Nice to meet you. Thanks for the great video. I have been playing the violin for 15 years. For the first time I am suffering from pain in my left shoulder. I think it's the result of continued practice with the violin being unstable. I think the cause is the shoulder rest and I have reviewed the way I apply the shoulder support with the help of your video. I noticed that there is a screw on the back side of my shoulder rest. So I changed it with the position of the screw and held the instrument according to your instruction, and now I feel a stability to my body that I have never felt before. I have no pain while playing. I have changed from despair to happiness.
Hello! I'm thrilled for you that you've had such good results! It's not always that easy to work out exactly what causes pain, so your analysis that the violin was unstable was quite brilliant... And remember that when we change something on the violin, the body wants strongly to go back to older habits, so we need to keep things very fresh and aware to help embed our desired new habits. I'm sure it must feel wonderful to be free again to play your beloved violin! Take care. Mary💗
Thank you so much. As a beginner with the Viola, this has not only made the shoulder rest more comfortable and stable, the chinrest is more comfortable ans secure as well.
Mary, this video is very helpful. It really matters to play the violin comfortably. I struggled with my shoulder rest positioning. I didn't know the proper way. Thanks for explaining well.
Hello! I'm so glad you found the video helpful. It's awful feeling uncomfortable or even in pain playing our violins, isn't it? I agree with you that It really does matter to play the violin comfortably! If there's anything at all I can help with, please contact me and I'll do my best, ok? Thank you and Happy New Year! Mary💗
Thank you for the great suggestions. I've had issues in the past with my shoulder rest. I thought I had resolved most of my problems, but lately I've had some pain in the neck and back. I'm going to try experimenting with this some. Thank you for the video.
Hello Joel! Yes, from time to time, a new pain will crop up and we have to experiment all over again with shoulder rests etc, although you already know how to resolve things from before, which is very good experience that will help you...I can usually trace things back to gardening: back and neck, muscles stiff and sore everywhere, but blissfully happy!🌿 Good luck with your experiments. Mary💗
Heĺlo Mary very informative although I've played for many years now it has never found a comfortable position. It would appear I had my shoulder rest mounted incorrectly, that is the wrong way with the higher side test on the chest giving height. Now changing it around as per your video.
Hello David! Thank you for that - all very interesting. I do hope you find a comfortable position. It can be tricky altering something that, even though it's uncomfortable or even painful, is familiar. And a new shoulder rest position can take quite a bit of adjustment and you might need to experiment with your chin rest too... But it's so worth it to persevere, don't you think? Please let us know how you get on. Mary💗
I've had a good position for the violin vis-a-vis the chin and shoulder rests since your video where you quoted Hilary Hahn as saying you should just turn your head a little to the left and your chin should be right on the chin rest. My problem is that there's more of a hollow between my ears than in my shoulder.
