When I started to play violin my teacher was strictly against the use of a shoulder rest. I grew up and of course my neck became longer and so I had some difficulties to hold the violin so I put a sponge under the violin. I saw this in a movie about Perlman or Menuhin don't remember exactly. Many years later I went to another teacher who forced me to play with a shoulder rest. That worked ok but I wasn't happy. Then I participated a masterclass with Gitlis. The first thing what he said was by taking the shoulder rest, I call this the bridge over the river quatsch. At this time I had already my first orchestra job in a chamerorchestra and we traveled a lot. Among the members there were a couple of students of Sandor Vegh who had his own modell of chinrest and these were very high and the guy who made these chinrests is a violinmaker in Salzburg. And accidentally we had a couple of days after the masterclass a concert there. So I went to this violinmaker and asked him if he could make my chinrest which is a Vargamodell a little bit higher and he did that. Since then I threw away this "Bridge over the river Quatsch". This is already over thirty years ago. And I feel much better, I have much more flexibility in holding the instrument. A collegue of mine is very handy in carving and he has his own modell of chinrest. For me the best ever and he made two of them for me. The Varga chinrest I use still. He was my teacher and somehow it's a souvenir of a genius musician. In my opinion the shoulder rest is absolutely unnecessary in most cases. It's the chinrest which matters.
Hi! Thanks for your comment. Your story sounds familiar! I have been using high chin rest for years, also one produced in Salzburg! I member of WPO introduced me to it back in the days. I wish I had a happy ending like yours, but I didn't solve my problems that way. It is not only how high is the neck, but also how prominent the collar bones are, how fat there is on the spot, maybe also how long are the arms etc. I came to the conclusion that a slightly higher chin rest plus a good shoulder rest is an interesting combination to try. Then I avoid being too far from the violin (with only a very high chin rest) or being too stuck (with only a very high shoulder rest). An experience that opened up my mind on this topic is playing a baroque instrument with all combinations: without chin rest/without shoulder rest, then without chin rest/with shoulder rest and with chin rest/without shoulder rest. Then I understood how free we can be without chin rest too and how many muscles are released when I released the tension with the chin rest!! After that, I bought a book about the violin playing before chin rest, I am about to read it... I also knew Ivry Gitlis (and all other big jewish musicians and pedagogues supporting the no-shoulder rest playing), I remember his humour, however he was quite short and his violin (with a normal chin rest if I remember) fits quite well the space between his clothes (at least a couple of cm of fabric) and his chin. Whatever, I am not here to analyse this... What interesting me at the end is how one can play free, eliminate most obstacles in order to serve music and without having chronic pain. Whatever works for someone, it can be so different compared to an other person with an other body. I would be very careful to say: this is the way. I don't think there is a right or wrong way. I quit ideologies in general long time ago, they brought me only problems, in all areas of my life!
@@ireneabrigo Thank you for your response. you are defintively right. Everybody is different and has a different bodystructure. But I think it's also dependent on how you are taught in the childhood. I grew up without using a shoulderrest, so my body got adjusted to playing without it. If you start with shoulderrest I think it's much more difficult to change to play without when your body is fully grown up. It was only a couple of years that I used the shoulderrest until I switched back to play without.
Thank you for posting. I had not heard of Dolfinos. Most interesting. I have a long neck and need a tall shoulder rest and a tall chin rest. Their chin rest is height adjustable.
Thanks for the review, very informative. On the Dolfinos System, the screw on the “wings” section allows you to adjust the height/elevation angle. What is not possible is rotating it around the vertical axis (axis of the sound post). Wooden chin rests are available.
If the metal of the Bonmusica hurts or cuts into your skin, can cut out small bits of a yoga mat and wrap them around the feet or the part that feels uncomfortable secure with a zip tie or a rubber band.
The bonmusica, use it with only one screw and plastic nut, not two, it allows you to swivel the to plate for even better fit. You find the best location over your shoulder with the nut not too tight first, when you find the best position, you tighten it, and voila.
I like that dolfinos system. But I must have forgotten how to play with a shoulder rest-when I started playing again in April 2023, it gave me neck and shoulder pain. I was using too much chin pressure. I gave my Bon Musica to a friend. My collarbone is still sensitive to minimal pressure, even without the shoulder rest. A thick sock on my collarbone only helped a little-I hope it gets better or I’ll have to play a ukulele.
