I only started playing the viola a few months ago. I found that I could be taught to "play" the viola. The tone quality wasn`t too bad, either. However, I wasn`t applying proper technique. For example, I was squeezing the life out of the neck of the instrument, and I wasn`t holding the bow properly. Now, I practice using proper techniques, but the sound that comes out of the instrument is too painful for words. I`m hoping that maybe I cracked the bridge when I put a mute on it. Has anyone gone through this kind of phase in his/her early viola career? Please let me know. Thank you very much. Matthew.

I found that when my daughter first tried the violin, she was afraid of the less-than-pleasing sound that came out of it. As a result she started using a very timid bow stroke that made the problem worse.

Maintain an even pressure on the bow and make sure that it moves parallel to the bridge. Practice `growling bow`: with the bow at the frog, dig into the string as you draw the bow. This will help increase the weight of the bow stroke with `ordinary` playing. Make sure there is enough rosin on the bow, too.

I hope this helps.

Thank you very much for your suggestion. I applied a little more pressure to the bow; and, while holding both the instrument and bow properly, I managed to keep my bow strokes parallel to the bridge. Also, after purchasing and listening to the Suzuki Viola 1 & 2 CD, I felt more comfortable with the material. Thank you, again. Matthew.