How To Put On A Violin Shoulder Rest
Your violin shoulder residuum: you apply it every day, and then you lot better feel comfortable with it!
Whether you prefer a bulky shoulder rest or no shoulder rest at all, the platonic solution is one that takes you through your practice session no matter what length. In the best-instance scenario, it also doesn't fall on the floor too often…
To make sure you will feel comfortable with your shoulder remainder fix-upwards, I created this essential guide to using a violin shoulder residual. In it, I answer all your questions about shoulder rests, from how to put it on the violin to the pros and cons of playing with and without it, and everything in between.
Read on to learn all you need to know almost using a violin shoulder residual!
Choosing a Violin Shoulder Residue
There are four types of violin shoulder rests that you can choose from:
ane. Pre-shaped Pad Shoulder Rests
Pre-shaped pad shoulder rests are unremarkably adjustable in pinnacle and angle, just have a pre-shaped ergonomic pad every bit a base. The base is mostly made out of plastic. If your shoulder shape matches the pre-shaped pad these rests can feel very comfortable. As there are usually no metal parts in this type of shoulder residual, the cushions tin feel very soft. Violin teachers like to use these shoulder rests for big groups of students as they tin can quickly and easily be positioned on the violin.
TIP: I recommend the pre-shaped shoulder rests for beginners equally the shoulder rests are easily adaptable and already shaped to fit a standard shoulder shape.
2. Flexible Metallic Shoulder Rests
Try using a bendable metal shoulder residuum if you desire greater control over the shape of the trunk of the shoulder rest. These shoulder rests can be bended past hand to arrange the shape of the metal. The downfall about metallic shoulder rests is that information technology can be hard to bend them exactly to your shoulder shape. However, these shoulder rests are sometimes yet preferred by professional person players, considering of the amount of control they requite the violin player over the shape.
TIP: Flexible metal shoulder rests requite the violin thespian the greatest freedom to make ergonomic adjustments. If y'all want to take your time to perfectly customize your rest to your shoulder shape, this is the right selection for you.
3. Pad & Cushion Violin Shoulder Rests
Pad and absorber shoulder rests combine the benefits of having no shoulder balance while giving support to the violin player. This type of rests is great for players that do non want to use a regular shoulder rest, but also don't like the feeling of the violin directly resting on their collarbone.
4. Miscellaneous
Some players apply other mutual household objects such as sponges or towels between the violin and their collarbone to give extra support.
These objects can as well exist used in conjunction with a regular shoulder rest. Some professional players like to play with a shoulder rest and use a towel to protect their neck from touching the metal office of the violin.
If yous already have a shoulder rest, make sure you lot install it on your violin the correct fashion.
How to Put a Shoulder Rest on Your Violin?
Regardless of the make, all rests have a wider curved part and a thinner part. You're going to desire to place the wider side of the rest on the side of the chinrest. If you are using a heart mount chinrest, that means the wider part is on the side of the G string.
The catchy role well-nigh putting a shoulder residuum on a violin is trying non to drop your violin while doing so. Therefore a condom way to exercise this is to:
Stride one. Place the violin on your lap
- Take the time to sit downwardly on the edge of a seat. Your knees out in front of yous.
- Place your violin on your lap with the strings facing up.
Pace 2. Hold the violin between your legs
- Have your violin with both hands and place it between your legs. With the dorsum facing you lot and the scroll pointing to the floor. The torso of the violin volition be pointing toward the ceiling.
- Your legs should fit nicely in the rib area of the violin.
- Squeeze your legs ever so slightly to concur the violin in place.
Footstep 3. Attach the feet of the shoulder rest to the violin
- Take the shoulder rest. Place the wider office onto the same side every bit the mentum rest as mentioned above. Make sure that the rim of the violin fits nicely into the c shape of the anxiety on the rest. Slide the feet of this wider side to a 9′ o clock position.
- Slide the other anxiety onto the exterior of the violin stopping at sound the three'o clock position.
Step iv. Adjust the placement of the anxiety of the shoulder residuum
- Conform it by sliding the feet to an angle that fits your shoulder. Make certain information technology is secure.
- If your shoulders are narrow, move the feet closer to the end pin.
- If you have wider shoulders place the shoulder rest further away from the cease pin, in the middle of the lower body of the violin
TIP: When your shoulder rest is put on correctly and you agree the violin in a way that scroll is pointing to the floor, information technology volition look similar a happy smile 
If the sides of the rest are reversed and incorrect, information technology will look like a pout 
What if you are standing?
If y'all are in a position where sitting downwardly is inconvenient, here is a great video showing how to put on a balance while standing:
Where to Put a Shoulder Residue in a Example?
All violin cases are built differently merely virtually come with a compartments for you to keep your shoulder rest and any other accessories you may take.
Information technology depends on your case which way of storing your shoulder rest is best:
If the violin example has a special identify to insert the shoulder rest
In case the violin case has a special place to store the shoulder rest, put the shoulder rest in the designated compartment.
Depending on the shoulder residue that you chose, your shoulder rest might not perfectly fit in the compartment. In that case y'all might similar to choose to either decrease the superlative of the shoulder rest earlier storing or shop the shoulder rest outside of the case.
