As the holidays approach it may be time to take advantage of seasonal sales and surprise the budding string player in your life (maybe even yourself) with a new instrument. First things first though. What size? A string teacher can size students the best, taking into consideration their arm and finger lengths, and the breadth of their left hand knuckles. If you don’t have a teacher handy you can use the following charts to get a good idea about what size violin or viola you need whether the instrument’s for a child or an adult.

Violin Sizing:

To determine the correct size violin needed, first have the student extend his or her left arm out at shoulder height, palm up, about 45 degrees out to the side, as if playing a violin. Measure the length from the base of the neck to the center of the palm and consult the following chart to determine the suggested size. Though most adults will need a 4/4 size violin, if you are relatively short, with short arms and small hands, you should measure to make sure a 4/4 size won’t be too big for you. (Note: There is such thing as a 7/8 size violin that is between a 3/4 and 4/4 size. Rare, but something to consider for the smaller adult. A 4/4 size bow should be used in this case.)

In general, if the student is bordering between two violin sizes, unless he or she is in a growth spurt, go with the smaller size.

The next two considerations, finger length and knuckle breadth, are entirely subjective but are especially helpful to in making a decision when a student is bordering between two violin sizes. Check the student’s finger length and determine if they seem short, average, or long for the student’s hand and body type. If they seem short or average and the student is bordering between two sizes go with the smaller size. It will make playing much easier! To be even more accurate, consider if the student has a narrow or a broad hand across the knuckles. A student with a narrow hand and short fingers should definitely consider a smaller size if he or she is bordering between two sizes. A narrow hand with long fingers might be fine on a larger violin and a broad hand with long fingers might be better off on a larger instrument or even a viola.

Viola Sizing:

Viola sizes aren’t so standard as violin sizing. Rather then the fractional sizes we find with violins, violas are sized by measuring their bodies. Acoustics-wise the viola is a more temperamental beast then the violin - it needs to have a big enough sound chamber to provide good resonance for it’s lower voice, but also needs to be playable. Children often play violins strung as violas and in general, to get a good tone, the student should get the biggest viola he or she can play comfortably.

For viola sizing please use the following chart and the guidelines described in the violin sizing section above.

Please let me know if you have any violin, viola, fiddle, music biz, or practice related questions you’d like answered in the blog or on a podcast, or have a story or insight to share. Also, if you’d like to share additional information, or perhaps get some violin, viola, or fiddle coaching or lessons with me in person or via Skype, please email me at laurel@laurelthomsen.com. You can also post your success story, comments, or suggestions to my Facebook music page at www.facebook.com/laurelthomsenmusic.

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