Beginning students are so eager to get their hands on a shiny new instrument! A brief introduction to proper instrument care and maintenance is important to avert potential damage and keep eager students on the right track. It’s easy for teachers to take for granted that a student will be careful with a delicate violin, but young students will be best poised for success if the ground rules and clear expectations are laid out.
My favorite analogy to use with my students is that they are now the proud parents of a new violin “baby,” and just like a baby, violins require care and attention. If they wouldn’t do it to a baby, don't do it to a violin! That involves handling the instrument carefully and avoiding drops, keeping the violin safely strapped into the case, keeping it nice and clean, and not leaving it in a hot car or other extreme temperatures. When I taught middle school strings, I also kept a few broken violins and bows to show students the sad consequences of not caring for the instruments properly.
It’s also a good idea to familiarize the student with the basic “body” parts of their instrument and bow and their functions. This prevents students from inevitably experimenting or panicking if something goes wrong with their instrument in between lessons.
The videos that accompany Alfred’s Sound Innovation for String Orchestra series are a great resource that I used at the beginning of the year with my string classes. The first few video lessons for violin demonstrate how to properly pack and unpack, explain the parts of the instrument and bow, and some basic care tips. I needed a similar video I could send to my online violin students, so I uploaded one to the Violin Club YouTube channel. Feel free to share with your own students, whether in person, in a group class, via Zoom, as a homework assignment, or a quick refresher if you notice students getting sloppy in their instrument care habits.
To extend the activity, I’ve also included an awesome FREE PDF download in this post. It includes both full color and printer-friendly versions of three handouts: a labeled violin diagram, a matching activity, and blank diagram students can fill in themselves. These worksheets are targeted towards students age eight and above. The full-color versions are perfect for projecting to a screen for a group class or online lessons. Screen share the diagram and then use the online annotation tools on Zoom to complete the activities together. The black and white versions are great for in-class activities or homework. Click below to download the FREE Violin Parts & Care Handout!
Finally, since I am a big believer in playing games during lessons, I created this free Violin Parts Quizlet Study Set! If you are not familiar with Quizlet, it is an amazing, highly customizable online tool for teaching students concepts in any subject. With this Study Set, you can use an interactive diagram to quiz students’ knowledge of violin anatomy. My online students LOVE using Quizlet Live to compete against each other in online group classes. You can also play a matching game, give a test, and have students practice spelling the terms. These activities can be done during lessons or assigned to students for homework by sending them the Quizlet link or setting up a Quizlet teacher account.
For more resources on teaching instrument parts and care, check out my Pinterest board. Have any great ideas to share or questions to ask? Comment below or join our Facebook group.