ABSTRACT
In playing the violin, three things must be particularly observed: first, to [hold] it in as free and unconstrained a manner as possible; secondly, to place the hand in the most favorable position for facilitating the motion of the fingers and attaining correctness of intonation; and, thirdly, so to place the fingers upon the strings that the tone produced may be full and clear. Foundations refers to the skills students need to acquire before they start producing sounds on their instruments. Suzuki’s students are recognized for their excellent, uniform postures partially due to the use of “foot paper.” For violists, Tertis suggested that body weight should be distributed equally, as too much weight on the left foot often leads to curvature of the spine. Tuttle is one of the few pedagogues who offered advice on every component of posture/stance including how to position the feet, knees, hips, abdomen, collarbone, shoulder, neck, and jaw.
