A
chinrest is a shaped piece of wood (or plastic) attached to the body of a
violinThe violin is a bowed string instrument with four strings usually tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest and highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which also includes the viola and cello....
or a
violaThe viola is a bowed string instrument. It is the middle voice of the violin family, between the violin and the cello.The casual observer may mistake the viola for the violin because of their similarity in size, closeness in pitch range , and nearly identical playing position...
to aid in the positioning of the player's
jawThe jaw is any opposable articulated structure at the entrance of the mouth, typically used for grasping and manipulating food. The term jaws is also broadly applied to the whole of the structures constituting the vault of the mouth and serving to open and close it and is part of the body plan of...
or chin on the
instrumentA musical instrument is an object constructed or used for the purpose of making the sounds of music. In principle, anything that produces sound can serve as a musical instrument. The history of musical instruments dates back to the beginnings of human culture...
. The chinrest may be made of
ebonyEbony is a general name for very dense black wood. In the strict sense it is yielded by several species in the genus Diospyros, but other heavy, black woods are sometimes also called ebony...
,
rosewoodRosewood refers to any of a number of richly hued timbers, often brownish with darker veining but found in many different hues. All rosewoods are strong and heavy, taking an excellent polish, being suitable for guitars, turnery , handles, furniture, luxury flooring, etc.In general, supplies are...
,
boxwoodBoxwood may refer to:*Boxwood or Buxus, a genus of about 70 species of shrubs and trees in the family Buxaceæ*Boxwood , a Greek Revival house built in 1840*Boxwood Public School, a school in Markham, Ontario...
, or
plasticPlastic is the general common term for a wide range of synthetic or semisynthetic organic amorphous solid materials suitable for the manufacture of industrial products...
. It was invented by
Louis SpohrLouis Spohr was a German composer, violinist and conductor. Born Ludwig Spohr, he is usually known by the French form of his name outside Germany.-Life:...
in the early 1800s in response to increasingly difficult repertoire which demanded freer left hand techniques than had previously been used. After being promoted by prominent violinists of the day, such as
Pierre BaillotPierre Marie François de Sales Baillot was a French violinist and composer.Baillot was born in Passy and studied the violin under Giovanni Battista Viotti...
and
Giovanni Battista ViottiGiovanni Battista Viotti was an Italian violinist whose virtuosity was famed and whose work as a composer featured a prominent violin and an appealing lyrical tunefulness...
, it gained quick acceptance among most violists & violinists and is today considered a standard part of the viola and violin.
The attachment consists of a metal bracket that hooks over the edge of the back, clamped onto the instrument by means of two threaded barrels connecting it to
screwA screw, or bolt, is a type of fastener characterized by a helical ridge, known as an external thread or just thread, wrapped around a cylinder. Some screw threads are designed to mate with a complementary thread, known as an internal thread, often in the form of a nut or a object that has the...
s on the chinrest.
A
chinrest is a shaped piece of wood (or plastic) attached to the body of a
violinThe violin is a bowed string instrument with four strings usually tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest and highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which also includes the viola and cello....
or a
violaThe viola is a bowed string instrument. It is the middle voice of the violin family, between the violin and the cello.The casual observer may mistake the viola for the violin because of their similarity in size, closeness in pitch range , and nearly identical playing position...
to aid in the positioning of the player's
jawThe jaw is any opposable articulated structure at the entrance of the mouth, typically used for grasping and manipulating food. The term jaws is also broadly applied to the whole of the structures constituting the vault of the mouth and serving to open and close it and is part of the body plan of...
or chin on the
instrumentA musical instrument is an object constructed or used for the purpose of making the sounds of music. In principle, anything that produces sound can serve as a musical instrument. The history of musical instruments dates back to the beginnings of human culture...
. The chinrest may be made of
ebonyEbony is a general name for very dense black wood. In the strict sense it is yielded by several species in the genus Diospyros, but other heavy, black woods are sometimes also called ebony...
,
rosewoodRosewood refers to any of a number of richly hued timbers, often brownish with darker veining but found in many different hues. All rosewoods are strong and heavy, taking an excellent polish, being suitable for guitars, turnery , handles, furniture, luxury flooring, etc.In general, supplies are...
,
boxwoodBoxwood may refer to:*Boxwood or Buxus, a genus of about 70 species of shrubs and trees in the family Buxaceæ*Boxwood , a Greek Revival house built in 1840*Boxwood Public School, a school in Markham, Ontario...
, or
plasticPlastic is the general common term for a wide range of synthetic or semisynthetic organic amorphous solid materials suitable for the manufacture of industrial products...
. It was invented by
Louis SpohrLouis Spohr was a German composer, violinist and conductor. Born Ludwig Spohr, he is usually known by the French form of his name outside Germany.-Life:...
in the early 1800s in response to increasingly difficult repertoire which demanded freer left hand techniques than had previously been used. After being promoted by prominent violinists of the day, such as
Pierre BaillotPierre Marie François de Sales Baillot was a French violinist and composer.Baillot was born in Passy and studied the violin under Giovanni Battista Viotti...
and
Giovanni Battista ViottiGiovanni Battista Viotti was an Italian violinist whose virtuosity was famed and whose work as a composer featured a prominent violin and an appealing lyrical tunefulness...
