the biggest part of the violin is the wooden body. this acts as a resonating box. it makes the vibrating strings sound louder. many of the parts of the violin are named after parts of the body. the front is called the “belly”. the back is called the “back”. the sides are the “ribs”. the strings go from near the top of the “neck” down the “fingerboard” and on to the “tail piece”. the strings go across the bridge halfway between the end of the fingerboard and the tailpiece. the bridge is not fixed onto the violin. it is held in place by the strings. the strings keep it in place because they are so tight. if the strings are completely loosened, the bridge will not stay on. the bridge helps to send the vibrations of the strings down to the body of the instrument. inside the body there is a “soundpost”. this is a small piece of wood. it looks like a small finger. it goes from the belly to the back. the soundpost is also held in place by the strings. in the middle of the belly there are two long, curved holes. they are called “f holes”. this is because of their shape. the top of the strings are wound around pegs. the violin can be tuned by turning the pegs. the very top of the neck is called the scroll. violins today also have a chinrest. this helps to hold the violin against the player's shoulder. a shoulder rest can also be used. these are now made of foam. they have special legs to hold them on to the violin. many beginners prefer to use a sponge and an elastic band instead.