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Chinrest
A chinrest is a shaped piece of wood (or plastic) attached to the body of a violin or a viola to aid in the positioning of the player's jaw or chin on the instrument. The chinrest may be made of ebony, rosewood, boxwood, or plastic.
The chinrest was invented by Louis Spohr in the early 19th century, about 1820.[citation needed] Historically, this has been explained as a response to increasingly difficult repertoire which demanded freer left hand techniques than had previously been used; however, Spohr intended his small block attached to the bout to protect the tailpiece, which he reportedly broke with his vigorous playing.[citation needed] However, after being promoted by prominent violinists of the day, such as Pierre Baillot and Giovanni Battista Viotti, it gained quick acceptance among most violinists and violists and is today considered a standard part of the violin and viola.
The chinrest is attached to the instrument by one or two metal clamps that hook over the edge of the back. One or two turnbuckles or machine screws provide slight clamping tension to hold the chinrest in place. In most cases, two screws are joined by a metal bar that conforms to the back edge of the instrument, whereas "Hill-style" clamps are used in a pair, each clamp having its own foot and its own screw, with no bar joining them. The clamps and the chinrest itself are usually padded with cork, leather, or felt where they contact the instrument to minimize damage to the wood.
For side-mount chinrests, the clamp is placed on the bass side of the instrument; center-mount rests are placed so that the chinrest straddles the tailpiece. The latter may be considered a safer installation, as the clamps get support from the bottom block, and there is less chance that overtightening will cause damage.
A special pin wrench may be used for easy adjustment of the clamp tension without damaging the rib of the violin. The clamps of some modern chinrests are adjusted with a Torx or small Phillips screwdriver, or with a hex key.
Spohr's original design called for a small block of wood to be centered over the tailpiece, but soon evolved. Today, there are at least 50 different types of chinrests available.
One of the most popular type of chinrest is the "Guarneri" type, whose attachment is centered over the tailpiece with the cup for the chin to the left of the tailpiece.
Some players prefer a chinrest with the cup centered over the tailpiece. The "Flesch" chinrest is of this type.
Hub AI
Chinrest AI simulator
(@Chinrest_simulator)
Chinrest
A chinrest is a shaped piece of wood (or plastic) attached to the body of a violin or a viola to aid in the positioning of the player's jaw or chin on the instrument. The chinrest may be made of ebony, rosewood, boxwood, or plastic.
The chinrest was invented by Louis Spohr in the early 19th century, about 1820.[citation needed] Historically, this has been explained as a response to increasingly difficult repertoire which demanded freer left hand techniques than had previously been used; however, Spohr intended his small block attached to the bout to protect the tailpiece, which he reportedly broke with his vigorous playing.[citation needed] However, after being promoted by prominent violinists of the day, such as Pierre Baillot and Giovanni Battista Viotti, it gained quick acceptance among most violinists and violists and is today considered a standard part of the violin and viola.
The chinrest is attached to the instrument by one or two metal clamps that hook over the edge of the back. One or two turnbuckles or machine screws provide slight clamping tension to hold the chinrest in place. In most cases, two screws are joined by a metal bar that conforms to the back edge of the instrument, whereas "Hill-style" clamps are used in a pair, each clamp having its own foot and its own screw, with no bar joining them. The clamps and the chinrest itself are usually padded with cork, leather, or felt where they contact the instrument to minimize damage to the wood.
For side-mount chinrests, the clamp is placed on the bass side of the instrument; center-mount rests are placed so that the chinrest straddles the tailpiece. The latter may be considered a safer installation, as the clamps get support from the bottom block, and there is less chance that overtightening will cause damage.
A special pin wrench may be used for easy adjustment of the clamp tension without damaging the rib of the violin. The clamps of some modern chinrests are adjusted with a Torx or small Phillips screwdriver, or with a hex key.
Spohr's original design called for a small block of wood to be centered over the tailpiece, but soon evolved. Today, there are at least 50 different types of chinrests available.
One of the most popular type of chinrest is the "Guarneri" type, whose attachment is centered over the tailpiece with the cup for the chin to the left of the tailpiece.
Some players prefer a chinrest with the cup centered over the tailpiece. The "Flesch" chinrest is of this type.