Best products from r/Viola

As with any instrument, scales and arpeggios are key. Hone them just 5 mins a day and you'll see really great improvements in everything else. Try to vary which part of the bow and the different styles while you are at that as well.

Back in middle school/high school (when my parents paid for everything.. how I miss those days... wish I could afford one now), I had a private viola teacher who played with a big city symphony orchestra. All the lessons usually revolved around excerpts from each of the following:

Suzuki Viola School

Wohlfahrt - 60 Studies

Kreutzer - 42 Studies

Hoffmeister - 12 etudes

Also try to find a regular community orchestra, and some small gigs to play around Christmas time to hone your performance art skills as well.

I use a Kun shoulder rest; been using one for decades. It's pretty basic, but it works for me.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0009JMW9E/


I remember in school a lot of people modding their shoulder rests (to help with support, non-slip, etc.) with some makeup sponges, likes these:
https://www.amazon.com/Fantasea-Extra-Thick-Cosmetic-Sponge/dp/B000NJ00DK/ref=sr_1_4_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1538078388&sr=8-4&keywords=red+makeup+sponges+round

Chin up, playing badly at a seating audition doesn't mean YOU are worthless, it just means you didn't play as well as you wanted. What's important is that you enjoy your journey of playing and practicing.

This can be a positive experience that may help you reflect on your practice strategies, and day to day goals on the viola.
Regarding nervousness, I strongly recommend this book. There's nothing really violin specific. Literally EVERYTHING applies to the viola as well:
http://www.amazon.com/Stage-Fright-Its-Causes-Cures/dp/1849380759/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1421118572&sr=8-1&keywords=kato+havas+stage+fright&pebp=1421118575285&peasin=1849380759

Spelled rosin with an I :)

Everybody has their own preference on rosin, but I personally like Andrea rosin for solo viola because it's nice and sticky. https://www.amazon.com/Andrea-Rosin-Solo-Viola-Full/dp/B00636XZ9S

3 important ?: Are you going to take lessons? Can you rent? are there instrument dealers with knowledgeable players and luthiers close to you?

educate yourself about the instrument, and realize you'll need a decent bow and case, and a few accessories. These're pretty good

• (there's no viola for Dummies http://www.amazon.com/Violin-For-Dummies-2nd-Edition/dp/1118273591
  
  

• http://www.tipbook.com/index.php?lang=en&Itemid=642
  
  haven't seen these, but they're probably good
  http://store.allthingsstrings.com/pages/series
  
  -------
  
  the post from luthier rabid_chicken about instrument setup and why it's not cheap (well, it's cheaper than a cello but still not cheap:
  
  http://www.reddit.com/r/Cello/comments/2nt724/high_school_student_cello_on_a_budget/
  
  

When I worked in a violin shop, I wouldn't have even charged you for it, since you're bringing your own chinrest. It takes like 5 minutes at the most. But if you want to do it yourself, the tool is really cheap too. It's very easy, especially since you can't really mess up center placement.

You can order Fingerboard tape, that is a thing, look it up. But I wouldn't bother if you're in America, there are places to order, I'll link them down below. I always got them from my teacher, but she just bought the actual tape. PLEASE DONT PUT ACTUAL TAPE ON THERE. It sounds stupid but when I hired a replacement Viola from this Orchestra development, the fingerboard had stickynotes secured with tape for the markings.
https://www.simplyforstrings.com.au/products/fingerboard-tape-silver-3mm-x-9-8m
https://www.amazon.com/Mark-Set-Instrument-Fingerboard-Tape/dp/B0016OMSYU
https://violinsaustralia.com.au/collections/fingerboard-tapes/products/v-a-fingerboard-tape
https://www.johnsonstring.com/cgi-bin/music/scripts/violin-viola-cello-music.cgi?file=fingertape&select1=Fingerboard+Tape <-------I think my teacher buys this one.

Barbara Barber has a decent "scaled-down" version of the Flesch book that is fairly comprehensive, puts all of the arpeggio and interval details on two facing pages without the rhythms written in, and works well for most players who haven't reached the Bartok, Hindemith, Walton level of intensity yet:

https://www.amazon.com/Scales-Advanced-Violists-Barbara-Barber/dp/0757941699/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_14_img_2?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=N5CKZNNHC7GSD1EC9TJY

It's actually the Cecilio, listed at 179.99

https://www.amazon.com/Cecilio-CVA-500-Solidwood-DAddario-Prelude/dp/B00EOYKETU/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1499706531&sr=8-4&keywords=14+inch+viola

Someone transcribed the famous Carl Flesch Scale System for Viola.

https://www.amazon.com/DLuca-VV200-14-Viola-Shoulder-14-Inch/dp/B004R8WRCA That is the shoulder rest I use. Also, if you can find a community orchestra, you can learn from an orchestra.

Larsen (A String) AMAZON

You can find them on amazon these days, just be wary of crappy knock offs.

Bow-Right for 1/4 - 1/2 Violin - Teaching Tool and Training Accessory https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000E3WXG2/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_l4ayDbCKC6464