* Position: The violin is held between the chin and the left shoulder. The left hand is used to press the strings against the fingerboard, while the right hand is used to draw the bow across the strings.
* Bowing: The bow is held in the right hand, with the thumb on the top and the fingers underneath. The bow is drawn across the strings with a smooth, even motion.
* String crossings: When moving from one string to another, the bow is lifted off the strings and then placed back down on the new string.
* Vibrato: Vibrato is created by slightly oscillating the fingers of the left hand while pressing down on the strings.
* Double stops: Double stops are played by pressing down on two strings simultaneously with the left hand.
* Chords: Chords are played by pressing down on three or more strings simultaneously with the left hand.
Viola
* Position: The viola is held between the chin and the left shoulder, in a similar position to the violin. However, the viola is larger than the violin, so the left hand must be placed further up the fingerboard.
* Bowing: The bowing technique is similar to that of the violin, but the bow is held with a slightly looser grip.
* String crossings: String crossings are executed in the same manner as on the violin.
* Vibrato: Vibrato is also performed in a similar manner to the violin, but the movement of the fingers is slightly larger.
* Double stops: Double stops are played by pressing down on two strings simultaneously with the left hand.
* Chords: Chords are played by pressing down on three or more strings simultaneously with the left hand.
In addition to these basic techniques, there are many other advanced techniques that can be used to play the violin and viola. These techniques include harmonics, pizzicato, and col legno.