Hello iggy! I remember watching that Hilary Hahn video and thinking she makes it seem so easy and simple, but later I realised that it should be that simple. You iggy with your simple ways and folksy charm, have brilliantly succeeded in discovering a good position where many others have failed...😄I'm beginning to suspect that you're hiding your light under a bushel. Mary💗
Hola Mary! Tienes mucha razón...hay que experimentar mucho para conseguir lo mejor para cada uno...en mi caso cambié hace tiempo la mentonera y gané bastante comodidad. Ahora me gustaría probar otro apoyo para los hombros...recuerdo que hace tiempo te pregunté por el que utilizabas y lo tengo anotado para probar qué tal me podría resultar... Me ha encantado, como siempre, escuchar tus consejos! Los aprecio mucho! Cuídate Mary!🤗💜🎶💜🎻
Hello Lola! Somehow, more than anything else mechanical, the shoulder rest helps the left hand. And as you say, it's good to improve it and think about these things from time to time...Just to say, mine's by 'Willy Wolf 'and it's really great and so comfortable. It's the only shoulder rest I've found that you can adjust so it really, really fits... I hope you can find the perfect combination for you that will set you free and happily playing for a long time! Take care Lola! Mary❤️
@violinstudiowithmaryv .Thankyou, for this video, I will try putting my shoulder rest on as you have it. I've been trying to find a comfortable shoulder rest, that moulds to my body. I currently have a Everest " shoulder rest, but it doesn't go high enough or contours well. What make is your Shoulder Rest and Chin Rest please? 😊
Hello Lisa! Thanks for contacting me. My shoulder rest is by 'Willy Wolf' and it's certainly the most adjustable and comfortable I've tried. The chin rest I'm afraid I don't know the make, but as you can see in the video, it's made of rosewood and the shape provides more of a shelf, rather than the curved ones you may have seen that I think encourage too much head pressure and become very uncomfortable... I do hope you get on well in your search! Mary💗
Hello Nickie! Thank you very much, I'm so glad that you found it helpful and yes, I agree with you completely, all instructors should be showing this and making sure everyone is set up properly without pain and discomfort - it's fundamental! Mary💗
Hi, it's a Wolf 'Forte Secondo' which is incredibly adjustable in the body and the legs, as well as having a shape that brings the rest nearer to the curve around the neck. I Hope you find the right thing for you! Mary❤
Is there a brand of shoulder rest that you recommend? I have a Kun plastic one and I feel that it doesn't allow me to mold it like you demonstrated. Once again, thank you 🙏
Well, I really like the Wolf 'Forte Secondo' because it's incredibly adjustable and it can be bent to make the perfect fit from the shoulder to the chest, which is really important. Most people don't bend and adjust their shoulder rest nearly enough! I hope you find what you're looking for...Mary❤
Hello Mary, I found your site today and have been really impressed with the advice you are giving to beginners. I am a lefty beginner violinist, teaching myself. Following your instructions today, I was trying to adjust my shoulder rest and getting really frustrated at not being able to do it. Then my hubby pointed out that all my rests (5) are for right-handed players so curve the wrong way round!!! Complete eye ooener, thankyou. Will order the Wolf rest for lefties tomorrow. May solve all my issues. Can't thank you enough.
Hello Zolarina! I've never met a lefty and wasn't aware that Wolf made a left handed shoulder rest...when you get your rest make sure you bend and bend it until it fits your shape perfectly with no gaps...people often make the mistake of just attaching the rest without realising it needs to be fitted to our contours. Please let me know how you get on and if you need help with anything, I'd be delighted to help if I can. Congratulations for starting the violin! Mary❤
Hello! Yes, of course; I use the Wolf 'Forte Secondo' shoulder rest which I find incredibly comfortable because everything in it is adjustable. It's just the right shape to curve around the neck allowing it to be brought in well away from the outer part of the shoulder. Crucially, the body of the Wolf rest can be bent so it fits perfectly to the shape of the chest. The shoulder rests that baffle me are those I've tried that are rigid and straight across; how can they ever be comfortable without fitting our contours properly... I hope you find the right one for you! Take care. Mary💗
Hello Debbie! I'm so sorry you're struggling. I'd love to help, perhaps we can work it out; may I ask you a few questions? By 'kink' do you mean pain? is it always in the same spot? Is your left shoulder tense and squeezing? Are you holding the violin tightly with your head? Thanks, I look forward to your reply. Mary💗
@@violinstudiowithmaryv Hi from California, I have a lot of tension at the base of my neck on the left side. I probably do squeeze my chin rest and very likely I lift my left shoulder. I feel like the space between my chin and my neck is very short so there's not a big gap to put the violin that area. I basically never feel comfortable. My violin doesn't feel very secure . When I first start out it's really not that bad but after playing for several hours it does hurt. Is by far the most frustrating thing about the violin for me
@@DivaDeb1234 Thanks for that. Have you tried a foam shoulder pad? There are lots of different ones out there to try and may be more suitable for you.The advantage of foam is that it helps greatly with shoulder squeezing and can be adapted easily to really fit you... Something else you may like is a chin rest cover or pad which really helps the head and neck. Something I think you should do is learn to move your head while you're playing. Also try to let your violin move around a little bit while you're playing. Start every practice session with moving your head and violin and try to do the same throughout your practice. I suspect you're playing in one position for far too long - you need to break it up and move things often! Mary💗
@@violinstudiowithmaryv the tension and pain is at the very top part of my of my shoulder by the left neck area probably the trapezious muscle. It's very tense and the muscle is super cramped up. It's always sore. It makes me very sad that I can't figure this out
@@DivaDeb1234 Don't be sad. I think you have figured this out. Go and get treatment. If it is the trapezius muscle it can be helped by trained expert massage...I remember a colleague who for a long time suffered from awful headaches and 'kinks' in his neck. He waited until it was nearly unbearable before he sought treatment which was very successful, then he learned to alter his playing style to introduce much healthier and more frequent movements. It can be done. Don't put up with pain on the violin - it always gets worse if it's ignored... Mary💗
Very clearly described. Thank you
Thank you very much Sunil, I hope you find it useful! Mary❤
Nice to meet you. Thanks for the great video.
