Tune the violin to begin with, ideally using a piano. Hold the instrument in your lap for support. Pluck the strings with your thumb to hear the pitch, and adjust accordingly.



Your left hand should be placed round the bottom of the fingerboard. The black plastic chin rest fits under your chin, but you should give yourself extra support with a shoulder rest which can be purchased from any good music shop.
As a beginner, if you do not want to pay for one immediately, you can improvise with a clean duster by attaching it with an elastic band to the underside of the violin, where it rests on your shoulder.



The violin must rest on your left shoulder and your left hand holds it in place.

Every individual must make many physical accommodations in order to play the violin. There are some beginning students with nearly perfect posture and the ability to hold the violin almost effortlessly and there are some very advanced and skillful violinists who still struggle with bad habits and poor posture. I think it is important to rationally examine violin technique, including the issues of posture, shoulder rests, and left hand mechanics. There are very good reasons for having a well balanced and relaxed posture. There are none for playing tensely and in pain. On the other hand there are good reasons for using a shoulder pad and there are also good reasons for not using one. Where there are differences in opinion and differences in individual students I believe that we must make rational decisions based upon a clear understanding of the issues rather than following fad or fashion or copying an individual violinist who may be quite different than our selves or our students.The violin can be held easily and comfortably for long periods of time if it is held correctly and if the chin rest and shoulder rest or pad are carefully fitted.

The violin should rest on the collarbone. The purpose of the chin rest is to protect the varnish, provide a secure and comfortable place for the jaw , and to adjust the distance from the jaw to the collarbone. Generally, flatter simpler chin rests are more comfortable than more contoured ones. A chamois skin or other non-slippery cloth may be used to cover the collarbone for comfort.