Sensible Ergonomics: Playing without Pain

I have had an overwhelming demand for instruction on how to approach fiddle playing without causing pain in the neck, shoulders, hands and back. This page is under construction, so please check back later for more info.

Video Series (free)

An outstanding series called Violinist In Balance examines the issues behind sensible ergonmic posture and poses some intelligent solutions. Highly recommended.

Chin Rests

Carl Flesh
Available in two versions, flat or with hump (I like the hump best). Also available in two different hardware mounts: the "Hill-style" mount is more common in Europe, so you can find it if you are ordering from, say, a British retailer. The rest is comfortable, but I wish it were a bit higher.

SAS
Available in 4 different heights, which is awesome. This is a great chin rest; the only reservation I have about it is that the hardware is not implemented well, so you must take care to situate it right on the violin so it doesn't dig into the top of your instrument.

Ohrenform/Berber
A very good design. My only reservation is that it is not as high as I wish it were.

Morowetz
I like the shape of the cup, but it is not high enough out of the box. I modified mine to add 3/4" of height (see pictured).

Strobel
Ditto the Morowetz

Wittner
This is a good design and is the only rest I know of that is hypo-allergenic. Again, this one is a bit too low without modifying it.

You can purchase nearly all of these at http://www.johnsonstring.com

Chin Rest Modifications

The Impressionist is a hard rubber contouring chinrest topper that gives some added height to the chinrest. More than 70% of all people I teach need a higher chinrest than what is available commercially. This is a very cost-effective solution.

A more deluxe and very effective alternative is having one costomized for you by Frisch & Denig. Although expensive, this is ultimately the best way of going, because they actually measure the height of your neck and make the chinrest perfect for you.
www.Chinrests.com

Shoulder Rests

The old fashioned Kun shoulder rests have met their match in a much improved rest call the Mach One. It does a much better job cradling a person's natural body shape. Don't piddle around with the plastic model, the maple model is lighter and aesthetically much more pleasing. Most people will benefit from also purchasing the extra long foot accessory and substituting it for the stock lower foot.