Shoulder Rest

Home › Forums › Fiddle Lesson Forum › Fiddle Setup and Repair › Shoulder Rest

Tagged: 

Viewing 11 reply threads
  • Author
    Posts
    • March 9, 2015 at 9:03 AM #5108
      Patti
      Participant

      Casey,
      I am always on the look out for the ‘right’ shoulder rest. I noticed that you are able to play with your neck pretty straight (as opposed to bent over a little). Is it because of the shoulder rest you use? If so, what can you share the brand of shoulder rest? How about Hanneke. What rest does she prefer.

      thanks
      patti

    • March 9, 2015 at 8:11 PM #5110
      Roland White
      Moderator

      Hi Patti, Roland White Forum Moderator here. Regarding Shoulder Rests for a lot of folks its a work in progress. Most of them are built pretty much the same way so its a matter of being able to try a variety of them to see what works for you. I think Casey likes the Wolfe if I remember correctly, I’m sure he will chime in on this and correct me if I’m wrong. A good shoulder rest can make all the difference in playing in comfort without causing injury pain and stress. Personally I didn’t find the best shoulder rest for me until I discovered the Bon Musica Shoulder rest which is highly adjustable. It has a soft metal that can be molded to fit your shoulder and body for close contact and comfort. Until I was able to try it I had a serious clutching problem which caused hand stress and gripping problems which affected my playing. Once you find the one that works for you it enables one to play in a more relaxed manner and keep from developing tightness in the arms, shoulders, neck and upper body. If you can go to a high quality violin shop with a lot of choices you can try before you buy to get the best fit. Thanks For your post, Good luck and let us know how it goes. Roland

    • March 9, 2015 at 8:50 PM #5111
      Casey Willis
      Keymaster

      Hi, Patti. I think a well-adjusted shoulder rest can definitely help to reduce neck strain. I use a Wolfe Forte Segundo. I’ll check in with Hanneke to see what she uses.

    • March 10, 2015 at 4:37 AM #5112
      Patti
      Participant

      Thank you Roland & Casey,
      I will be interested in knowing which rest Hanneke uses as well. This is an interesting discussion for me as it further shows me how a shoulder rest boils down to an individual preference. However I have never heard of the Bon Musica or Wolfe shoulder rests until yesterday.

      I don’t have access to a violin shop, this pocket of Montana offers very little. However, I have an idea of how I can try out several different rests. I currently switch between using a KUN and a Viva. Both were purchased early in my violin playing journey. I’ve always felt something is lacking in how they fit my shoulder area.

      I believe there is a stringed instrument business that will let me order and try several returning those unsuitable so once I know what Hanneke uses I will look it up as well.

      Thank you very much!

      Patti

    • March 10, 2015 at 7:29 PM #5116
      Roland White
      Moderator

      Hi Patti, Here is a link to a youtube video showing how the Bon Musica is adjusted and works. It might help you decide if it is worth trying. There are many good ones but I firmly believe this is the most adjustable one for fit and comfort I have found. Check it out.
      Here is the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cwO8-4vLaIo
      Good luck with your search. Roland

    • March 10, 2015 at 8:49 PM #5117
      Casey Willis
      Keymaster

      Patti – I talked with Hanneke. She uses a Playonair rest. There you go…good luck!

    • March 11, 2015 at 7:04 PM #5119
      Roland White
      Moderator

      Hi Patti, I just looked up the Playonair rest and it looks like a good concept. Let me know if you try it out. thanks Roland

    • March 12, 2015 at 8:01 AM #5120
      Patti
      Participant

      Roland & Casey,

      Thanks again for the replies. I will look at the youtube video on the Bonmusica and will also investigate the Playonair. It is always fun to look at and try new violin ‘stuff’. It may take a bit to make my decision on which rest to go with but will try to update you as soon as I’ve done so.
      all my best,
      patti

    • March 12, 2015 at 5:44 PM #5121
      Roland White
      Moderator

      Thanks Patti, We will be interested in which one works the best for you. Thanks for checking in. Roland

    • March 21, 2015 at 9:47 AM #5140
      Patti
      Participant

      Okay. So I have an update. After doing some research into all 3 types I went ahead and ordered the Bonmusica. I have been using it and I must say it provides enough adjustment for me to get a fit that does not cramp my neck and I swear my violin resonates much louder. So far I am quite happy with it! Thanks guys for your help. Also, since I am on here I also want to mention that I love having a membership to fiddlevideo. This is like having my own teacher available any hour of the day. I have learned so much already!! And, I can’t wait to keep learning through the website.

      Patti

      • March 23, 2015 at 6:35 PM #5144
        Casey Willis
        Keymaster

        Awesome update, Patti! And thanks so much for that feedback. Very happy to hear you are enjoying membership! Stay in touch.

    • March 23, 2015 at 5:33 PM #5143
      Roland White
      Moderator

      Hi Pattie, Thanks so much for checking back in and letting us hear about your good results. Makes me happy to hear your playing without any neck shoulder or arm stress and your fiddle is resonating better too. Thanks for your positive comments for FiddleVideo, I agree with you 100%. You will be hearing your own improvement very soon if not already if you follow Casey’s excellent teaching methodology. Check in with us again as you continue to gain relaxation and improvement in your playing, we appreciate your comments. Best regards, Roland

    • October 28, 2015 at 7:51 PM #6219
      Scott
      Participant

      Hello every one, I currently do not use a shoulder rest, I bought a cheep violin and started teaching my self how to play. Later I found out about shoulder rest and bought one I couldn’t get used to it, but maybe I didn’t give it a chance. What are the benefits of a shoulders rest beside a straight neck? And how do I put a picture in my profile picture spot?

      • October 29, 2015 at 9:34 PM #6224
        Casey Willis
        Keymaster

        Hi again, Scott. So one benefit I have noticed from using a shoulder rest is that my violin resonates much more richly since I’m not dampening the vibrations of the back plate. My box feels more alive when using a rest. And that’s coming from a player who chose not to use one for several years.

        As far as uploading a profile pic, we currently have a conflict with our plugins and have contacted developers to resolve this issue. I understand that it will be resolved in the next release of the forum plugin that we use.

        In the mean time, I’ll email you and you can send me the picure you would like for your profile…I’ll be happy to update your profile on the site back end. Take care!!

      • November 16, 2015 at 7:51 PM #6290
        Casey Willis
        Keymaster

        Update, Scott. Due to the continued conflict with our forum plugin, the photo uploader is not available. However, I’ve enabled a webhook so a Gravitar will be pulled in to be your profile pic. If you would like, you can upload a profile pic to http://en.gravatar.com/ using the same email you signed up with for this site, and the forum will pull that picture in.

        It’s not the final solution, but at least a work-around for right now. Thanks!!

  • Author
    Posts
Viewing 11 reply threads
  • You must be logged in to reply to this topic.