Shave down my violin's neck?

December 25, 2011 at 06:05 AM · http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mVPI1RatI2c

find a way to reach

December 25, 2011 at 06:59 AM · Small hand...

December 25, 2011 at 08:17 AM · Be warned that shaving the neck may change the sound of the violin. I have had this surgery done to my violin, but I am not sure how much it can help reaching the higher positions. I have tiny hands. When I play in very high positions, my thumb is completely off the neck and onto the side of the fingerboard.

December 25, 2011 at 10:21 AM · Don't do it.

December 26, 2011 at 11:01 AM · A reduction in neck size can be done by any competent luthier. However, it depends greatly on your instrument's construction. In some cases it may not be possible to reduce the size of the neck without compromising the structural integrity of the instrument.

A lot of the older instruments have very small necks as a result of centuries of wear. As long as the instrument is structurally sound, it is advantageous to have as small a neck as possible. You'll see a new replacement in situations where the originals have worn down beyond that point.

I've found a number of excellent smaller violas for my younger students in the 14"-15" range, but the one thing that they find challenging is the excessive thickness of the neck, particularly the area next to the button. We've had quite a few of them reduced (within reason of course) and the improvements have been significant, and the sound of the instruments have never been negatively affected as a result of the work done on them.

In my case, I found a violin with slimmer horizontal proportions (upper bout mainly) and a small neck to begin with, and was fortunate to have excellent work done on it by Roger Foster to reshape the neck to my liking. I don't have big hands but I have no problem getting around the fingerboard from top to bottom, leaving the thumb in contact with the neck the entire time. As for the viola, I was lucky to find a 16" with as small a neck as possible...no problem reaching intervals!

December 26, 2011 at 02:07 PM · It may be belaboring the obvious, but once you do it, you can't undo it, so consider this very carefully. Discuss it with a competent, trusted luthier. Some necks are indeed too thick, but if yours turns out to be of normal proportions, I'd definitely leave it alone.

The problem you're experiencing may actually be from the violin's upper bout being too wide for you. But Snow violins are usually made in normal proportions, and at your level of advancement, you may just need to get used to the high positions more.

Great players come in all sizes. If your discomfort persists and your teacher can discern no faulty technique, then down the line you may want to look for a slightly smaller violin - boarderline 7/8 size.

December 26, 2011 at 03:04 PM · I have a bit of a problem with the "find a way to reach" school of thought because I believe it leads to solutions that can cause physical problems in the long run. Reducing the string spacing at the nut is a game that can only be played so far. Perhaps the exertion makes it slightly easier to get the fourth finger to reach farther while resulting in a cramped hand. Historically, neck width at the nut has been getting smaller all the time. In the Hill book on Stradivari, the authors mention that they have measured neck widths of 27 - 28 mm on Baroque violins. Violinists today routinely ask me to make the neck on a new violin at 23.5. I even have some violists ask for that dimension.

It might be best to look at an overall reduction in instrument size, say from a 4/4 violin to a 7/8 size model. A smaller hand (even with chubby fingers) should do better on a smaller instrument.

December 26, 2011 at 07:45 PM · To add to the suggestions for 7/8 violins, there are also instruments that are full size in length (body and string), but have slimmer horizontal proportions in the bouts.

A colleague of mine plays an excellent small bodied violin by luthier Michael Fischer (of Los Angeles) that appears diminutive, but has stellar tone and projection.

December 26, 2011 at 09:43 PM · I'm reminded of an amusing exchange between a former teacher of mine (who related this to me) and the late great René Morel on this subject. After a while Morel said, in his strong French accent "well, some like zem seek [thick] and some like zem seen [thin]. I don't know which one you are..."

December 26, 2011 at 10:47 PM · I agree with Robert Spear, except that 7/8 is often not enough shorter. At the insistence of a performer who had developed physical problems, I made my first "adult" 3/4. That's all I'm making these days. I didn't realize there were so many problems. The string length is about an inch shorter than full size. The first two customers, at least, had tried 7/8 and found little improvement.

December 27, 2011 at 06:15 PM · Tammy,

My violin teacher has small hands, short fingers, and a DMA in violin performance from Eastman. The left hand is all about flexibility, co-ordination and strength in the right places. Size is not an issue. Keep practicing and you'll get where you want to.

December 28, 2011 at 12:57 AM · Lyle, does your adult 3/4 need a special violin case?

December 29, 2011 at 12:01 AM · Joyce, not special, but a full size case. That factored into the design, because that's what the original customer planned to use. I think she uses a full size bow.

December 31, 2011 at 01:20 PM · I have short pinkies.

My violin's original neck is worn down to toothpick size. The skinny neck has great advantages for lower position tricky chords (eg the finger twisters in solo Bach).

But for high positions, it has been far better for my ease of facility to use a center-mounted chin rest.

Set up is a very personal thing. You might want to borrow a skinny neck violin for awhile before altering your own. Good luck!