Sizing For Your Instrument

Sizing your child for an appropriate violin or viola is very easy. It is best to have a shop or teacher size, but it can be done at home too. Have your child stand up straight with left arm fully outstretched, with no bend in the arm. Then with a tape measure, measure the distance from the child's sternum to the palm of the outstretched arm. Palm, not fingertips. Then use the following chart to determine which size best suits your child:

Measurement	Violin Size	Viola Size
up to 15 inches	1/16	n/a
15 - 16 inches	1/10	n/a
16 - 17.5 inches	1/8	n/a
17.5 - 20 inches	1/4	11 inch
20 - 23 inches	1/2	12 inch
23 - 25 inches	3/4	13"
25 or greater inches	4/4	14+"