the Department of Education. For more information go to https://www.dec.nsw.gov.au/footer/copyright.