A guide for parentsWhat size violin does my child need?
Violin size depends mainly on the length of your child's arm and only secondarily on age. As a rough guide, a 4-year-old usually plays a 1/16 violin, a 5–6-year-old a 1/8, a 6–7-year-old a 1/4, a child aged 7–9 a 1/2 and a 9–11-year-old a 3/4. A full-size 4/4 violin usually fits from around age 11–12.
Violin size chart
Measure the arm from the side of the neck to the middle of the palm, with the arm stretched out to the side. Ages are only a guide, because children of the same age can differ a lot in height.
| Size | Child's age | Arm length | Body length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1/16 | about 4 | up to 39 cm | about 23 cm |
| 1/10 | 4–5 | 39–42 cm | about 24.5 cm |
| 1/8 | 5–6 | 42–46 cm | about 26 cm |
| 1/4 | 6–7 | 46–51 cm | about 28 cm |
| 1/2 | 7–9 | 51–56 cm | about 31 cm |
| 3/4 | 9–11 | 56–60 cm | about 33.5 cm |
| 4/4 | 11–12 and up | 60 cm and up | about 35.5 cm |
How to measure your child's arm
It takes a minute and all you need is a tape measure.
- Your child stands straight and stretches the left arm out to the side at shoulder height, palm up.
- Measure from the side of the neck to the middle of the palm.
- Compare the result with the "Arm length" column in the chart above.
- Then check with an instrument: with the violin resting on the left shoulder, your child should be able to wrap their fingers around the scroll comfortably with the elbow slightly bent.
Between two sizes? Which to choose
Always the smaller one. Buying a violin to grow into is a common mistake: an instrument that is too big forces a tense, unnatural posture, makes playing in tune harder because the finger spacing is too wide, and quickly puts children off.
On a smaller violin your child plays comfortably, and moves up a size once the arm has really grown.
The bow has a size too
The bow matches the violin size, so a 1/4 violin needs a 1/4 bow. Rental and shop outfits usually come with the right bow, but it is worth checking if you buy one separately.
Buy or rent?
Children outgrow their violin roughly every year or two, so I recommend renting from a music school or music shop to start with. Buying makes more sense at full size, or once you know your child is going to stick with the violin.
I point my students to trusted places in Kraków to rent or buy a good instrument.
When to move up a size
Measure again about every six months, especially during growth spurts. Other signs are an elbow that stays clearly bent when your child reaches the scroll, or fingers that start to feel crowded on the fingerboard.
I keep an eye on the fit at lessons, so parents don't have to track it on their own.
You don't have to guess
At the first lesson we choose the right violin size together, and your child gets to play their first notes straight away. I teach children from around age 4 in Ruczaj, Kraków, in English or Polish.
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