The Differences in a 4/4 Fiddle Shoulder Rest & a 1/2 Shoulder Rest
For fiddle or violin players, a shoulder rest provides support and reduces muscle strain by requiring less work from the left arm. It is important to choose the proper size of shoulder rest so that it fits both your body and the instrument that it will be used with. Fiddle shoulder rests come in sizes that match the size of the fiddle: 4/4, 3/4, 1/2, to as small as 1/32.
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Shoulder Rests
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Fiddle shoulder rests consist of a shoulder-rest platform made from a curved piece of metal padded with foam, and two rubber-coated legs that grip the body of the fiddle. The height of the shoulder rest can be adjusted using the screws that hold the legs to the shoulder-rest platform. The legs also pivot, so that the position of the shoulder rest on the body of the violin can be changed.
Fiddle Sizes
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There are nine different sizes of fiddle: 4/4, 7/8, 3/4, 1/2, 1/4, 1/8, 1/10, 1/16 and 1/32. A 4/4 fiddle is a full-sized fiddle, and is usually the appropriate size for an adult fiddle player. 1/2 fiddles are for children, usually those between 6 and 10 years of age, depending on their height. What size of fiddle a person should play depends on the length between his neck and the middle of his left palm when his arm is fully extended.
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Shoulder Rest Sizes
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Shoulder rests come in sizes that match the size of the fiddle. A 1/2 shoulder rest would be used with a 1/2 fiddle. Proper shoulder rests are not commonly available for the very smallest sizes of fiddle, such as 1/16 or 1/32. Instead, one can be made using a sponge cut to size and held in place with an elastic band.
Differences in Shoulder Rests
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Shoulder rest sizes differ only in their size, not in their parts or how they are made. Whether you need a 4/4 shoulder rest or a 1/2 shoulder rest depends on what size of fiddle you have. While some shoulder rests fit more than one size of fiddle, a 1/2 shoulder rest will not adjust far enough to fit a 4/4 fiddle; nor can a 4/4 shoulder rest be made to fit a 1/2 fiddle.
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References
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