Hi! Thanks for watching and for your comment. How long have you not played the violin? Interesting topic the pain on the collarbone, which is definitely a key point on playing the violin. Ukulele sounds fun as well :)))
@@ireneabrigo I stopped when the COVID pandemic started. I was so glad not to have to sit near the trombones/trumpets/flutes. The orchestra at the time was a reason for playing. When a friend started as a beginner in April, I wanted back in to playing, without orchestra--I can only play the Gavotte and Rondeau from the 3rd Partita and not really well, but it's something. I'm about to create a surrogate for my collarbone to hang from my neck, so the violin won't have contact; if that works, then I don't have to die and go to heaven! :^)
I use a Bonmusica and as I have a short neck had it low to the violin. Alas, the metal near the feet of the rest cut into the back of my violin - AHHH !! Fortunately, it's only a few thousand dollars and not tens of thousands but still... I had to heighten it and put up with it being a bit higher than I'd like. I wish I could afford this combo but it's very expensive, too expensive for me anyhow. It sure looks good.
Hi, thanks for your comment. I also flashed on the Bonmusica for a few weeks... but it is heavy for me, and also in my case some metal parts annoying me. Did you try the Pirastro Korfker? Maybe you can find a violin shop that let you try it for a day or so. It is expensive...but still way cheaper than the Dolfinos. It's not easy to set the feet right, however if you find the right balance it works well and it's light. Pirastro's customer service is there for any problems (you can even sending photos to show your specific situation and request).
@@ireneabrigo Hi, Irene. Thanks for your comment and advice, but at present, despite its flaws and drawbacks I think I'll have to stick to the Bonmusica. It's a little high, but not painfully so and doesn't harm the violin anymore. Thanks again, Mark. Ps If I could afford it, that Dolfinos would be the greatest asset short of being able to play without a shoulder rest/support at all. I'd really love one of those !! They should be subsidised by the government lol.
@@belmon38 hi! Well, as I think I said in the video, on my violin I didn’t have a significant difference in sound production. Some colleagues did, mostly (obviously) because the Dolfinos leaves the violin suspended. One has to try, I guess!
I bought a Dolfinos, initially I liked it but unfortunately it caused significant damage to the varnish of my new violin, more than would generally be expected. I wonder whether an excessive leverage force is exerted on the back of the violin. I did ask them but no reply.
Hi, oh I am so sorry to hear that. Is the damage under the cork on the back of the violin, or where exactly? Was your violin newly varnished? I didn't have any damage to the instrument so far. Please let me know, I will report your case to my contact in the team. Kind regards
I have been using the dolfinos system for about 3 months. It's not a miracle worker but it's close. It provides me with stability while also helping me to stay more relaxed. ❤️ I hope it works for you as well!
@@ireneabrigo I bought the limited air edition with the berlin - extra hold - low chin rest. I liked the idea of the aluminum shoulder rest and being able to shape it to fit me better. I probably would have been just as happy with the carbon fiber version. I plan on buying another adapter for my other violin but this time I am going to modify a chin rest that I already own to fit the dolfinos system. Then I can just move the shoulder rest between the two instruments.
@@gawags4709 Good plans! I also had the idea of eventually adapting my favorite chin rest to their system. I will see! Thanks for your very informative comments.
Hi! In this video I had a prototype to try. I actually ended buying the Limited Edition Air L.A. model! Here my experience: ua-cam.com/video/rQGOCugvyCw/v-deo.htmlsi=UerkY4Pj0qz4hipO
@sunsean3426 The issue isn’t about flexibility in my case; it’s the design of the Limited AIR Edition L.A. Model. Its form is different. The carbon model curves too far inward at the neck, which doesn’t suit my anatomy.
I have a Bon Musica and it's too tall for my neck no matter how I adjust it. I'm interested in the Pirastro, but I've heard that it is rather tall also. Do you think the Pirastro can be adjusted lower than the Bon Musica?
Hi Bruno, yes you can adjust the Pirastro quite low actually, if you use the normal screws. Normally it is sold with normal screws which can be lowered quite a lot. Since it’s quite expensive, I suggest you to find a violin shop to try it before buying it. Let me know!! Good luck 🍀🎶🥂
Thank you for this. My violinist friend has a very long neck and has a difficult time with her set-up. I have sent this to her. 🤞🤞❤️🇨🇦
Thanks for sending it forward. Good luck to her and to all us, long-neck players!
When I started to play violin my teacher was strictly against the use of a shoulder rest. I grew up and of course my neck became longer and so I had some difficulties to hold the violin so I put a sponge under the violin. I saw this in a movie about Perlman or Menuhin don't remember exactly. Many years later I went to another teacher who forced me to play with a shoulder rest. That worked ok but I wasn't happy.