I have been playing the violin for 15 years. For the first time I am suffering from pain in my left shoulder. I think it's the result of continued practice with the violin being unstable.
I think the cause is the shoulder rest and I have reviewed the way I apply the shoulder support with the help of your video.
I noticed that there is a screw on the back side of my shoulder rest. So I changed it with the position of the screw and held the instrument according to your instruction, and now I feel a stability to my body that I have never felt before. I have no pain while playing. I have changed from despair to happiness.
Hello! I'm thrilled for you that you've had such good results! It's not always that easy to work out exactly what causes pain, so your analysis that the violin was unstable was quite brilliant...
And remember that when we change something on the violin, the body wants strongly to go back to older habits, so we need to keep things very fresh and aware to help embed our desired new habits.
I'm sure it must feel wonderful to be free again to play your beloved violin! Take care. Mary💗
Best vid I’ve seen on this subject so far! Thanks.
Thanks very much, I'm glad you liked it! Mary
Thanks for sharing ❤
Hello! Thank you! Mary💗
Thank you so much. As a beginner with the Viola, this has not only made the shoulder rest more comfortable and stable, the chinrest is more comfortable ans secure as well.
Hello Richard, I'm so delighted that you found this helpful. It's such a vital thing to get right...
I hope you're enjoying your practice! Mary💗
First time someone explains that. Thank You so much.
Hello! Thank you - I hope it helps - let us know how you get on. Mary V💗
Mary, this video is very helpful. It really matters to play the violin comfortably. I struggled with my shoulder rest positioning. I didn't know the proper way. Thanks for explaining well.
Hello! I'm so glad you found the video helpful. It's awful feeling uncomfortable or even in pain playing our violins, isn't it? I agree with you that It really does matter to play the violin comfortably!
If there's anything at all I can help with, please contact me and I'll do my best, ok?
Thank you and Happy New Year! Mary💗
I will make one Mary thank you for the tip
Hello, I wish you all the best! Mary💗
Thank you for the great suggestions. I've had issues in the past with my shoulder rest. I thought I had resolved most of my problems, but lately I've had some pain in the neck and back. I'm going to try experimenting with this some. Thank you for the video.
Hello Joel! Yes, from time to time, a new pain will crop up and we have to experiment all over again with shoulder rests etc, although you already know how to resolve things from before, which is very good experience that will help you...I can usually trace things back to gardening: back and neck, muscles stiff and sore everywhere, but blissfully happy!🌿
Good luck with your experiments. Mary💗
Very interesting. No one ever explained any of this.
Hello! Hope it helps, Mary V💗
It helped a good deal. I moved my shoulder rest position with positive results. @@violinstudiowithmaryv
Heĺlo Mary very informative although I've played for many years now it has never found a comfortable position. It would appear I had my shoulder rest mounted incorrectly, that is the wrong way with the higher side test on the chest giving height. Now changing it around as per your video.
