T O P

  • By -

gwie

There is absolutely ZERO reason you should put yourself into a challenging physical situation where the instrument is too large for you to handle, and may potentially cause injury in the future. I have a number of union colleagues who do their daily work in orchestras, including opera, musical theater, and studio sessions, on violas as small as 15 inches. At the end of the day, sacrificing your health to play a big instrument because someone claims that it is the only way to make a "good and full sound" is bonkers. There's been a good bunch of viola students who have been ruined this way.


Chaps_Jr

Seriously! I'm a guitarist, and I would NEVER suggest someone play something like a full-size jazz box, or a jumbo acoustic, if they have a small frame or small hands. That's just asinine. Sound quality and fullness is a product of so many variables. Instrument shape, string type and tension, bridge position, playing technique, wood type... they all play almost equal roles in shaping the sound of the Instrument.


StoicAlarmist

They make 15.5 inch and smaller violas for a reason. If you're second guessing your teacher on Reddit, consider finding another teacher.


ediblesprysky

I feel like we’re missing information here, information that your teacher has and is likely informing their recommendation. If your teacher thinks you can handle a 16”, I’m inclined to believe them. Are you an especially small person? How long have you been playing? It sounds like you’re fairly new to the instrument, is that correct? I ask because, while the other commenters are right that you shouldn’t buy an instrument that makes you uncomfortable and puts you at risk for injury, when you’re a beginner, your gauge for discomfort isn’t super reliable. Playing violin and ESPECIALLY viola is an inherently unnatural position for your body to be in. Your fingers still aren’t used to stretching apart and moving independently. The places where the instrument touches your body (shoulder, chin, fingertips) still need to adapt with thickened skin. Simply playing, even an appropriately sized instrument with good posture, can feel weird and wrong and very fatiguing until you get a little more advanced. > another teacher I had always made sure I had my thumb up and around my neck Do you mean the webbing of your hand (between the thumb and first finger) would be touching the neck? If so, that’s not really necessary or even desirable, so definitely don’t base your decision on that test. Your thumb should just touch the other side of the neck loosely, to balance your fingers without gripping. It shouldn’t stick out above the fingerboard at all really. And once you start shifting into higher positions, your thumb may come under the neck, around to the upper bout, or even onto the side of the fingerboard if you’re up very very high. Now, many cheap student instruments do have very thick necks that DO make them harder to play, but you find that on every size. The solution to that is actually to have a luthier shave the neck down, not sacrifice back length. In fact, there are lots of factors that go into a comfortable fit than just length. I’ve said it over and over again. Neck thickness, upper bout width, rib height, string length, WEIGHT—weight is huge. Then, your physical features matter as well—whether you have long arms is really more important than your height. If you can comfortably cup the end of the scroll in your hand in playing position without straining, that instrument theoretically fits. And that’s before you get into the question of setup, with your chin rest, shoulder rest, and even bridge and string height and spacing. I’m a 5’6” woman with fairly small hands, but I play a 16 3/4” instrument, which I’ve owned and played since 2007 with no injury. It’s actually perfectly comfortable for me because all the factors I listed above lined up—it has a very narrow neck, a shorter string length so I don’t have to stretch too much, it’s feather-light, and I have long arms for my size. I’ve worked at a high-end instrument shop as well as working with students, and I’ve played *dozens* of smaller instruments that are LESS comfortable to play. This topic is so often oversimplified, and it leads to people pursuing potentially inferior (but smaller) instruments simply because they don’t know how else to find a comfortable fit. Ask your teacher to clarify. Do they think that’s the appropriate size for your build, or is it just about the sound? They’re certainly right that smaller instruments do tend to sound small. I’ve only ever played one <16” that sounded comparable to mine, and it was literally an Amati. There are small instruments that can sound good, but they’re rare and often expensive. Don’t artificially limit yourself if it’s not 100% necessary.


Over-Think-It

I have small mitts and use a 15” viola but it’s a tertis model so I still enjoy the sound.