Then I participated a masterclass with Gitlis. The first thing what he said was by taking the shoulder rest, I call this the bridge over the river quatsch. At this time I had already my first orchestra job in a chamerorchestra and we traveled a lot. Among the members there were a couple of students of Sandor Vegh who had his own modell of chinrest and these were very high and the guy who made these chinrests is a violinmaker in Salzburg. And accidentally we had a couple of days after the masterclass a concert there. So I went to this violinmaker and asked him if he could make my chinrest which is a Vargamodell a little bit higher and he did that. Since then I threw away this "Bridge over the river Quatsch". This is already over thirty years ago. And I feel much better, I have much more flexibility in holding the instrument. A collegue of mine is very handy in carving and he has his own modell of chinrest. For me the best ever and he made two of them for me. The Varga chinrest I use still. He was my teacher and somehow it's a souvenir of a genius musician.
In my opinion the shoulder rest is absolutely unnecessary in most cases. It's the chinrest which matters.
Hi! Thanks for your comment. Your story sounds familiar! I have been using high chin rest for years, also one produced in Salzburg! I member of WPO introduced me to it back in the days. I wish I had a happy ending like yours, but I didn't solve my problems that way. It is not only how high is the neck, but also how prominent the collar bones are, how fat there is on the spot, maybe also how long are the arms etc. I came to the conclusion that a slightly higher chin rest plus a good shoulder rest is an interesting combination to try. Then I avoid being too far from the violin (with only a very high chin rest) or being too stuck (with only a very high shoulder rest). An experience that opened up my mind on this topic is playing a baroque instrument with all combinations: without chin rest/without shoulder rest, then without chin rest/with shoulder rest and with chin rest/without shoulder rest. Then I understood how free we can be without chin rest too and how many muscles are released when I released the tension with the chin rest!! After that, I bought a book about the violin playing before chin rest, I am about to read it...
I also knew Ivry Gitlis (and all other big jewish musicians and pedagogues supporting the no-shoulder rest playing), I remember his humour, however he was quite short and his violin (with a normal chin rest if I remember) fits quite well the space between his clothes (at least a couple of cm of fabric) and his chin. Whatever, I am not here to analyse this... What interesting me at the end is how one can play free, eliminate most obstacles in order to serve music and without having chronic pain. Whatever works for someone, it can be so different compared to an other person with an other body. I would be very careful to say: this is the way. I don't think there is a right or wrong way. I quit ideologies in general long time ago, they brought me only problems, in all areas of my life!
@@ireneabrigo Thank you for your response. you are defintively right. Everybody is different and has a different bodystructure. But I think it's also dependent on how you are taught in the childhood. I grew up without using a shoulderrest, so my body got adjusted to playing without it. If you start with shoulderrest I think it's much more difficult to change to play without when your body is fully grown up. It was only a couple of years that I used the shoulderrest until I switched back to play without.
@@Woriviol that's an interesting point!!
Thank you for posting. I had not heard of Dolfinos. Most interesting. I have a long neck and need a tall shoulder rest and a tall chin rest. Their chin rest is height adjustable.
Definitely worth watching at it!
Thanks for the review, very informative. On the Dolfinos System, the screw on the “wings” section allows you to adjust the height/elevation angle. What is not possible is rotating it around the vertical axis (axis of the sound post). Wooden chin rests are available.
Hi! Thanks for watching and for for making that point clear!
If the metal of the Bonmusica hurts or cuts into your skin, can cut out small bits of a yoga mat and wrap them around the feet or the part that feels uncomfortable secure with a zip tie or a rubber band.
Nice idea, very crafty :)) I like it. I may give it a go
Very impressive just how well-engineered [biometrically and acoustically] the Dolfino support system is.
Well observed! Indeed I agree.
Thank you for detail teaching, 🙂 awesome
You are very welcome, Richard!
The bonmusica, use it with only one screw and plastic nut, not two, it allows you to swivel the to plate for even better fit. You find the best location over your shoulder with the nut not too tight first, when you find the best position, you tighten it, and voila.
Hello, thanks for your suggestion! Will try this out. xx
I like that dolfinos system. But I must have forgotten how to play with a shoulder rest-when I started playing again in April 2023, it gave me neck and shoulder pain. I was using too much chin pressure. I gave my Bon Musica to a friend. My collarbone is still sensitive to minimal pressure, even without the shoulder rest. A thick sock on my collarbone only helped a little-I hope it gets better or I’ll have to play a ukulele.
Hi! Thanks for watching and for your comment. How long have you not played the violin? Interesting topic the pain on the collarbone, which is definitely a key point on playing the violin. Ukulele sounds fun as well :)))
@@ireneabrigo I stopped when the COVID pandemic started. I was so glad not to have to sit near the trombones/trumpets/flutes. The orchestra at the time was a reason for playing. When a friend started as a beginner in April, I wanted back in to playing, without orchestra--I can only play the Gavotte and Rondeau from the 3rd Partita and not really well, but it's something. I'm about to create a surrogate for my collarbone to hang from my neck, so the violin won't have contact; if that works, then I don't have to die and go to heaven! :^)
Sounds a good plan for you! Enjoy the music!!@@paddlepower888
Thank you. That was a very good video.
