How to Choose a Violin Shoulder Rest
Choosing a violin shoulder rest can be rather difficult, mainly because many teachers and articles don’t recommend buying them at all. Because violin rests were only recently introduced there is some dispute as to whether they should be used and what the benefits and drawbacks to using them are. This article aims to stop all this confusion and provide you with all the information you require to make the right choice for you.
Violin shoulder rests usually fall within two different types, soft and rigid. Let’s look at each in turn to figure out which will suit your needs. Soft rests are bladders shaped out of sponges or foam pieces, the amount of air within these bladders can be adjusted to suit the preference of the player. A soft rest will generally be more comfortable and will help the player adopt a more relaxed and natural body position because they are not being locked into a position. The only downside to using a soft violin shoulder rest is that they have been known to affect the sound produced by the instrument; this is caused by the pressure exerted on the back of the violin buy the soft pad.
A rigid violin rest works in very much the same way as the aforementioned type, however, these rests use feet to connect to the sides of the instrument and a bar to lock onto the feet. A rigid violin shoulder rest is sturdier than a soft one, but many players don’t like the idea of being locked into position by a mechanism. The great thing about using a rigid rest is that there are so many brands, each with slightly different shapes, which ensures that you can find the perfect model to match your body type. The vast amount of models means you can purchase a rest which facilitates everything from the length of your neck to your shoulder width.
Kun violin rests usually fit most players’ body shapes reasonably well. Kun actually invented the very first shoulder rests which functioned using attaching feet. A good Kun violin shoulder rest will cost anything from £20-£30 ($30-$40), although there are more expensive models are available it really isn’t necessary to spend that much on one. Alternatively you may prefer using a Wolf violin shoulder rest, many taller players prefer using rests from this brand. The curve on these models can often be bent to suit the needs of the players which can help you find a comfortable position to play in. The only drawback to using one of these models is that many users have described them as too rigid and don’t allow players to shift position as easily. Wolf shoulder rests usually start out at a little cheaper than the aforementioned brand, the most basic models start at around £18 ($30).
The only way to find the best shoulder rest for you is to try and test out as many different brands as possible. You should look for comfort in a violin shoulder rest above all else. If you’re intent on purchasing a rigid rest you should make sure it has feet and that the pads rest comfortably and securely on your collar bone and shoulder. If this is your first shoulder rest I wouldn’t advise spending more than £30 on it, you may find that it isn’t quite the perfect fit after all and you won’t want to spend a lot of money on a piece of a equipment that you will need to replace after a few sessions.
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Tagged With Kun violin shoulder rest, rigid rests, Shoulder rest for violin, Soft rests, soft violin rest, Violin Shoulder Rest, Violin shoulder rests, Wolf violin shoulder rest
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