0c.1 Sitting and holding the violin the Carnatic way
Sit with the violin in the South Indian playing position so both hands are free and the instrument does not move.
A Carnatic violinist sits on the floor and rests the scroll of the instrument against the ankle, with the body of the violin on the chest or shoulder. That is not decoration: it holds the instrument without the chin or the left hand, which frees the left hand to slide the whole length of the string. A player who holds a violin the Western way cannot make the slides this music is built from.
Work through these
Sit cross-legged and rest the scroll of the violin against your right ankle or the front of the foot.
The ankle takes the weight, so neither hand is holding the instrument up. That is the whole reason the position exists.
Let the body of the violin sit against the upper chest near the left shoulder, without gripping it.
The instrument is held between the shoulder and the ankle at a shallow angle rather than under the chin. If you can lift your left hand away and nothing moves, it is right.
Slide the left hand from one end of the fingerboard to the other and back.
This is the test of whether the position is working: the hand should travel the full length without the instrument shifting or the shoulder rising. This freedom is exactly what the position was adopted for.
Check that the bowing arm can reach all four strings without the elbow hitting your knee.
Sitting cross-legged puts the knee where a standing player's arm swings, and a small change of angle fixes it. Discovering this after learning an exercise means relearning the exercise.
Sign in to keep your progress.
Free resources
Links last checked 30 Aug 2026.
Stuck here?
Ask a mentor. A real person answers, and they can see exactly which topic you're on. Usually within a couple of working days.
Checking your session…
Topics shown in module order.