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Related article: Helping People with Special Needs Realize Their Musical Goals: Part 1 of 2
Introduction
Such measurements for determining appropriately sized violins and violas for children are available many places on the Internet. The measurements and test tasks we describe below are geared towards the adult novice or experienced player who needs to be “re-fit” for an instrument due to either traumatic injury (e.g. damaged rotator cuff), repetitive stress injury (e.g. carpel tunnel syndrome) or chronic disease such as arthritis and lupus.
This article covers only optimal instrument size and not the ability to hold and control a bow. In order to determine an optimal bow, an experienced player’s self reports on trials of various types of bows with the goal of determining which bow works best. For the novice, a prospective string teacher will need to be engaged. When searching for a bow that works for a musician with physical limitations, the traditional idea of matching bow size to the instrument size is irrelevant.
While on the topic of bows
On the topic of bows, we tend to think of conventional violin bows (about 57 grams) and viola bows (about 65 grams on average) as the only options. There, in fact, are other options. We had a customer years back suffering from lupus (particularly symptomatic in the tendons of her wrists) to the point where she could not control a conventional bow. We tried an IncrediBow “Featherweight” (about 28 grams), which restored here ability to play. Unfortunately IncrediBow almost went out of business and production appeared to cease at one point.
Fortunately, the company appears to have rebounded and is once again making its unique incredible bows. See: www.incredibow.com.
Other options on the bowing front involve adopting unique bowing styles borrowed from various genres. For example, traditional Irish fiddlers tend to use only the 1/3 of the bow closest to the tip. Baroque players tend to play “in the middle” without a lot of wrist and arm action (compared to modern bowing).
While, with instrument size, there are rules that apply to the player with physical limitations, this is not the case with the bow. Finding a bow that works is pure trial and error.
Not all physical limitations are surmountable, but many are when a committed artist stops at nothing in order to continue doing what he or she loves.
How to measure left arm reach and wrist movement ability for a violin or viola
In order to determine the size of either a violin or a viola, an accurate measurement must be taken of the player’s effective arm length. The measurement methods are different for violins and violas and, more importantly, whether or not the player has arm extension problems or wrist pain issues.
Here are the methods:
If the player has no arm extension problems has the ability to bend wrist inward 90 degree with no pain.
Violin
- Have the player hold his or her arm at a right angle to his or her body with the palm facing the ceiling. There must be NO bend at the elbow.
- Run a measuring tape from the left side of the player’s neck to the center of his or her outstretched palm.
- This measures the largest instrument that the player could possibly handle.
- Next run the measuring tape from the left side of the player’s neck to his or her wrist (where the wrist bends).
- This measures the largest instrument that the player could COMFORTABLY handle. Many teachers and ergonomics experts (me included!) feel that the neck to wrist measurement is the only one that matters.
Viola
- Have the player hold his or her arm at a right angle to his or her body with the palm facing the ceiling. There must be NO bend at the elbow.
- Run a measuring tape from the left side of the player’s neck to a point near the base of the fingers of his or her outstretched palm.
When there are arm extension problems or problems with the ability to bend the wrist fully inward
Measurements are the same for violin and viola when there are arm extension or wrist bending problems.
- Have the player, to the best of his or her ability without causing pain; hold his or her arm at a right angle to his or her body with the palm facing the ceiling (or as close to facing the ceiling as possible without causing pain). Do NOT be concerned about bending the elbow at this point.
- If the player cannot make his or her palm face the ceiling, estimate the degree using the following choices:
- Almost all the way
- About 3/4
- About half way
- About 1/4
- Very little
- Not at all
Give the player a break, allowing his or her arm to hang in a relaxed manner for a minute or two.
- Have the player, once again, to the best of his or her ability without causing pain, hold his or her arm at a right angle to his or her body with the palm facing the ceiling.
- Ask whether he or she can hold his or her arm straight without bending the elbow without causing pain. It not, have the player straighten his or her arm as best he or she can without causing pain. This is when you take the measurement.
- Next run the measuring tape from the left side of the player’s neck to his or her wrist (were the wrist bends). This measures the largest instrument that the player could COMFORTABLY handle.
- With the left arm outstretched, have the player bend his wrist inward as far as possible without ANY pain or discomfort. If the player cannot bend his or her wrist fully inward, estimate the degree using the following choices:
- Almost all the way
- About 3/4
- About half way
- About 1/4
- Very little
- Not at all
Measure of Grasp
This measure relates to two things:
- Will the musician be able to hold the instrument neck at all?
- Is a thicker than usual neck and/or a wider than usual fingerboard necessary?
- Ask the player to lightly grasp a broom handle without pain.
- If not, ask the player to grasp an empty paper towel roll without pain.
- Note whether the player can do either of the above with pain.
Based on measurements above, assessing whether it is possible to hold a violin in playing position
Go back to whether the player’s could do BOTH of the wrist movement tasks (pointing palm towards the ceiling AND bending the wrist inward). If the outcome was any worse than “Almost all of the way” for either of these, it will not be possible to play a violin or viola prior to successful physical therapy focused on increasing pain-free wrist movement. Other musical expression options should be explored.
Go back to the grasp test. If he or she could do neither, playing the violin or viola is not possible. If the player could do one of the grasp tests, make note, using the choices:
- Narrow (the broom stick)
- Wide (the paper towel roll)
Violin
A 4/4 or Full size violin or fiddle has a 14” body. In order to play a 4/4 violin, the neck to wrist measurement (the player’s “reach” needs to be at least 23”. Some players suffering from arthritis or with very large hands my find a wider than standard neck (approx. 24mm at the nut) is much more comfortable. D. Rickert Musical Instruments has made custom fiddle necks that are both significantly thicker and wider (up to 30mm) at the nut.
For the player with a shorter 22” reach and unusually small hands, a 7/8 size instrument (13.5” body) has often been just what it takes. D. Rickert Musical Instruments does not make any standard 7/8 size violins, but we can get them, in all levels of quality.
Violas
Note: Unlike violins, whose size is described by a fraction (it’s not an actual fraction, but just a size indicator), viola sizes, on the other handm are described in inches. The number of inches refers to the body length of the instrument…i.e. a 14” viola has a body that is 14” long.
If the violist’s maximum comfortable reach is 23” (same as a violin or fiddle), the largest usable viola would have a 14” body. Such small-bodied violas typically do not sound any better than a middle school orchestra; however, there are some really extraordinary 14” violas.
D. Rickert Musical Instruments makes a 14” viola called the “Fat Strad Deux Mezzo Viola” with the 4-String Option, available at the Don Rickert Musician Shop.
This instrument sounds as good or better than many full-size (by tradition, this would be a 16” viola). The Fat Strad Deux 4-string is available with a number of neck thicknesses and widths (maximum width is 28mm).
Effective Reach and Appropriate Viola Sizes
- 23” reach; 14” Viola
- 24.5" reach; 15" Viola
- 25" - 25.25" reach; 15.5" Viola
- 26"+ reach; 16" Viola
- 27”+ reach; 16" or 16.5" Viola
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