A left handed violin is a mirror copy of a right handed violin.
A left handed violin is held in the right hand and rests on the right shoulder. The bow is held and coordinated with the left hand.
A left handed instrument is designed and built so from the beginning. Contrary to the general perception, a right handed violin cannot be converted to a left handed violin by just placing it on the right shoulder. There are a few construction elements that define the violin that is played left handed.
The first element that defines the left handed violin is the bass bar, which is placed under the right leg of the bridge. The sound post is placed under the left leg of the bridge. The strings, from the right to left, will be G-D-A-E. Consequently, the position of the peg holes needs to be modified to meet the new order of the strings. As another consequence of the new order of the strings, the shape of the bridge needs to be adjusted, too. The last element and probably the most difficult to be made is the left handed violin chin rest. The chin rest for a left handed violin is an image in the mirror of the chin rest for a right handed violin and it is carved to hold the right side of the chin.
