The Two-Finger Chinrest Test

Lots of musicians are particular about the chinrest they use. But do we really know what makes a good chinrest?

The two-finger test determines whether your chinrest is working for, or against you. Let's break it down.

Step one: Ensure your shoulder rest is set up to place the instrument directly on your collarbone. Many players tend to have their shoulder rest too high (to make up for their incorrect chinrest), causing it to rest insecurely on the neck rather than solidly on the collarbone.

Step two: Keep good posture. A straight back, relaxed shoulders, and balanced body is one ready to perform at the highest level. Any misalignment, raising of shoulders, and imbalance is a recipe for tension.

Step three: Place the instrument on your shoulder in your typical playing position, but don't rest your chinrest yet. Simply hold the instrument up with your left hand, keeping your posture relaxed and head looking straight ahead.

Step four: Turn your head until your jaw is hovering above the chinrest. Again, don't rest your head yet.

Step five: Measure the distance between the chinrest and your jaw. If your chinrest is 2 fingers below your jaw in this relaxed position, it is at the perfect height for you. If it is greater than two fingers away from your jaw, your chinrest height is insufficient for your body, which will cause you to drop your head too far and add extra tension to secure the instrument. And if it is less than 2 fingers, either your chinrest is too high, or your shoulder rest is raised high.

No one's body is the same, but regardless of your height, the two finger test is a good start to determining if your setup is working for or against you.

If you do the two finger test and find your chinrest isn't making the cut, and are looking for another option, check out our chinrest trial. For just $25, you can test our chinrest models to try something new. Until next time…

Play freely,