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Pitch program, return the program in its original packaging and we will refund your money.
(Less S&H)
Violin comes in 8 different sizes: 4/4 (also
called full size), 3/4, 1/2, 1/4, 1/8, 1/10, 1/16. 4/4 size being the biggest
and 1/16 size being the smallest. All adults, regardless of their size, use the
4/4 violin. There is another uncommon size, 7/8, usually used by female
professional violinist who wants a full-size violin sound but whose hand might
be a little small for the full size violin. So violin makers would make violins
just a little smaller than full size to accommodate these players.
To measure what size violin best suits you,
you need to know the length between your neck and the middle of your left-hand
palm (when your hand is fully extended and raised perpendicular to your body,
just like holding a violin). About 50% of the teachers prefer students to use
the length from the neck to the wrist for measurement instead of the neck to
mid-palm approach. The violin size determineed by the neck/wrist approach would be the size that is more comfortable
for students to hold. The violin size determineed by the neck/mid-palm approach would be the biggest size students
should use.
If you have a teacher, you should ask for
your teacher's recommendation. If you don't have a teacher, we would recommend
using the neck/wrist approach for students not using full size. For
students who are deciding whether to used 3/4 or 4/4 size, use the
neck/mid-palm approach. This is because it is always better that students feel
comfortable holding and playing the violin. However, while deciding between 3/4
or 4/4, if neck/mid-palm approach allows for 4/4 size, then buying a 4/4 size
is more economical since you don't have to buy another bigger size violin
later. This is completely based on economical consideration. You should still
decide what best suits your need.
The following chart lists
the length of each violin size. Find your length using the your preferred
approach and use that to determinee the size of violin to get.
Violin Size
Length
(in inches)
4/4 (Full Size)
23
3/4
22
1/2
20
1/4
18 1/2
1/8
16 1/2
1/10
15
1/16
14
Another more general way of
determineing the size
is by age. If the above, arm length information, is available, it is the
more accurate way to determinee size. Otherwise, you can use the age chart below to make the determineation.
Violin Size
Age
4/4 (Full Size)
12 year and older
3/4
10-11
1/2
8-9
1/4
6-7
1/8
5-6
1/10
4-5
1/16
3 and below
How to determine the right size Viola to buy?
Viola comes in 4 different sizes: 16",
15", 14", and 13". 16" size being the biggest and
13" size being the smallest. All adults, regardless of their size, use the
16" viola. There are 2 other less common sizes, 15-1/2" and
16-1/2". 15-1/2" size is for people who are in between 15"
and 16" sizes while 16-1/2" size is for people who wants a little
more sound volume out of their viola.
To measure what size viola best suits you,
you need to know the length between your neck and the top of your left-hand
palm when your left arm is fully extended and raised perpendicular to your
body, just like holding a viola. The top of your palm is where your palm
connects with the fingers and not where the palm connects with the wrist.
If you have a teacher, you should ask for
your teacher's recommendation when choosing the size. If you don't have a
teacher, we would recommend using the above method to determinee size.
The following chart lists the length of each
viola size. Find your length using the above method and use the following
chart to determinee the size of viola to
get.
Viola Size
Length
(in inches)
16"
26
15"
24 1/2
14"
23
13"
21 1/2
How to determine the right size Cello to buy?
Here are various sizes of cellos available. Recommendations for finding the
right size for you or your child may be based on the following:
By Your Age:
1/8 size - 4 to 6 years old
1/4 size - 5 to 7 years old
1/2 size - 7 to 11 years old
3/4 size - 11 to 15 years old
4/4 size - 15 and above
By Your Height:
1/8 to 1/4 size - below 4
feet
1/2 size - 4 to 4 1/2 feet
3/4 size - 4 1/2 to 5 feet
4/4 size - 5 feet and above
By Body Length:
1/8 size - 17.75 to 20 inches
1/4 size - 20 to 23 inches
1/2 size - 23 to 26 inches
3/4 size - 26 to 27.25 inches
4/4 size - 30 inches and
above
Additional Sizing Tips:
Sit up straight on a chair,
your feet must be touching the floor.
Set the endpin of the cello
to around 12 inches.
Now at a 45 degree angle, let
the cello rest against your chest.
The top of the cello must
rest at the center of your chest.
The C string peg must be near
your left ear.
How to determine the right size Bass to buy?
SIZES: Double Bass Sizing FAQ
Bass sizing is not an exact
science. Rule #1: There Are No Rules. The Double Bass (a.k.a.
Upright Bass) is an instrument that only recently evolved over the last few
hundred years, that is still being made by hand by individuals who build them
to satisfy their own interpretation of the instrument. There are a lot of
variances.
3/4 size is recognized as a regular size bass. 99.5% of the basses on
the planet are 3/4 size (and 74.38% of all statistics are made up on the spot).
But you will find that 3/4 size is by far most common bass size. While I've
seen more 4/4 basses being advertised for sale lately, I have to wonder if it
is a marketing gimmick, in some cases, since many probably wouldn't quality as
a 4/4— maybe a 7/8 on a good day—but then, who cares?
You care. Playing double bass can be quite the challenge, and if you are
tall and/or have big hands, be thankful. You will find playing 3/4 size basses
less of a challenge than we short folks with small hands. Generally speaking, a
4/4 bass is not going to automatically be better than a 3/4 size bass -- your
selection should be based on the instrument and your specific needs among other
factors. Size, in this case, may not matter, unless bragging rights are
important to you.
All of the above said, the information below shows some generally accepted
guidelines for bass sizing. I am guessing that the original numbers were stated
in Metric and were converted for U.S. use, which accounts for the uneven
numbers. Again, keep in mind that these are approximate numbers for
reference purposes only.
