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I'm relearning the fiddle after 20 year hiatus. (I never should have quit.) I have tried several chin rests and a Strad Pad (which is excellent, and helps), but all of them give me serious pain my jaw bone. Yesterday I decided to try playing with no chin rest. My teacher told me that historically, particularly in the Baroque period, chin rests were not used. I really like playing with no chin rest.
Does anyone else here play without a chin rest? I'd like to swap information because I have only been relearning for two months.
I've given it a try now and then, but always go back to the chin rest. But go with whatever works for you; that's what you do in fiddling ... !
I've been playing without a chin rest for a few years now. No problems to speak of, I much prefer it that way.
I'd like to not use a shoulder rest but always go back to it. But while I'm practicing, I hold it down at my breast and lean on my knee. That's my favorite way to play because I can really hear the fiddle with both ears.
I truly appreciate my chin and shoulder rests. It's a distinct help, not to mention pleasure, to have my fiddle hover in the perfect position to achieve the best, tone, comfort, ease and pitch accuracy in my playing. The devices pretty much do away with any chin, neck, shoulder, arm and wrist pain. It's a pleasure not to have to scrunch down my chin or tire out my left hand and arm holding the instrument up. They make it much easier to travel up the neck or apply vibrato when I feel the urge to do so.
I got ride of my chin rest and shoulder rest. I have a gimbal mounted on the back of the fiddle going to a flat piece of padded plastic and a strap similar to the Ithaca Strings stap made of elastic webbing and cord. Let's the fiddle rest on my chest in a semi "down low" position and away from my face. Sort of a compromise between the classical position I learned as a kid and the needs of an old man. Makes bowing a lot easier for me.
I play with no chin rest. I wasted my money trying a lot of different ones and finally figured out my chin, neck, collar bone, etc. do not like ANY chin rests or shoulder rests...I play without any of that junk...lol. That's just me. I also do not like fine tuners...now I have geared tuners on to make cross tuning easier, but I played cross tunings for years, and even in a band, without fine tuners or geared tuners. I just don't hardware, gizmos, excess stuff...I just go with bare necessities...but that's just me...I'm no pro or expert, just a back porch fiddler and barely even that.
I have a whole draw full of chinrests and shoulder rests and pads, collected over decades of playing. But did finally find the Goldilocks set up for me. And that makes all the difference, once you find that for yourself, whether its no chin or shoulder rest, or some variation of one or the other.
I learned to play with a low chinrest or shoulder rest when I was in 6th grade. Had a long hiatus and coming back, have found I need a very high chinrest (I have a tall neck) plus shoulder rest. But each person is different and can make their own choices based on what is comfortable or works best for them. There are many chinrests and shoulder rests. You'd be spending a fortune if you tried combinations of all of them. I read reviews and make the best of what I order and its working at the moment. Our bodies change over time, so we can adjust what we use as needed.
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Originally posted by wrench13I have a whole draw full of chinrests and shoulder rests and pads, collected over decades of playing. But did finally find the Goldilocks set up for me. And that makes all the difference, once you find that for yourself, whether its no chin or shoulder rest, or some variation of one or the other.
It's a challenge to figure out what works for you, especially because a bad setup doesn't always show itself immediately. Pain in shoulder, back, neck etc sometimes doesn't show up until you have played for several hours -- or even days. So you can't solve the problem by going to the music store and trying six different chin rests or shoulder rests. And I also ended up with a collection of shoulder and chin rests that didn't work out for me.
I finally discovered a setup that works perfectly -- one specific model of chin rest and no shoulder rest. But what do I do with all those devices that didn't work out for me?
And why is it that mandolin and guitar were so much easier to set up for comfortable playing?
I have a chin rest, but do not grip very tightly with my chin. However, I found that when wearing a sweater, the instrument started to slip. I designed a piece of rough out leather which fits on the chin rest and gives me more friction between the instrument and my sweater. The only adaption I did after i made these photos is to generate two small holes at one the metal chin rest holders and use a baggy tie, or a piece of dental floss, to keep it more stable.
I adopted your rough-out leather patch solution a few months ago and it works great. I punched two little holes to fit it on to the chin rest bracket so it is permanently attached. . I don't like the complication of a shoulder rest and the patch allows me to hold the fiddle on my shoulder with no hands and minimal pressure from my jaw. Great idea -- simple and effective.