TIP: In example your shoulder rest does non fit into the shoulder residuum compartment, you might want to opt for a foldable feet shoulder remainder such every bit the Kun Collapsible.
If the violin case has no special place for the shoulder residuum
If you don't have a compartment in your case, there is usually infinite under the neck of your violin to shop information technology. Rotating the feet of the shoulder rest might be necessary in order to store it.
Some shoulder rests might not fit near under the neck of the violin. In that case you can add your shoulder rest in your sheet music compartment or carry it seperately.
Storing an electrical violin shoulder rest
Electrical violins oft have a full body including a shoulder rest that is non-detachable. In that case, the rest can be kept on the violin when putting it in the case.
If your electric violins have a detachable shoulder residue, yous tin identify it either in the aforementioned mode as a regular violin shoulder rest, or adjacent to the violin as shown on the picture below:
How to Fit and Adjust a Violin Shoulder Residual?
Once you've put your shoulder rest on your violin properly, information technology is time to fit and adjust it so that you can play. To do this, follow the following steps:
Step 1: Adjust the Pad contour
This pace is only applicable to flexible metallic shoulder rests. If your pad is made out of plastic or pre-shaped, direct skip to step 2. If your current shoulder remainder does not lucifer your collarbone, you should consider one that is bendable.
If you lot have a flexible metal shoulder residuum, brand sure the pad of the shoulder balance is following the shape of your collar os. Curve it with your hand and shape it to fit.
Step two: Adjust the Meridian of the Shoulder Residue
Make sure the acme of your remainder is adapted so that you can place your chin on it comfortably.
If you have to bend your spine and lower your mentum to reach it, the shoulder residuum is likewise low. Additionally, if your cervix is stretched upwards so that your head is tilted to the right, the height is likewise high.
Brand sure that the shoulder remainder is placed so that your mentum naturally falls into the chin rest. When you play the violin, your spine should be in a neutral position.
Footstep 3: Tilt the Shoulder Rest to Your Desired Angle
When your balance has a proper tilt, the pad fits completely on your shoulder. If it does not do this completely, you should await for a rest with an adaptable tilt.
Step 4: Adjust the width of the shoulder balance
The width is the angle of the rest while on the violin. This would be how far or how close to the tailpiece you lot've fastened the feet. If you lot have narrow shoulders, the feet are closer to the tailpiece at the base. So your angle is slightly different from a player with a wider shoulder. Someone with wider shoulders would have the anxiety attached to the sides of the torso.
Is a Shoulder Rest Necessary?
Technically information technology is not necessary to apply a shoulder rest. But it really makes playing a lot more comfortable. If y'all discover yourself needing to enhance your left shoulder to concord the violin, and then you need a shoulder rest.
Short History of the Shoulder Rest
There was a time when you didn't need to decide whether to use a violin shoulder or chin residual. Because neither was invented yet!
When was the violin shoulder residuum invented?
The mentum rest was invented in 1820 by Louis Spohr. Following the chin residuum, the shoulder rest appeared in the 20th century. Before that, violinists would utilise handkerchiefs and pads to help hold the violin in place.
Who invented the violin shoulder rest?
At first, a bent wire was connected to the chin rest. You can run into an example on the prototype beneath, in Frederick W. Becker's United states patent no. 775,792, 22nd Nov 1904. Just a few years later Gustav 50. Becker patented another version of a chin and shoulder rest combination – The states patent no. 908,541 dated on 5th January 1909.
But, the credit for the first stand up-alone shoulder rest goes to Erno Mier Goldberg from Israel. The date of the patent is 19th September 1950.
Here is an paradigm of the original sketch Erno gave with his request to the U.South. patent role on 21st December 1948:
Why was the shoulder rest invented ?
The simple reason or goal of the shoulder rest is to assistance concord the violin. It adds top and helps forbid your instrument from slipping. This in plough, will help ease chronic pain that many violinists experience. Players with a longer neck tend to lift their shoulder to hold the violin in identify when playing without a residual. Using a shoulder balance would prevent them from doing so.
What Are the Pros and Cons of Playing With and Without a Shoulder Residual?
Practice Professional Violinists Use a Shoulder Balance?
There are professional violinists who practice use a rest, and some who play without.
Violinists who play without a shoulder residue
Violinists who play with a shoulder residual
A Final Notation
With the proper fit, a violin shoulder residuum can brand playing feel more comfortable! This allows you freedom from worrying about your violin slipping.
Choosing a shoulder rest is a very personal decision. Your chin rest should work well with your shoulder rest. That means information technology may take some trial and error to find out what works for you.
Some violinists fifty-fifty find more physical liberty when playing by choosing not to use a shoulder rest.
If you can, go to a local music store and try out several unlike shoulder rests. A good music shop will offering y'all to try out unlike shoulder rests and even spare parts if needed. If you don't have a music shop nearby, check out my buying guide with production reviews.
Whatever you lot make up one's mind, choose what is the most comfy for you.
Savor your calendar week of practice alee!
Do you utilise a shoulder rest? Or do you play without? Comment below. I would love to know what helped you lot make your decision, and how pleased you are with it!
Source: https://violinspiration.com/the-essential-guide-to-using-a-violin-shoulder-rest/
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