, it gained quick acceptance among most violists & violinists and is today considered a standard part of the viola and violin.
Chinrest attachment
The attachment consists of a metal bracket that hooks over the edge of the back, clamped onto the instrument by means of two threaded barrels connecting it to
screwA screw, or bolt, is a type of fastener characterized by a helical ridge, known as an external thread or just thread, wrapped around a cylinder. Some screw threads are designed to mate with a complementary thread, known as an internal thread, often in the form of a nut or a object that has the...
s on the chinrest. Both the lower bracket and chinrest are usually padded with
corkCork material is an impermeable, buoyant material, a subset of generic cork tissue that is harvested for commercial use primarily from Quercus suber that is endemic to southwest Europe and northwest Africa...
to minimize damage to the wood. The wrench shown makes it easy to adjust the clamp tension without damaging the rib of the violin. "Hill-style" clamps have a separate foot for each screw rather than a bar between them. (Some modern composite chinrests have clamps adjusted with a small Phillips
screwdriverThe screwdriver is a device specifically designed for the insertion and tightening of screws. The screwdriver is made up of a head or tip, which engages with a screw, a mechanism to apply torque by rotating the tip, and some way to position and support the screwdriver...
or with a
hex keyA hex key, also known as an Allen, Inbus, zeta, or Unbrako key or wrench, is a tool of hexagonal cross-section used to drive bolts and screws that have a hexagonal socket in the head . The name zeta refers to zeta, the sixth letter of the Greek alphabet...
.)
Types and options
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 being a "
GuarneriGuarneri is the family name of a group of distinguished luthiers from Cremona in Italy in the 17th and 18th centuries, whose standing is considered comparable to those of the Amati and Stradivari families....
" type, which attaches centered over the
tailpieceThe tailpiece, found on many musical instruments of the string instrument family, anchors the tail end of the strings, the end opposite the scroll or headstock.- Function and construction :...
with the cup for the chin to the left of the tailpiece. Other types attach to the left, but either type must be placed so it does not touch or buzz against the tailpiece or belly of the instrument. Some players prefer a chinrest with the cup centered over the tailpiece. The "
FleschCarl Flesch was a violinist and teacher.Born in Moson in Hungary, Flesch began playing the violin at 6 years of age....
" chinrest is of this type. Chinrests are available in different heights and shapes. Violin and viola pedagogue
Susan KempterSusan Kempter is an American violin teacher and prominent Suzuki teacher trainer who specializes in applying interdisciplinary research to music pedagogy...
advocates having a
luthierA luthier is someone who makes or repairs stringed instruments. The word luthier comes from the French word luth which means "lute".The craft of lutherie is commonly divided into two main categories: stringed instruments that are plucked or strummed, and those that are bowed. Diverse places and...
customize the chinrest by shaping it to fit the player's jaw properly and either raising or reducing the height until it fits the player's neck height as well.
Pressure from the chinrest against the player's skin can result in a common irritation known as "fiddler's neck." It can also be caused by bacteria or fungus living on the wood or by an allergic reaction to the metals used in the chinrest. Some players prefer to use a cloth, such as a
handkerchiefA handkerchief is a form of a kerchief, typically a hemmed square of thin fabric that can be carried in the pocket or purse, and which is intended for personal hygiene purposes such as wiping one's hands or face, or blowing one's nose...
, to cover the chinrest, to avoid this irritation and make playing more comfortable. Several types of padded fabric slipcovers are also commercially available. They may not only cover the chinrest cup, but also extend to provide a barrier between the metal clamp hardware and the skin--beneficial if the hardware is plated with
nickelNickel is a chemical element, with the chemical symbol Ni and atomic number 28. It is a silvery-white lustrous metal with a slight golden tinge. It is one of the four ferromagnetic elements at about room temperature, other three being iron, cobalt and gadolinium...
and the player is
allergicAllergy is a disorder of the immune system often also referred to as atopy. Allergic reactions occur to normally harmless environmental substances known as allergens; these reactions are acquired, predictable, and rapid. Strictly, allergy is one of four forms of hypersensitivity and is called type...
to the metal. Hypo-allergenic chinrests (with plastic or titanium fittings) are also available.
Vociferous debate may be elicited in some circles by suggesting that a violin sounds better without a chinrest. It has been suggested that
PaganiniNiccolò Paganini was an Italian violinist, violist, guitarist, and composer. He was one of the most celebrated violin virtuosi of his time, and left his mark as one of the pillars of modern violin technique. His caprice in A minor, Op. 1 No...
played without a chinrest, though no proof exists. A few professionals today (notably
Regina CarterRegina Carter is an American jazz violinist. Carter began as a classical violinist, but became interested in jazz , and is considered one of the finest violinists in the genre. She is the cousin of famous jazz saxophonist James Carter...
) do not use a chinrest on their modern instruments; many who play
BaroqueBaroque is an artistic style prevalent from the late 16th century to the early 18th century. The popularity and success of the Baroque style was encouraged by the Roman Catholic Church, which had decided at the time of the Council of Trent that the arts should communicate religious themes in...
instruments also avoid one.