Activities Hobbies Parts of the Violin and Their Function The Nut, Bridge, and Pegbox Print Violins at a Shop. Peter Xiong / EyeEm / Getty Images Hobbies Playing Music Music Education Playing Guitar Playing Piano Home Recording Contests Couponing Freebies Frugal Living Fine Arts & Crafts Astrology Card Games & Gambling Cars & Motorcycles Learn More By Espie Estrella Espie Estrella Espie Estrella is a lyricist, songwriter, and member of the Nashville Songwriters Association International. Learn about our Editorial Process Updated on 04/16/18 Just as you need to know what the pedals do on a car before you drive it, the same can be said for the individual parts of a violin. You should know that there are four strings, what to do with the pegbox, and what the fingerboard is for. The main parts of the violin are easy to recognize and remember because they are named just like parts of a human body. A violin has a neck (where the strings run along), a belly (the front of the violin), a back, and ribs (the sides of the violin). The other parts of the violin might be harder to recognize. Here is the breakdown: Scroll Violin Scroll. Ivana Stupat / EyeEm / Getty Images The scroll is located at the top of the violin, above the pegbox. It is a decorative part that is usually hand carved into a curved design. Pegbox and Tuning Pegs Off / Getty Images The pegbox is where the tuning pegs are inserted. This is where the strings are attached at the top. The end of the string is inserted into a hole in the peg, which is then wound in order to tighten the string. The pegs are adjusted to tune the violin. Nut musichost / Getty Images Under the pegbox is the nut which has four grooves for each of the strings. Each string sits in one of the grooves to keep the strings evenly spaced. The nut supports the strings so that they are at a good height from the fingerboard. Strings Mayumi Hashi / Getty Images A violin has four strings that are tuned a fifth apart to the following notes: G-D-A-E, from lowest to highest. Strings can be made from different materials, such as aluminum, steel, and gold, as well as animal intestines. Fingerboard 300dpi / Getty Images The fingerboard is a strip of wood glued onto the neck of the violin underneath the strings. When a violinist plays, the player presses down the strings on the fingerboard, thus changing the pitch. Sounding Post Dr. Thoralf Abgarjan / EyeEm / Getty Images Located under the bridge, the sounding post supports the pressure inside the violin. The bridge and sounding post are directly related; when the violin vibrates, the bridge, body, and sounding post vibrates as well. F Holes 109508Liane Riss / Getty Images The F holes are located in the middle of the violin. It is called an "F hole" because the hole is shaped like a cursive "f." After the vibration from the string reverberates within the body of the violin, the sound waves are directed out of the body through the F holes. Altering the F hole, such as its length, can affect the sound of the violin. Bridge Martin Zalba / Getty Images The bridge supports the strings at the lower end of the violin. The position of the bridge is essential as it directly relates to the quality of sound produced by the violin. The bridge is held in place by the strings' tension. When the string vibrates, the bridge also vibrates. The bridge of the violin comes in varying angles of curvature. A smaller angle makes it easier to play two or three strings at the same time. More curved bridges make it easier to hit the right notes without scraping across a wrong string. The bridge also has ridges on it that help to space the strings out evenly. Chin Rest Adrian Pinna / EyeEm / Getty Images While playing, the violinist can use his chin to hold the violin in place. Both hands can be freed up—one hand to move up and down the fingerboard and the other to use a bow. Tailpiece philipimage / Getty Images The tailpiece holds the strings at the bottom of the violin, close to the player's chin, and is attached to the violin with the endpin, a small button on the bottom of the violin.