This may be a stupid question, but u know the curve of the shoulder piece? does that curve point up towards the top of the viola, or pointing down? in other words, how do u put on a shoulder piece?

It`s not a stupid question at all. If you don`t have someone right there to explain everything, it can be very confusing. It would help to know what type of shoulder rest you have. I`ll do my best to walk you through this. first lay the viola on your lap strings facing down - make sure the bridge is between the legs so no weight is resting on it- the neck and peg box should be to your right. The feet of the shoulder rest will face down to the viola. the shorter leg of the rest will be closest to you, the longest closest to your knee. Slip the legs onto the edge of the bottom piece. The rest should fit on snugly so it won`t collaplse when you play. The dip will usually be directly under the chin rest and should fit the natural curve of your shoulder. Be sure that the rubber covering the feet is intact - otherwise it will scratch the instrument. You can adjust the angle of the rest to your comfort - it takes some experimenting! I have used nearly every model of shoulder rest and find the mach one to be the most comfortable. I hope this sort of helps.