Introduction

The violin needs stability. This is achieved ideally by using the weight of the head delivered through chin and jaw bone to the violin, with a minimum of tension. Just enough jaw contact and weight keeps the instrument from slipping and puts much of the weight onto the collarbone. At the other end, the left hand also stabilizes the violin as we play so it doesn’t wobble with the action of bow and fingers.

I think about the fact that for a long time the predecessors of the violin were played against the chest. Instruments like the Rebec were just stabilized between left hand and chest. Some inspired person must have realized a whole different way of playing was possible if the instrument was brought under the chin as a way to hold it. Thus began a revolution. Shifting and vibrato and all sort of things requiring freedom of movement became possible. No one plays the Rebec anymore (or almost no one) probably because what you can do is some much more limited. With this new way of playing what also began was centuries of players struggling with neck pain, jaw pain, shoulder tension. The struggle to get comfortable and to figure out how to cooperate with the body is still ongoing. Luckily though, there is a lot of helpful research and new ideas coming up.