The steps:
1. Set the bow on the A string just above the bridge. Place the bow in between the fingerboard and the bridge. The bridge is the arch-shaped piece that the strings rest on near the bottom of your viola. your bow on the A string so it’s on the side of the bridge closest to your hand. Use the hair on your bow that’s closest to the frog and keep it at a near vertical angle. The A string is the easiest one to start on since it’s the closest to the bow.
2. Slide the bow across the string to play it. Move your hand down to pull the bow across the string. Don’t press hard on the bow while you’re playing or you could damage the hair. The bow will vibrate the string and play an A note. Once you reach the end of your bow, move your hand back up to keep playing the note. The note will continue playing as long as you move the bow across the string. Use shorter strokes to play notes faster and long strokes to play notes slower.
3. Try playing the other strings. Lift the bow up and set it on the string you want to play. Make sure the bow is only touching 1 string at a time. Otherwise, lift your arm to adjust the angle of your bow. Practice long back and forth strokes with your bow followed by shorter notes. Work your way across the strings until you’ve tried them all. Once you’ve played all of the strings, switch the string you’re playing on with every stroke. For example, play A, D, G, and C in 4 strokes.
4. Press down on the strings with the tips of your fingers to change notes. Once you’ve practiced playing the open strings, use the tips of your finger to hold down a string around the neck. Keep your fingers curled while you hold down the string. When you play the string, the note will be higher pitched than what the string normally is.
Experiment with each string to hear what notes you can play on your instrument.
The position of each note varies for each person since your finger shape will affect the notes you play.
Don’t press the string down with your nail or pad of your finger since you won’t get as clear of a sound.
Tip: Purchase fingering tape when you’re starting off to label where specific notes are played along your strings.