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Originally posted by carlbI have a chin rest, but do not grip very tightly with my chin. However, I found that when wearing a sweater, the instrument started to slip. I designed a piece of rough out leather which fits on the chin rest and gives me more friction between the instrument and my sweater. The only adaption I did after i made these photos is to generate two small holes at one the metal chin rest holders and use a baggy tie, or a piece of dental floss, to keep it more stable.
That's pretty similar to the "Chin Chum" that Bill Weaver invented back in the day. I still come across one every so often.
I can't imagine why your jawbone would hurt - you shouldn't be clamping down on it at all. Essential the fiddle balances on your shoulder area and your chin just catches it to set up that counter balance lever. I often make no contact with my chin, just balancing with the left hand and the shoulder rest. I need the shoulder rest, long neck and need it to make occasional chin contact if I'm shifting to a higher position.
I don't usually use the chinrest; I put my chin more or less on the other side of the tailpiece. That's something that I gradually migrated to. I used to get a lot of upper back pain from trying to play fiddle.
You might check out a book called Before The Chinrest, which discusses Baroque playing.
I'm more dependent upon my shoulder rest, mostly for traction. It looks as though I use the chinrest, but not so much. My jowls just hang over it. Lol
And oh, yeah, each of my three fiddles features different brands, models and shapes of shoulder and chin rests. I just put the various shoulder & chin rests in slightly different positions to find my sweet spot for each of the three instruments. The sweet spots vary slightly, too, something that keeps my neck, chin and bowing hand fresh and comfortable.
If anyone reading this thread has recommendations for a tall chinrest I'd love to hear them! I'm currently using a Wittner Augsburg, which feels great, but it has fallen off 4 times now (in dramatic fashion, while I've been playing) in the 3 months that I've had it. So I can't rely on it.
The taller the better!
Matt, chin rests are able to be tightened so they do not come off. Using a thin piece of metal inserted into the small holes on the side of the clamp legs turn them clockwise until they are snug but not tight. Too much will crush the sides of th fiddle, and too loose, well you see - the chin rest comes off. The clamps are like tiny turnbuckles, and though small can exert a lot of clamp force. I use a specific tool for this but a 1mm diameter drill bit or .032" one should work, just dont insert too deep or you will scratch the fiddle. Turn them evenly, little bit on each leg until both are evenly tight.
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Originally posted by wrench13Matt, chin rests are able to be tightened so they do not come off. Using a thin piece of metal inserted into the small holes on the side of the clamp legs turn them clockwise until they are snug but not tight. Too much will crush the sides of th fiddle, and too loose, well you see - the chin rest comes off. The clamps are like tiny turnbuckles, and though small can exert a lot of clamp force. I use a specific tool for this but a 1mm diameter drill bit or .032" one should work, just dont insert too deep or you will scratch the fiddle. Turn them evenly, little bit on each leg until both are evenly tight.
I use a hex wrench of the appropriate diameter. I don't know where the darned things come from but I seem to have somehow acquired bunches of them. The thing is to not poke them all the way through and past the turnbuckle to where you gouge and scrape the wooden ribs of your instrument. I'll repeat the warning above. Don't over-tighten them. And check them as the seasons change, just like you would with tuning pegs. 032" as above, AKA 1/32" 1mm is only a little bit larger, approx .039"
Edited by - boxbow on 01/13/2025 10:33:29
I use a small hex wrench too - I like the L shape. I've accumulated a bunch of little ones that I don't know the actual sizes, or whether they're SAE or metric. Its not an exact science - just needs to fit the hole.
matt - I'm not fimiliar with the Augsburg, but at this time of the year when the air is dry, wood shrinks and things like chinrests sometimes come loose. If you look at the descriptions of chinrests, the height is often mentioned (in general terms).
PS - I just looked at the Augsburg, and see that it uses a completely different attachment system, so ignore everything we said.
Yeah the Wittner Augsburg tighten up with a screw at the bottom of the foot. Still, shouldn't fall off.
Yeah, the description mentions "Easy secure fitting" and "screwdriver included," so maybe it just needs to be tightened more.
I've not read all of the posts here but did the subject of a belt around the neck and attached to the fiddle come up? I think member Steve Downey(SMDTMTL) uses one..If you go to Member Search and type in his name you'll see him with his fiddle attachment... Pretty slick if you ask me.
Lots of folks use a strap of some sort.
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