How do you play a viola?

Answer 1

Basically, the viola is played like a violin. Hold the instrument up with your jawbone, via a chin rest and shoulder rest, and finger with your left hand. Bow with the right hand. Music is writen in alto clef--a different clef from all other instruments. Generally, slightly more pressure is needed for bowing and fingering than for violin due to the thicker strings and slower response. Also there is a bigger reach in the left hand because the string length is longer. For best results, I would strongly suggest getting a private instructor. Oh--and practice, practice, practice! and you have to like what you are doing or else it's gonna be really hard. If you are interested in learning the viola, it'll be easy.

It is true, playing the viola requires practice and an instructor to teach appropriate technique. Without an instructor it is all too easy to develop bad habits that can cause bad sound or even physical injury like carpel tunnel! There is a lot more that goes into actually playing a viola than can be told on an answer here. It has to be experienced physically.

Answer 2

The violin is positioned with its broad end against one's shoulder, usually the left shoulder. The left arm holds the instrument in place.

The sound on a violin is produced by drawing the bow (held with the opposite arm, usually the right arm) across the strings (or, depending on what the music calls for, plucking the strings). This causes vibration of the strings which then resonates through the violin's soundbox - that is, the hollow interior of the violin.

Pitch is altered by changing the positions of one's fingers on the strings. To produce a higher note,a string is depressed lower down the fingerboard, nearer to the main body of the instrument.

Older violins tend to have a better sound because the sound resonates better as the wood hardens with age.

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To start out playing, you should hold the violin in guitar position, making sure the neck of the violin is to the left and your fingers are placed on the fingerboard. Then you pluck with either your thumb or your pointer finger, whatever you feel comfortable with.

Then, once you get better at that, then you play with the bow. First, you place the violin under your chin and hold the neck with your left hand, and make sure your wrist does not touch the back of the neck because when you do vibrato, it will be hard to move your hand.

When you hold the bow, use your right hand and put it at the end of the bow, near the frog, which is the knob at the end of the bow. Hold it sorta like a pencil and place it on the violin. Make sure the bow is between the end of the fingerboard and the bridge for proper playing. Then, play the violin and ta-da!! You know the basics to a violin!!

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Playing the violin requires practice and an instructor to teach appropriate technique. (Especially the vibrato.) Without an instructor it is all too easy to develop bad habits that can cause bad sound or even physical injury like carpel tunnel.
Playing the violin takes a small amount of natural talent, but largely it requires only perseverance, dedication, and commitment.

It is best that you find a teacher to help you to learn, as they will be able to help you grow, and are able to guide you much more effectively than if you relied on books and internet sites alone. Finding a teacher that is right for you is very important - you need to look up to this person, be able to respect them, admire how they play, and understand them, as they will be your biggest support whilst learning your instrument.

Playing the violin involves the left hand fingers shortening the four different strings (by pressing on them) to change the pitch of the note, while the right hand draws a 'bow' (a slightly curved rod of wood with horse hairs attached to it) across the strings to make the sound. There are many variations of this - for example, the strings can be plucked instead of bowed, or the left hand fingers can 'vibrate' to create a different quality of sound (a vibrato effect). This is why it is so important for you to find a good teacher. It is not possible to explain 'how to play the violin' on a page, it takes demonstration and hands on guidance.

I hope this helped a bit - good luck if you decide to go ahead with your violin journey :)
This is a very poorly worded question....Do you mean "how does the violin produce sound?" The friction with the hairs on the bow and the string cause the string to vibrate. By decreasing the length of the string by placing a finger on it, the pitch becomes higher. Another technique is pizzicato, or the plucking of the string.
The violin is played with the violin resting under your chin on your left shoulder. Your hand should be ounder the neck of the violin, with your thumb on the left side and your other four fingers to the right. The violin should not be supported with your hand, but with yourr chin. If you put your hand down, you sould still be able to keep the violin in an upright position. The violin should be almost parallell to the floor. In your other hand should be the bow.Put your ring and middle fingers on the white circle at the base of the bow. culrl your index finger areoung it, a little higher than your other two fingers. Your thumb should be placed between the stick and the hair of the bow, and should be bent at all times. To play the violin, place the hair of the bow on the strings and move back and forth with medium pressure.
You must take your left hand and grab the violin by the neck, then gently place it between your head and shoulder. Place your fingers on the strings, and unless your plucking your violin, hold your bow in your right hand.

There is a special way you must hold your bow. Where the little dot on the bottom (not the tip) of the violin is, place your ring finger and thumb. Point your pointer finger and rest your pinky finger on the metal piece on the end.

Once that is done, read the notes. If you'd like to know what notes are on the violin, ask your instructor or someone you know who plays.
The violin is played with a bow. The player must mover their elbow very swiftly, and carefully. The fingers of the left hand are on the fingerboard. The right hand bows.
you hold your fingers down on it then play with your bow and make sure you touch the violin. the main notes are:

A B C D E F G AND HIGH A and those are the main notes. hopefully this helps!! :D

Answer 3

I agree. The viola is very fun to play, almost exactly like the violin. The only difference is that one is high, the other is low. I will tell you to try it, if you have any background with the violin, the viola will be VERY easy!

I hope your viola practice succeeds :)

- Sha`neequa Micheele

Answer 4

A viola is tuned in the same way as a violin or even a cello. The only difference is what note each string is tuned to.

On a violin the strings are ordered (from lowest to highest): G D A E

On a viola (and cello) the strings are ordered (from lowest to highest): C G D A

The process of tuning is where it becomes complex for some people. After the strings are placed on the instrument in their correct places, you wind the pegs to make the strings tighter until they are close to the correct tone. At this point you can use the fine tuners to make the tuning more precise, if your viola has them. As a beginner, to find the correct tone, I recommend using an electronic tuner. The more experienced you become, the less you will have to rely on aid from a device to find the correct pitch.

Answer 5

You don't.....................weird.........anyway,if your talking about how to put your BOW on your string, then you just take your bow and put your pinkie on the part where the circle is,(frog) then, the one next to it goes next to it. Then, middle finger on right next to it...same with the rest...EXEPT for the thumb,it goes under the bow piece.Next, you place your bow on the string you want.(A,D,G,or C)A is the highest.D is next,then G, then C is the lowest.Finally, you start pushing slightly on the string.I know all this because I used to play it.Actually,I still do.....

Answer 6

A viola is played much like a violin. The only difference is that it's [obviously] bigger. The viola has four strings (pitched C G D A) and is played with a bow.

Answer 7

You hold a Viola the same way you hold a violin, on your shoulder under your chin.

Answer 8

You have to use a combination of bowing and pressing your fingers down on the string to make music from it.