Comfort Counts: 5 Tips on Buying the Right-size Viola
Consider these measurements before buying your next viola
From the point of view of muscle control, string players are athletes. For a cellist or violinist, the instrument is like a tennis player’s racquet or baseball player’s glove—it has to suit the player, but it can be quite generic. But a violist is more like a track star. Like a runner’s shoes, your instrument has to fit you perfectly, because if it doesn’t, not only will you not be able to perform at peak capacity, you can actually hurt yourself.
Remember: love is a wonderful thing, but falling in love with the wrong viola can ruin your life. Sound is what you’re going to fall in love with, but it’s important to limit your search to a size that fits you. Before you start your serious search, ask a shop to set out a full range of sizes in inexpensive entry-level violas and spend some time playing them. Ignore the sound (for now), since this exercise is all about sizing. Instead, concentrate on the following five criteria, all of which are related to size. (If you can, take your teacher along—this may be the most valuable single lesson you’ll have.)
This article, "Comfort Counts: 5 Tips on Buying the Right-size Viola," is part of the Strings Archive, which you can access with a paid site subscription.
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