Many people use electroacoustic violin shoulder rests. However, some friends may not know how to install a violin shoulder rest. Today, we will introduce the installation method to everyone. Hope it can be helpful!
First of all, we need to look at the length of the neck to determine if a shoulder rest is needed. For a regular spring shoulder rest, simply place the two feet on the violin body. You can tilt it slightly towards the chin rest for more comfort.
If you still feel uncomfortable, you may need to switch to an adjustable shoulder rest. Adjust the height of the shoulder rest until it fits well.
If it is made of sponge material or metal feet, the installation method is similar, but it may not be as comfortable as the plastic ones since it cannot be adjusted.
As the times have developed, shoulder rests have also undergone reforms and improvements, just like violin musical instruments. In the early years, there were only two types of shoulder rests, the spring and wooden ones. Later on, many types emerged based on them, and there were many choices in terms of materials.
The progress and development of shoulder rests also indirectly proves the importance of shoulder rests in violin performance. So, what is the impact of shoulder rest on violin performance?
The main purpose of shoulder rest is to keep the left shoulder in a more relaxed state. This means that it can help players stay in a relatively relaxed state, which is more conducive to the fundamental of playing-accurate sound production.
The sound of electroacoustic violin mainly relies on the friction between the bow and the strings. Therefore, the sound produced by different pressure, position, string, and playing speed is different. If one cannot maintain a relatively relaxed attitude while performing, it is difficult to grasp the sound. Especially for beginners, it is even harder to master the learning and application of basic skills. The use of shoulder rests and standard posture learning can improve this point, accurately grasp the sound, and be more beneficial for beginners.
Art is a pursuit of people's spiritual world and has a certain beauty of its own. Therefore, in the process of performance, in addition to a good state, artistic beauty is also very important. Different artistic forms pursue different aspects of beauty. For violin performance, beauty comes from two aspects, one is the beauty brought by the performer, and the other is the beauty brought by the violin.
The use of a shoulder rest allows the player's body to enter a relatively calm, stable, and relaxed state, allowing the player to concentrate on the performance of the music on the professional electric violin. Therefore, the visual feeling it brings is comfortable like flowing clouds and water. If a shoulder rest is not used, the performer's body will enter a tense state. There are many things to consider during the performance, which will affect the effect. To ensure the quality of performance, the performer should avoid any unattractive posture.
If body remains in a tense state for a long time, it will eventually cause damage to the body. Therefore, for the sake of health, it is necessary to use a shoulder rest. A shoulder rest can reduce the burden on the body, helping beginners or long-term performers to relax their bodies and be beneficial for long-term performance.
Learning and performing the violin is an art that requires patience, time, and energy. Therefore, one should not blindly rush into it. Although there is no strict regulation for the use of shoulder rests, the application of shoulder rests is beneficial for both learning and performance. Especially for beginners, the significance of shoulder rests in the study of violin is far greater than the formulation of a long-term study plan. So, we should attach great importance to the use of shoulder rests.
