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Sports and activity information for the ALL STAR in your house |
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Do Violins Come In Different Sizes?
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AGE GROUP BOYS AND GIRLS 5 - ADULT
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Violin Sizes ... Violin comes in 8 different sizes: 4/4, 3/4, 1/2, 1/4, 1/8, 1/10, 1/16 and 7/8. These fractional sizes have nothing to do with the actual size of the instrument. A full size instrument is a 4/4 and a 1/16 is the smallest available size. A full sized violin is played by adults, teens and children age 10-12. Occasionally, an adult with a small frame may use a "7/8" size violin, often referred to as a "lady's violin" instead of a full-size instrument. Children typically use smaller string instruments than adults. The bow used matches the size of the instrument. For example, a 1/2 violin is paired with a 1/2 size violin bow. A Child learning the violin will often use a 1/4, 1/3 1/2 or 3/4 sized instrument. They are simply a scaled down version of a full-sized instrument. Violin sizes are not standardized and dimensions can vary slightly between makers. Violin size can be determined simply by age or by taking an arm measurement. The arm measurement is a more accurate way to determine the size. The age method is straight forward but does take into consideration the size of the child. The most important thing in deciding the correct size so that the student can comfortably play the instrument.
To measure what size violin best suits your child, you should run a measuring tape from the left side of the player's neck to the middle of the fully extended palm of their outstretched left arm which should be raised like holding a violin. This measurement is the biggest size a student should consider. The second measurement to use is the length from the neck to the wrist, this measurement will be a size that is most comfortable for the student to hold. Once this measurement is taken refer to the chart below.
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