Shoulder rest
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/* References */ added Strings magazine article reference
[[Image:Coussin2.JPG|thumb|Shoulder rest for violin.]]
The '''shoulder rest''' is an accessory that can be found on [[violin]]s and [[viola]]s. It may be made of wood, aluminium, [[carbon fiber]] or plastic. Usually, the shoulder rest attaches to the edge of the [[Violin construction and mechanics|back of the violin]] with "feet" padded with rubber tubing or made of soft plastic. The goal of a shoulder rest is to allow a more comfortable attitude while playing by adding height to the shoulder and preventing the instrument from slipping (Kreitman, p.30). It is a relatively recent invention, and though it is quite commonly used among modern violinists and violists, it is not universally used. Depending on body type and style of clothes, some musicians need no more than a thin sponge or a cloth under the instrument.
==Merits and Demerits==
Without a shoulder rest, a violinist may raise their shoulder to bring the violin closer to the jaw and to hold the instrument in place, particularly when shifting [[Playing the violin#Positions|positions]]. Problems usually surface while doing this, such as constant muscle tension which obstructs fluidity of technique, and may lead to injury in the long term. These problems can also be the result of a shoulder rest which has not been customized for the musician.
A shoulder rest can dampen the instrument's tone by decreasing the vibrations of the [[sound board|back]] of the instrument. According to the renowned [[violinist]] and [[professor]] [[Leopold Auer]], the use of a shoulder rest could take away more than half of the violin's natural volume. On the other hand, the shoulder alone can also hinder the instrument's tone by pressing against the back of the instrument. Many great violinists, including [[Tibor Varga]], [[Aaron Rosand]], [[Jascha Heifetz]], [[Nathan Milstein]], [[Itzhak Perlman]], [[Pinchas Zukerman]], [[Michael Rabin]], [[Fritz Kreisler]], [[Efrem Zimbalist]], and [[Eugène Ysaÿe]], have not used a shoulder rest.
Instruments have been partially damaged and devalued due to the friction and added tension to the instrument the shoulder rest brings.
==See also==
*[[Chinrest]]
*[[Viola]]
*[[Violin]]
==References==
*{{cite book
| last = Kempter
| first = Susan
| authorlink = Susan Kempter
| coauthors =
| title = How Muscles Learn: Teaching the Violin with the Body in Mind
| publisher = Summy-Birchard Music, Warner Bros. Publications
| date = 2003
| location = 15800 NW 48th Avenue, Miami, FL, 33014
| pages = pp.23-28
| url =
| doi =
| id = ISBN 1-58951-401-7 }}
*{{cite book
| last = Kreitman
| first = Edward
| authorlink = Edward Kreitman
| coauthors =
| title = Teaching from the Balance Point
| publisher = Western Springs School of Talent Education
| date = 1998
| location = 1106 Chestnut Street, Western Springs, Illinois, 60558
| pages = p.30
| url =
| doi =
| id = Library of Congress Catalog Card Number 98-90294 }}
*{{cite magazine
| author = Richard Ward
| title = Show of Support: Choosing the right shoulder rest can be a tricky task
| journal = Strings
| volume = 127
| publisher = String Letter Publishing
| location = San Rafael, California, United States of America
| year = 2005
| month = March
| url = http://web.archive.org/web/20061109144905/http://www.stringsmagazine.com/issues/strings127/yourinstrument_127.html
| accessdate = }}
[[Category:Violins]]
[[Category:String instrument construction]]
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