How to Teach Viola Students to Play Ergonomically
A solid seat is just as important as a comfy setup
Teaching the viola comes with challenges that our string siblings don’t experience as often, mainly in the realm of comfort. Violists seem the most prone to encountering tendinitis, and the reasons are threefold: the viola naturally blocks the arm from going into the upper positions, so you spend a great deal of time reaching over the body of the instrument; the spacing between the left-hand fingers is wider—especially between the first and fourth fingers—yet violists are expected to have the same highly technical dexterity as violinists; and more condensed pressure is needed from the bow arm for optimum sound on the viola.
All of these combine to create a recipe for discomfort and disaster. However, there have been great strides in the field of viola ergonomics, and there are several steps you can take to make sure your students are playing in a relaxed fashion.
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