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Hello everyone!
I just bought my Viola but the tuning pegs roll back when I try to tune it, it is normal?
they don't stay where I place them, they always roll back due to the strings tension even if I move them a little, what can I do?
I have push them hard, so it is not easy for me to tune it, also the strings are new 
it is so difficult!! 
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Felioxo said
Hello everyone!
I just bought my Viola but the tuning pegs roll back when I try to tune it, it is normal?
they don't stay where I place them, they always roll back due to the strings tension even if I move them a little, what can I do?
I have push them hard, so it is not easy for me to tune it, also the strings are new
it is so difficult!!
Felioxo,
Try pushing the peg in while turning it. The pegs are tapered (getting narrower towards the tip) and are designed to stick by the friction of being pushed into the scroll. If your peg still won't hold, you can try chalk, pencil lead (graphite), or a product called "peg drops" to add friction to your peg. It should hold after a light application.
Hope this helps! 
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Did you get them to stick now? If not, you can get some peg drops on Fiddlershop.com
Usually it is enough to press them in hard while tuning though. The purpose of peg drops is to make the pegs slightly sticky.
Good luck
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I saw this thread a few days ago. I just bought a new viola 6 days ago and am having a very similar problem; it will get out of tune after sitting for just a couple hours. So I read the advice above, twisted the pegs in hard as I tuned each string, and I don't think the pegs are slipping, but what else could it be??? Is it just the nature of the instrument? My instructor said that viola strings really stretch quite a bit, but I've had to re-tune this thing 9 times in 5 days (probably only a total of 5 hours of play).
FM - is using peg drops okay for the pegs? It doesn't cause the pegs to become so "stuck" that you need heavy equipment to tune?
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New strings will take a few days and quite a few tunings before they start to stay in tune for any period of time. Even after that, though, temperature, humidity and other factors will affect your tuning. You should expect to have to "touch up" the tune on your viola a bit every time you play.
I know I do.
As for the peg drops, they just add a little extra friction to keep the pegs from slipping. Used sparingly, they shouldn't cause you any trouble.
My Two Cents...
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Thanks HeadCheese for the insight. Yeah, whether it be my violin or viola, I always fine tune it everytime I pick it up; it's just that the viola was always WAY out of tune.
However, just yesterday and today, the magnitude of tuning has diminished significantly, so I'm expecting it's just new strings stretching. Thanks again!
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