Fun Fact: It's important to mention also that the front of the violin is 99.9% of the time made with two pieces of spruce, usually identical and from the same cut, and thus the seam is harder to see owing to the vertical grain.

The Poly-Pad seems to be marketed towards children and those wanting a more ergonomic setup. It’s sold in many sizes. The materials that a shoulder rest is made of will determine how durable and comfortable that shoulder rest will be. Fun fact: The word "projection" also describes the height of the fingerboard and bridge to each other. The versatility of Bonmusica’s shoulder rests allowsthem to easily stand out among the many other shoulder rests that are on the market.The Poly-Pad is available from Potter Violins and Michael Kimber. Best Viola Shoulder Rests for Different Needs If you’re a beginner… If you are in a situation where you are required to carry two instruments around – a violinand a viola perhaps or two violins if you use one for teaching purposes, it will make your life so much easier to have both in one case.

A double violin or violin/viola combination case is a must for any musician living the hectic lifestyle of the 21st century! Modern combination cases are strong, light and compact, and often can accommodate up to eight bows as well.

Caution: Be careful, much of the cheap violin market has fake, painted-on stripes to mimic the appearance of purfling that later wears off! Countless buyers have fled to my shop after being deceived by incompetent or lying competitors. Rest assured, every single one of my instruments have real inlaid purfling.Helpful Hint: Fiddleheads includes complimentary inspection gloves with our instrument trials as a customer courtesy. Buy a KUN SUPER. These shoulder rests adjust on a SLIDE mechanism, not in predetermined screw holes….giving it much FINER adjustment options. Normally, the regular KUN works, unless you have an odd-sized violin. Many of the older instruments are just off by a millimeter, because their edges have worn down with wear and tear. This is the case for my old fiddle. One size is too tight, the other size makes it fall off. If I bought a KUN SUPER, I could adjust slightly smaller, and it would stay on. After developing tennis elbow on the left side and dental problems from clenching my jaw to clamp the vioin steady, the penny finally dropped that my playing position had deteriorated badly over the years I had been playing. I researched violinist injuries and the name of this shoulder rest came up as a possible solution. It took 20-30 minutes from opening the bow to find a comfortable combination of settings to get the position right, but the instructions were very clear and helpful. Then when I started playing I was amazed! The violin was suddenlly weightless, supporting itself on my shoulder! I could use my fingers so much more freely, not having to worry about supporting the vioin. It was in a very different position from where I usually played it and this took a little getting used to especially with the bow hand but my tennis elbow disappeared overnight, muscle tension in my shoulders vanished and my tone therefore improved. I have stopped clenching my jaw while playing and hope to see the benefits on my teeth too! I am now saving up for the same rest for my viola. I will not be returning to a standard rest. There is a range of possibilities from the very traditional to the very modern. A traditional rest typically features an ergonomic curve that suits the anatomical structure of a persons' shoulder. Grades or Levels - The various tiers of quality in instruments. Fiddleheads sells workshop (handmade by a handful of makers) and bench (handmade by one maker) violins. Some shops sell factory level (mass produced and machine-made) instruments, but I do not. Fiddleheads is all about quality, attention to detail and multi-generational longevity.

Violins are not wide enough to fully cover the distancesbetween the collarbones of some violinists and their jawlines. Eye - The decorative circle of usually inlaid metal and/or mother of pearl on both sides of the frog. This design is also often present on the fingerboard, the outside edges of pegs and sometimes on the endpin itself. Fun Fact: Virtuoso violinist and conductor Pinchas Zukerman is also a world-class violist. Read my up-close interview of him here The viola is already somewhat unnatural and difficult to get used to holding, and I think starting out with a shoulder rest really helps, and is the way to go for most people. Everest Shoulder Rest – What I UseFun Fact: Some novelty violins use mother of pearl or other materials but the tone of these instruments is almost always secondary to the aesthetics as such materials usually add bulk and limit vibrations. I used this when I auditioned at grad schools. What I like about the Poly-Pad is that it’s essentially weightless, and it feels like holding the viola without a shoulder rest, except more comfortable. so what should i know abt this shoulder rest? will it fix my squeezing problems? are there any other shoulder rests that i should try or that might be better than the bonmusica?

Fun Fact: Violin strings were formerly made from stretched dried sheep intestines (called gut strings), but later evolved to options made from metal wire and metal wrapped around wire or nylon core. The finest strings on the market are those with a synthetic core and wound with fine metals like silver and gold.Camber - The condition of being in the curved shape of an arch. Violin family bows all have a subtle vertical camber. It allows the bow to have a spring and to provide a range of control and expression. Baroque bows have a different camber than classical/modern bows. Pro Tip: When choosing a case consider if you want to use it short-term or for many years. A strong, quality case will save your instrument from a drop or impact at some point; I speak from much experience as a player and a teacher! Rain Fly - This is the flap of durable fabric that, similar to a tent fly, covers the zipper and protects the opening of the case from getting wet. All my Fiddleheads' brand of cases all have some manner of rain fly, with some having a partial-length rain fly just covering under the handle where the zippers meet, and others having a full-length rain fly covering the entire edge of the case.