Friday, July 18, 2014

Choosing Between Different Violin Chinrest Styles

By Marylou Forbes


Violinists have used chin rests to free left hands in order to concentrate on strings. Violin chinrest styles vary and are useful in enhancing sound quality beyond assisting the violinist to improve on his technical skills. These accessories have been instrumental in assisting players to better their skills. Instrumentalists have customized the accessories to fit individual styles.

The style differs from one violinist to the other. It is majorly a matter of training and musical composition. Making the right choice improves the quality of sound produced beyond helping the player to master his skills. There is better balance between the collarbone and left hand when the instrument is positioned in the right way.

It is possible to identify instances where the chin rest is not properly positioned. The violinist experiences body aches as well as clenching challenges. This is easily observed after a prolonged time with your instrument. The violin exerts unnecessary pressure because it is positioned at the same place for too long.

There is a great deal of discomfort if the positioning is not right. It is not advisable to tilt the head in any direction in order to accommodate any position. This approach reduces your ability to master technical skills and is likely to prevent you from attaining professional levels. The violinist will not achieve professional performance.

Sound quality is easily affected by the manner of clipping the rest. The styles vary from one violinist to the other. Classical violinists did not use the caps. These caps were introduced later and had a transformational effect on flexibility and dexterity in play. They made fingering boards easier to access.

It is advisable that violinists with oily skins should use caps. This is aimed at protecting the board from damage as the varnish is eaten away. Personal preference plays a crucial part in determining the style to be used. There are clear differences from one style to the next and interpretations of comfort.

It takes time and attention to identify the best cap for you and the right position. Clipping of rests is either done on the left or center of the board. This is largely an individual effort. The best position is adopted during practice where the guidance of an experienced tutor is highly recommended. This will help the instrumentalist to achieve full potential depending on the music.

Freeing the left arm that comes with use of a cap helps violinists to master their technical skills. It takes pressure of the neck and jaws allowing better mastery of fingering. This means that the violinist can master technical skills and improve on his style of play. There is likelihood to develop a bump on the neck after several hours of continuous play.

Sound quality and its production are affected by how the chin rest is clipped. Eating too much into the body reduces vibration which in turn affects sound depth and resonance. It should be the concern of every violinist that clipping is done to perfection. The caps have been effectively used to adapt instruments that are either too small or too big.

Chin rests have been used to make instruments more fashionable. Violinists have chosen complementary colors and patterns to customize the caps. Any modification must not affect sound quality.




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