FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

For the newby family, the question of whether to rent or purchase their instrument is one of the first big decisions. Many rental programs are poor in design, offering overpriced instruments of low quality, but many shops do take pride in offering excellent rental options that can be rented very reasonably with high equity accrual.  Both options, renting and buying, offer distinct advantages, tailored to different needs. A Quality Rent-With-Ownership Program (one that uses a high-quality instrument, offers strong equity accrual, options for insurance, quality levels and term lengths all at a reasonable monthly rate) is often the preferred route for beginners, those unsure of their long-term commitment, or families with growing children requiring size changes. Rentals can be more affordable, allowing players a "best start" instrument without a significant upfront investment. Under no circumstances should a rental be taken that is poorly made or poorly set up; this is a formula for a very short-lived playing career!

Conversely, purchasing a violin or a viola becomes a more compelling option for dedicated players certain of their continued musical journey. Building equity through "rent-to-own" programs can also make purchasing an attractive long-term financial decision. Owning an instrument provides the freedom to select from a wider inventory and potentially trade up as the player advances. While insurance becomes the owner's responsibility, the pride of ownership and the ability to personalize one's instrument are significant benefits.

V. RichelieuTM offers flexible rental and purchase options to fit your needs. Renting is a great way to start, as it allows you to test the instrument and ensure your commitment to playing. Our rental payments can also be applied toward a purchase, so you can transition to ownership when you're ready.

Sizing is crucial for a comfortable playing experience. We offer a range of sizes, including fractional violas for younger students. We can help you determine the correct size by measuring your arm length from the neck to the wrist or palm. Contact us to schedule an appointment for a personalized fitting.

How to Measure:

For Violin and Viola - Arm Length:

Extend the left arm straight out, parallel to the floor, with the palm facing upward.

Measure the distance from the base of the neck (where it meets the shoulder) to the wrist.

For Cello:

Seat the child so that the knees are bent at a ninety-degree angle. Make sure the child is sitting upright, at the front edge of the chair (not reclining backward or slouching). 

With the child sitting in this position, measure the distance from the left knee to the left ear.

A Few Hints:

Parents at home may not be able to address these but it’s helpful to know what teachers are lookign for.

Proportional Size: Instrument shouldn't be oversized for the body.

Shoulder Width: Instrument body shouldn't extend much beyond the shoulders.

Middle Finger Reach: Middle fingers must comfortably reach lower positions.

Scroll at Wrist: Scroll should reach the wrist crease.

Easy 4th Finger & Octave: Player must reach the curved 4th finger and octaves without stretching (aim for a 90-degree elbow).

Avoid "Just Fitting": Don't choose an instrument that's barely manageable now.

Balance First: Instrument size should support good posture and balance.

Violin Sizing Chart:

Size | Arm Length | Typical Age

1/16 | 14"–15" | 3–5 Years

1/10 | 15"–16" | 3–5 Years

1/8 | 16"–18" | 3–5 Years

1/4 | 18"–20" | 4–7 Years

1/2 | 20"–22" | 6–10 Years

3/4 | 22"–23" | 9–11 Years

4/4 (Full Size) | 23" and up | 12+ Years

Viola Sizing Chart:

Unlike violins, which have standard fractional sizes, violas are measured in inches.

The most common sizes range from 11 to 17 inches, measured along the back of the instrument (excluding the neck and scroll).

Viola Size (Inches) | Arm Length (Inches)

12-inch viola | 20–21.9 inches

13-inch viola | 22–23.9 inches

14-inch viola | 24–25.9 inches

15-inch viola | 26–27.9 inches

16-inch viola | 28 inches or longer

Cello  Sizing Chart:

up to 21" - 1/16 Cello

21"-23" - 1/8 Cello

23"-25" - 1/4 Cello

25"-27" - 1/2 Cello

27"-30" - 3/4 Cello

30" or greater - 4/4 Cello

Key Considerations:

"Growing Room" Caution:

Avoid sizing up too early. Playing on an instrument that's too large can hinder technique development.

It is better to have a slightly smaller instrument, than one that is to large.

Teacher Guidance:

Sizing is not a perfect science. Different teachers have different opinions which may vary from your violin shop’s.

Professional Fitting:

Visiting a reputable music shop is highly recommended. Their staff can provide expert fitting and instrument selection.

Remember that instrument sizing charts are general guidelines, and slight variations between manufacturers can occur. Ultimately, personal comfort is the most crucial factor. While these charts provide a helpful starting point, prioritizing a comfortable fit will ensure a more enjoyable and successful musical journey, whether you're learning the violin, viola or cello.

A complete outfit typically includes the violin, a bow, a case, and rosin. We also recommend a quality shoulder rest to ensure good posture and a stand-up tuner to help you stay in tune. Our instruments are sold in outfits to ensure you have everything you need to start playing right away.

Rosin

Without rosin on the bowhair, your violin will remain ever-silent. Rosin is processed pitch from a pine tree usually, although every rosin maker has its own secret formula.  Some rosins are soft, others harder, but when rubbed onto the bow, it covers the hair with a tactile, ground surface that creates the contact of the strings to the bowhair that vibrates the strings into tone. Larger instruments generally want a softer rosin than violin….and softer rosin generally does better in colder weather. Eventually, you’ll become quite particular about which rosin you prefer, but initially, it is just important to have sufficient rosin on the bow to create the sound…and not too much! You’ll get the hang of applying the rosin appropriately but remember that less is generally better than more and you’ll never put on as much as you do the first time.