Hello David!
Thank you for that - all very interesting.
I do hope you find a comfortable position. It can be tricky altering something that, even though it's uncomfortable or even painful, is familiar. And a new shoulder rest position can take quite a bit of adjustment and you might need to experiment with your chin rest too...
But it's so worth it to persevere, don't you think?
Please let us know how you get on. Mary💗
Inspiring! I'll try it!
Hello Michael! Good for you! Don't put up with anything less than comfort! Mary💗
Sounds Awesome !!!! Well done !!! I like it !!!!
Hello! Well thank you, glad you liked it! Mary
Very helpful ❤
I'm very glad! Mary💗
I've had a good position for the violin vis-a-vis the chin and shoulder rests since your video where you quoted Hilary Hahn as saying you should just turn your head a little to the left and your chin should be right on the chin rest. My problem is that there's more of a hollow between my ears than in my shoulder.
Hello iggy!
I remember watching that Hilary Hahn video and thinking she makes it seem so easy and simple, but later I realised that it should be that simple. You iggy with your simple ways and folksy charm, have brilliantly succeeded in discovering a good position where many others have failed...😄I'm beginning to suspect that you're hiding your light under a bushel. Mary💗
😂
Valeu muito bom! Thanks!
Hello Carlos! Thank you. Mary V
Hola Mary! Tienes mucha razón...hay que experimentar mucho para conseguir lo mejor para cada uno...en mi caso cambié hace tiempo la mentonera y gané bastante comodidad. Ahora me gustaría probar otro apoyo para los hombros...recuerdo que hace tiempo te pregunté por el que utilizabas y lo tengo anotado para probar qué tal me podría resultar... Me ha encantado, como siempre, escuchar tus consejos! Los aprecio mucho! Cuídate Mary!🤗💜🎶💜🎻
Hello Lola! Somehow, more than anything else mechanical, the shoulder rest helps the left hand. And as you say, it's good to improve it and think about these things from time to time...Just to say, mine's by 'Willy Wolf 'and it's really great and so comfortable. It's the only shoulder rest I've found that you can adjust so it really, really fits...
I hope you can find the perfect combination for you that will set you free and happily playing for a long time!
Take care Lola! Mary❤️
Thanks! Much appreciated. I was doing mine all wrong.
Hello! Let us know how you get on!
Thanks, Mary💗
@violinstudiowithmaryv .Thankyou, for this video, I will try putting my shoulder rest on as you have it. I've been trying to find a comfortable shoulder rest, that moulds to my body. I currently have a Everest " shoulder rest, but it doesn't go high enough or contours well. What make is your Shoulder Rest and Chin Rest please? 😊
Hello Lisa! Thanks for contacting me.
My shoulder rest is by 'Willy Wolf' and it's certainly the most adjustable and comfortable I've tried. The chin rest I'm afraid I don't know the make, but as you can see in the video, it's made of rosewood and the shape provides more of a shelf, rather than the curved ones you may have seen that I think encourage too much head pressure and become very uncomfortable...
I do hope you get on well in your search! Mary💗
Mary, this is great! All instructors should demonstrate this.
Hello Nickie!
Thank you very much, I'm so glad that you found it helpful and yes, I agree with you completely, all instructors should be showing this and making sure everyone is set up properly without pain and discomfort - it's fundamental! Mary💗
What is the brand of your shoulder rest?
Hi, it's a Wolf 'Forte Secondo' which is incredibly adjustable in the body and the legs, as well as having a shape that brings the rest nearer to the curve around the neck. I Hope you find the right thing for you! Mary❤
What is the model of your Chinrest? Perhaps, you have a link
Hi, So sorry but I don't remember what is the model of my chinrest. I've had it for decades you see. I hope you find one that's comfortable. Mary❤
Is there a brand of shoulder rest that you recommend? I have a Kun plastic one and I feel that it doesn't allow me to mold it like you demonstrated. Once again, thank you 🙏
Well, I really like the Wolf 'Forte Secondo' because it's incredibly adjustable and it can be bent to make the perfect fit from the shoulder to the chest, which is really important. Most people don't bend and adjust their shoulder rest nearly enough! I hope you find what you're looking for...Mary❤
@@violinstudiowithmaryv thank you!
