Q&A for How to Measure the Body Size of a Violin, Fiddle, Viola, Cello or Upright Bass

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How do I choose the perfect size of violin?

Jason Kleinberg
Musician
Jason Kleinberg is a Musician and Music Teacher based in San Francisco, California. He is a Professional Violinist, Songwriter, and Composer who has performed across the U.S., Europe, and Japan, both solo and with the group Diego’s Umbrella. Jason composed the film score for the documentary “Gumby Dharma”, released in 2006. He teaches fiddle and violin lessons online and creates video content through his channel called FiddleHed.

Jason Kleinberg

Musician

Expert Answer

A simple test will help when deciding on your perfect violin size. First, hold the violin against your shoulder, placing your chin on the chinrest. Extend your left hand towards the scroll—the part at the end of the violin that is curved. If the violin is the right size for you, your hand should comfortably grasp the scroll without having to lean way over to get there. This would mean you need a smaller or larger violin if your hand is falling short or extending too far.

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What are common or standard violin measurements?

Community Answer

Violins come in many different sizes, including 1/16, 1/10, and 1/8, but the full size is 4/4, or 14 inches/36 centimeters.

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I have a 3/4 violin but the measurements show that it's 4/4. Is this okay?

Community Answer

As long as you can use it comfortably it shouldn't be a problem and you can use this violin. It might be a viola though so check the tune.

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What is the height of the sides of a 4/4 violin, excluding the top and back?

Community Answer

The rib (sides) height of a full size violin is typically between 30 and 32 mm, and tends to be wider through the lower bout and narrower on the upper.

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How do I clean an old violin?

Community Answer

Get a soft cloth to clean off the back, bridge, scroll, and fingerboard of any dust or rosin. Then dampen the cloth just a tiny bit and wipe down the strings.

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The "A" measurement is: 14 inches. Is it a violin, or a 3/4 scale viola? "Nut" to "bridge" (in guitar language appears to be something like 12 3/4").

Nace127

Community Answer

Both a 14 inch viola and a 4/4 violin are the same size, your best bet to figuring out what it is is to check the width since violas are wider than violins. If the strings are still on the instrument then the easiest way to check would be to see what note the lowest string plays, with viola playing a lower C note.

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Are the measurements of the neck of the violin different for a 7/8 violin?

Community Answer

Yes, the neck measurements are different because of the size of the violin. You can measure using a ruler or measuring tape, the neck of your violin may be different then other types of violins.

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Question

I have a violin which is 22-1/4 length and just over 13-1/4 over the body. What size is this?

Mocha Zhou

Community Answer

A 22 inch violin is a 3/4 size instrument. Full size is 4/4, which is 23 inches.

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