🤗
Very helpful review, thanks so much
Hi, happy to read this. Thanks for watching and for the feedback!
I use a Bonmusica and as I have a short neck had it low to the violin. Alas, the metal near the feet of the rest cut into the back of my violin - AHHH !! Fortunately, it's only a few thousand dollars and not tens of thousands but still... I had to heighten it and put up with it being a bit higher than I'd like. I wish I could afford this combo but it's very expensive, too expensive for me anyhow. It sure looks good.
Hi, thanks for your comment. I also flashed on the Bonmusica for a few weeks... but it is heavy for me, and also in my case some metal parts annoying me. Did you try the Pirastro Korfker? Maybe you can find a violin shop that let you try it for a day or so. It is expensive...but still way cheaper than the Dolfinos. It's not easy to set the feet right, however if you find the right balance it works well and it's light. Pirastro's customer service is there for any problems (you can even sending photos to show your specific situation and request).
@@ireneabrigo Hi, Irene. Thanks for your comment and advice, but at present, despite its flaws and drawbacks I think I'll have to stick to the Bonmusica. It's a little high, but not painfully so and doesn't harm the violin anymore. Thanks again, Mark.
Ps If I could afford it, that Dolfinos would be the greatest asset short of being able to play without a shoulder rest/support at all. I'd really love one of those !! They should be subsidised by the government lol.
@@Skinny_Karlos ahah loved it. Who knows :)
Thanks for the review.! And what's the difference in sound between the dolfinos and the pirastro k. shoulder rest??
@@belmon38 hi! Well, as I think I said in the video, on my violin I didn’t have a significant difference in sound production. Some colleagues did, mostly (obviously) because the Dolfinos leaves the violin suspended. One has to try, I guess!
I bought a Dolfinos, initially I liked it but unfortunately it caused significant damage to the varnish of my new violin, more than would generally be expected. I wonder whether an excessive leverage force is exerted on the back of the violin. I did ask them but no reply.
Hi, oh I am so sorry to hear that. Is the damage under the cork on the back of the violin, or where exactly? Was your violin newly varnished? I didn't have any damage to the instrument so far. Please let me know, I will report your case to my contact in the team. Kind regards
I have been using the dolfinos system for about 3 months. It's not a miracle worker but it's close. It provides me with stability while also helping me to stay more relaxed. ❤️ I hope it works for you as well!
Hi! Nice to hear this and good for you! Which model did you choose and which chin rest?
@@ireneabrigo I bought the limited air edition with the berlin - extra hold - low chin rest. I liked the idea of the aluminum shoulder rest and being able to shape it to fit me better. I probably would have been just as happy with the carbon fiber version.
I plan on buying another adapter for my other violin but this time I am going to modify a chin rest that I already own to fit the dolfinos system. Then I can just move the shoulder rest between the two instruments.
@@gawags4709 Good plans! I also had the idea of eventually adapting my favorite chin rest to their system. I will see! Thanks for your very informative comments.
Have you considered switching from the C+ model to the L.A model?
Hi! In this video I had a prototype to try. I actually ended buying the Limited Edition Air L.A. model! Here my experience: ua-cam.com/video/rQGOCugvyCw/v-deo.htmlsi=UerkY4Pj0qz4hipO
@ireneabrigo Do you think the flexibility of the L.A model is necessary?
@sunsean3426 The issue isn’t about flexibility in my case; it’s the design of the Limited AIR Edition L.A. Model. Its form is different. The carbon model curves too far inward at the neck, which doesn’t suit my anatomy.
Is the shape of the chinrest Vienna or Berlin?
I am not sure! I ended up choosing the higher Berlin. Please check this other video: ua-cam.com/video/rQGOCugvyCw/v-deo.htmlsi=jYKNWBEe7UgfEDoN
I have a Bon Musica and it's too tall for my neck no matter how I adjust it. I'm interested in the Pirastro, but I've heard that it is rather tall also. Do you think the Pirastro can be adjusted lower than the Bon Musica?
Hi Bruno, yes you can adjust the Pirastro quite low actually, if you use the normal screws. Normally it is sold with normal screws which can be lowered quite a lot. Since it’s quite expensive, I suggest you to find a violin shop to try it before buying it. Let me know!! Good luck 🍀🎶🥂
@@ireneabrigo Thanks for your reply, very helpful.
@@brunobruzzese234 welcome!
❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
Hiii! Love back to you
Bravissima Irene!!