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Technique: Going from the violin to viola

2026-06-26T08:40:00

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Petr Holman gives tips on switching instrument, particularly focusing on the right hand

To my mind the biggest difference between violin and viola technique is to be found in the right hand, not the left. In the conservatoire where I teach, it is obligatory for violin students to play the viola at some point in their studies. In addition to first-study violists, I also teach these violin students. I therefore encounter the process of switching from violin to viola a lot and have noticed some clear patterns in the learning process over the years. I also switched instruments myself. I started on the violin at the age of six and only took up the viola at thirteen, when there was a lack of violists in the music school orchestra…

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