Hello Mary, I found your site today and have been really impressed with the advice you are giving to beginners. I am a lefty beginner violinist, teaching myself. Following your instructions today, I was trying to adjust my shoulder rest and getting really frustrated at not being able to do it. Then my hubby pointed out that all my rests (5) are for right-handed players so curve the wrong way round!!! Complete eye ooener, thankyou. Will order the Wolf rest for lefties tomorrow. May solve all my issues. Can't thank you enough.
Hello Zolarina! I've never met a lefty and wasn't aware that Wolf made a left handed shoulder rest...when you get your rest make sure you bend and bend it until it fits your shape perfectly with no gaps...people often make the mistake of just attaching the rest without realising it needs to be fitted to our contours. Please let me know how you get on and if you need help with anything, I'd be delighted to help if I can.
Congratulations for starting the violin! Mary❤
Mary, can you share what shoulder rest you use in this video?
Hello! Yes, of course; I use the Wolf 'Forte Secondo' shoulder rest which I find incredibly comfortable because everything in it is adjustable.
It's just the right shape to curve around the neck allowing it to be brought in well away from the outer part of the shoulder.
Crucially, the body of the Wolf rest can be bent so it fits perfectly to the shape of the chest.
The shoulder rests that baffle me are those I've tried that are rigid and straight across; how can they ever be comfortable without fitting our contours properly...
I hope you find the right one for you!
Take care. Mary💗
I think it's worth a try. I feel that I need the height for my long neck. I just ordered one, by the way. Thank you!
@@iammir8365 best of luck with it. Please let me know how you get on...Mary💗
This is my biggest struggle. I have tried every single shoulder rest and chin rest. I still get a big kink in my neck
Hello Debbie! I'm so sorry you're struggling. I'd love to help, perhaps we can work it out; may I ask you a few questions?
By 'kink' do you mean pain?
is it always in the same spot?
Is your left shoulder tense and squeezing?
Are you holding the violin tightly with your head?
Thanks, I look forward to your reply. Mary💗
@@violinstudiowithmaryv Hi from California,
I have a lot of tension at the base of my neck on the left side. I probably do squeeze my chin rest and very likely I lift my left shoulder. I feel like the space between my chin and my neck is very short so there's not a big gap to put the violin that area. I basically never feel comfortable. My violin doesn't feel very secure . When I first start out it's really not that bad but after playing for several hours it does hurt. Is by far the most frustrating thing about the violin for me
@@DivaDeb1234 Thanks for that. Have you tried a foam shoulder pad? There are lots of different ones out there to try and may be more suitable for you.The advantage of foam is that it helps greatly with shoulder squeezing and can be adapted easily to really fit you...
Something else you may like is a chin rest cover or pad which really helps the head and neck.
Something I think you should do is learn to move your head while you're playing. Also try to let your violin move around a little bit while you're playing.
Start every practice session with moving your head and violin and try to do the same throughout your practice. I suspect you're playing in one position for far too long - you need to break it up and move things often!
Mary💗
@@violinstudiowithmaryv the tension and pain is at the very top part of my of my shoulder by the left neck area probably the trapezious muscle. It's very tense and the muscle is super cramped up. It's always sore. It makes me very sad that I can't figure this out
@@DivaDeb1234 Don't be sad. I think you have figured this out. Go and get treatment. If it is the trapezius muscle it can be helped by trained expert massage...I remember a colleague who for a long time suffered from awful headaches and 'kinks' in his neck. He waited until it was nearly unbearable before he sought treatment which was very successful, then he learned to alter his playing style to introduce much healthier and more frequent movements.
It can be done. Don't put up with pain on the violin - it always gets worse if it's ignored...
Mary💗