8/17/2014

Things To Consider In Choosing Violin Chinrest Styles

By Linda Ruiz


A chinrest is a carved piece of wood or a molded plastic that is attached to the body of a violin to properly position the jaw and chin on the instrument. There are a lots of material a chinrest can be made, the most common ones are made up of ebony, rosewood or plastic. This attachment is now already considered as a standard part of a violin due to benefit it provides.

Depending on what your playing position is, the chinrest will provide you that needed stability for a better performance. In finding a chinrest that perfectly fits you, it often needs a trial and error like procedure. But having the knowledge about the differences between the various types of violin chinrest styles can lower down the time and effort you might need to consume. In this article, we will know more about it.

Since there are various types of rests, it is a good idea to select one that you think suits your jaws perfectly well. Generally, selecting is contingent upon the length of your arms as well as your overall comfort. Improper selection can greatly affect the performance due to the constraints it may provide.

For violinists that have shorter arms or an individual who has narrow shoulders, perfectly benefit with the across the tailpiece one. This sort of rest will help position the central part of the violin close enough to the left shoulder. This will decrease the distance the left arm much reach for it to be able to play the instrument properly.

You also have to consider its curvature. For players who have jaws that are bonier, it is a good idea to choose a chinrest that has defined curves. On the other hand, if you are one of the individual who has fleshier jaws, a longer and low ridge will best fits you. Selecting an appropriate curvature will lower down the likelihood of developing sores on your jaw and some other injuries.

Keep in mind that if a rest does not properly fits you, it can create skin sores and strains in your muscles. Having a device that will help you hold the violin hands free is a very important thing specially if you are performing in a longer duration. It also prevents you from developing fiddlers neck.

A fiddlers neck or also known as a violin hickey is a condition that usually distinguished by redness and inflammation on the left side of the neck of an individual. Generally, the main cause of this condition is constant friction and pressure. In a violinist community, they usually call this as battle scars which indicates a skill of an individual due to constant practice.

Although there are some other factors you need to consider, it is by far the most important ones that you need to know. If you are a person with sensitive skin, then choosing a rest that is hypoallergenic metal should be your primary choice. Alternatively, you can also use plastic hardware.

Overall, comfortability should always be your primary concern. Even though it is not that expensive but still you are comfortable, then go for it. If you are still unsure of what chinrests to choose, you might need to seek for professional help.




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