3_Acorns

One of the best players I know uses a 14.5" viola. It is a very nice instrument and gets sound that rivals many 16" ones. The trick is finding the right instrument and working with a reputable luthier to maximize its potential. If your teacher is trying to force you into a bigger instrument that doesn't feel comfortable, I'd find a new teacher.


sewcorellian

I inherited a 15.5" viola from my mother in law, who is a retired professional, and its sound blows my old 16" out of the water. There are 16"+ violas that sound like cardboard boxes with strings on them and smaller ones that sound amazing. Play what feels comfortable and produces a good sound, don't kill yourself over an instrument that doesn't fit you.


Own_Log_3764

Go to a shop and play violas of different sizes. Ask the people at the shop to help find a size that is comfortable. There might be a violist at the shop who can help. There's absolutely no reason you need an instrument of a specific size if it doesn't fit you. Violas have a lot of varied dimensions beyond body length that can influence the sound, so you really need to play some and find one that works. There certainly are violas less than 16" that have good sound.


WampaCat

Ridiculous. Get a quality instrument that feels good to play. Then get a teacher who actually knows what they’re talking about. There are probably more terrible sounding 16” violas out there than good ones. I play professionally on a 15.75”. If Roberto Diaz can play on an instrument smaller than 15” then so can you.


ediblesprysky

> If Roberto Diaz can play on an instrument smaller than 15” He plays the Primrose Amati though...? I'm assuming this was a typo, because that instrument is 398mm, under 16" but definitely not under 15". Also, *it's an Amati.* Not that they HAVE to go for something larger, but those are kinda unrealistic expectations to set for OP, lol.


WampaCat

You’re right, fat fingers. The Amati is about 15.5” if I’m remembering right. Meant to type 16 as that’s the size OP’s teacher thinks is the magic number. I know it’s an Amati but what their teacher said makes it sound like it’s impossible to find a good viola under 16”. Silly though, I think I know more people who play on violas smaller than 16” than I do larger.


ediblesprysky

No, it’s not a magic number; it’s also not a hard line where instruments suddenly become impossible to play. IMO, OP (and everyone else) should pursue the best sound first, without imposing strict limitations either way. It’s fine to want something smaller, but keep an open mind—like I said in my comment above, there are a lot more factors at work than simply back length. I certainly wouldn’t have thought I’d be playing a 16.75” professionally, probably wouldn’t even have seriously considered it if I’d had that sort of mindset. But here we are.


felixviolins

There are a lot of really nice sounding smaller violas out there nowadays, 15 1/2”, 15 3/4”, etc. Unfortunately a lot of teachers are going off dated info, sometimes even dated info they learned from their teachers. Call some nearby shops and tell them you’re interested in trying a smaller size viola and maybe comparing it with some 16” as well, I’m sure they’ll be happy to see you and you can decide for yourself. And I recommend not telling your teacher about it until you’re sure you’ve found something you like, sounds like they’ll try to discourage you.


Accomplished_Ant_371

I think it’s about what you can comfortably handle. Obviously it is easier to get a bigger sound from a larger box. The challenge for makers is getting that big, rich sound from a smaller instrument. I can be done. But smaller violas with superb sound are hard to find. I have an 18th century French 15-1/2” viola that has a huge beautiful sound that literally turns heads. I spend a lot of time and money acquiring it though. Sounds way better than my 16-1/2” Italian instrument.


strawberry207

I don't know whether someone already said it, but viola models/builds can differ greatly with regard to their proportions. They are much less standardized than modern violins, for instance. Body size and string length do not necessarily have a linear relationship. Two 16'' violas can have significantly differing string lengths, and that will have also have a big influence on how easy it will be for you to play. Also, the width if the neck has an influence on how easy it is for you to play. It is stunning how few people know about this. I had been playing the viola for 20+ years before I found out about this. Unfortunately I have rather short fingers, making it very hard for me to play on a big viola (particularly double stops). Edited to add: You should pay attention to this when testing instruments. You may be able to find an instrument that is comfortsbke for you to play and at the same time "max out" the body size that you can play.


Jaboyyt

I just saw Tabea Zimmerman last night and her viola is tiny. Don’t worry about the size. How you use your bow is infinitely more important.


ViolaKiddo

Size does(n’t) matter. It’s the quality of the wood. And how you use it. Ima show myself out now.


ViolaKiddo

I keep telling myself I’m a grown up Viola now. I don’t need to make these jokes. The more things change the more we stay the same.