Renting a violin, viola or cello is usually recommended for students who are too small for the full size version of their instrument. Violin family instruments are offered in fractional sizes like ¾, ½, ¼, and some violins go down to 1/32. This allows smaller hands and arms to learn the fundamentals of the instrument safely and helps them develop good posture and technique in the early stages when it is critical to establish correct playing habits.
Another good reason to rent is if you have chosen a quality rental like we offer at Davidson Violins. A quality instrument makes a substantial difference in the sound the child produces, and the more they like the sound they hear, the more likely they are to remain playing and enjoy their learning. And since we offer a generous equity plan, your rental fees are accumulating towards purchase of your rental or an even nicer instrument from our shop.
Sizing an instrument for a student is usually best done by an instructor or violin retailer. These are a few general guidelines to assist you in figuring the correct size:
Violin: The student should be able to wrap his or her left hand around the scroll with the instrument in playing position. There should be only a slight bend in the elbow. A lot of bend in the elbow requires the next size up. Over extension of the elbow means the instrument is too big.
This is a general suggestion – a student with exceptionally small hands, for example, may need a smaller instrument even if the scroll test is correct.
Viola: Violas have several additional considerations from the violin sizing method above. Full size violas are considered to be at least 15 inches long on the back, which is larger than the full size violin at approximately 14 inches. Ideally we aim for a 16 inch full size viola, though the range of “full size” violas is approximately 15-17.5 inches. This larger size is the only way the viola can adequately produce a full tone on the low C string and have its mellow, alto voiced character, but only teenagers and adults can usually manage these.
For student instruments which are not large enough to produce the C string sound well we usually move students up a little in terms of size for 2 reasons. First, they will probably always be playing a viola as large as they can comfortably manage, and secondly the larger it is the better the lower strings sound. We highly recommend having an expert size your viola student.
Cello: It is especially important to choose a good quality cello and make sure it is not too large for the student to avoid hand cramping due to the size and thickness of the strings. Have the child sit so that the knees are at a ninety degree angle. The instrument should rest so the top part of the cello body rests in the middle of the chest, and the left knee rests in the curve below the lower bout corner.
The C string peg should be near the left ear. Make sure the neck is a few inches away from the shoulder, and the left hand can reach both ends of the fingerboard easily.
