If you have not been advised on the size you need, then this short guide should help you out. The actual size between the instruments doesn’t look much, a ¼ violin being 47cm and the ½ only 4cm longer, but this can make a real difference to the player. Playing on the wrong size instrument could force the player to have to stretch too far or have to ‘scrunch’ up. Either way, its going to make learning to play much harder!
If you are an adult learning to play you will probably need a full size instrument, but it is worth checking if you are not sure. For a child, please follow these simple measurements.
Just under the next size up?
If you find your child is just under being the next size up, it is tempting to go for the large instrument.
Ideally, they should start with the smaller size and only move to the larger size when they are 100% ready. Playing an instrument even slightly to large may inhibit progress.
If the violin arrives, but the teacher suggests a different size please let us know and we’ll arrange a swap.
If you are still unsure after using this guide, please contact us. We are always happy to help.