Shoulder Rest.

Your violin should rest under your chin comfortably and safely so that your arms are free to stop the strings and shift into higher positions (an advancing skill). If your neck is strained to hold onto the violin, or your left arm is holding the violin up, you won’t get good posture and you may cause musculature or nerve damage as your neck clamps down hard on your violin. So take the time to find a good shoulder rest that is comfortable and as much a prosthetic as possible. Simple contoured sponges are often adequate (and inexpensive) at the start, but eventually you should visit the violin shop to try out other options.

Chromatic Tuner:

Tuning a violin is not the easiest thing to do. Back in the days of yore, we used pitchpipes and tuning forks, but beginners can’t really tune effectively with these simple devices. Chromatic tuners now exist to assist players of all levers with simple LED screens to show the current tuning of each string. With these electronic devices, equipped with onboard microphones or pickups, you can see exactly how your instrument is tuned and know whether to tune up, or tune down to achieve perfect A-440 tuning. Chromatic Tuners are inexpensive, but are also often free as phone apps.

Pencil and Notebook

Needed to accurately notate your music with teacher’s notes, “notes to self” and reminders of accidentals or speed changes. Good things to always have with you in your case.

Music Stand. 

That old chestnut, the music stand. Some are elegant wood stands, some are simple wire stands. Either way, if you are using sheet music or an tablet, you want to have the music at eye level. Yes, you CAN put your music on your bed, or the floor, or a table flat, but you CAN’T hold your violin up at an appropriate level and your technique (and your neck) will surely suffer. Even inexpensive stands will do the trick.

Metronome.

The device everyone loves to hate. Its persistent tick tock keeps the beat and using one effectively is the fastest way to master timing to correctly pace the music you are playing. These used to be the triangular wooden models with the swinging arm, but now you’ll find the phone apps or simple electronic metronomes effective. With the violin, you do need a loud one though and one with a flashing light accompaniment to the tone is useful. We prefer models with wood tick-tock sounds as opposed to the electronic beeps.

Other Helpful Things to Tote About with You:

Candy, photos of girl or boyfriend, pet photos, nametags, concert ticket stubs, autographs, Kleenex, stuffed animals, and a calligraphic rendition of your instrument’s name….all very excellent things to have handy (and stored carefully) in your case!

As you support your young violinist or violist on their musical journey, you’ll be faced with many important decisions. One of the most significant is what instrument to choose. It’s easy to think that a cheaper, mass-produced instrument is sufficient for a beginner, but the truth is, a quality instrument is a crucial partner in your child’s development at ALL stages of their learning.

While it's tempting to save money with a lower-cost instrument, it can actually hinder your child's progress and enjoyment. Maximising  your students learning means getting a great teacher and a great instrument. Spending less on one undermines the investment you make in the other.

Take the time to do it right. Select a great teacher and a V. Richelieu™ instrument.

Our violins and violas are made in Vermont, USA, with a focus on quality craftsmanship. Unlike many inexpensive, mass-produced instruments, ours are properly set up by luthiers, which makes them easier to play and tune. A well-made, properly set-up instrument can prevent frustration and help you progress more quickly.

The Journey of a Young Musician:

Perfection,

Precision,

Performance.

Superior Sound

V. Richelieu™ instruments are powerful in tone,

visually beautiful, and a testament to

our commitment to quality, creativity, and our planet.

Ringing Tone and Ear Development:

A ringing tone helps students clearly hear pitch, intonation, and resonance. This is crucial for developing a sensitive ear and learning to play in tune. A dull instrument will hinder this process.

Precision Craftsmanship:

Each instrument is uniquely carved to produce pure, ringing tones. This attention to detail is essential for advancing students.

Violas Built For Violists

Just as you wouldn't learn soccer with a basketball, a student cannot properly learn viola on a converted violin. Our instruments are built specifically for violists, with correct proportions and a clean, playable C string—especially in upper positions—which is often muddy on cheaper models.

Facilitating Faster Learning:

A better instrument allows a student to advance more quickly because it makes playing easier and more rewarding. This helps them avoid the frustration of a poorly made instrument that can make it hard to identify pitches or properly develop technique.

Fingerboards and Bridges:

We custom-design our fingerboards for comfort and to help with proper technique. Our fingerboards are sized specifically for violas. We also use different bridge sizes to enhance the often-troublesome C string.

This means your child won't have to fight their instrument to get a good sound.

Hand-Graduated Wood:

We carefully thin the wood to precise measurements, allowing the instrument to vibrate freely for a richer, more complex tone.

Superior Hardware:

Our instruments feature Wittner pegs for easy, slip-free tuning, and tailpieces also come with built-in fine tuners.

Proprietary Varnish and Quality Woods: 

We use a proprietary varnish that enhances tone and sustainably sourced, high-quality woods that improve with age.

MADE FOR THE PLAYER... AND PLANET

At V. Richelieu™, we blend old-world craftsmanship with modern technology to create exceptional, performance-level instruments. Named for the river along our northern border, our instruments are a testament to quality and sustainability. Our team of luthiers meticulously crafts each instrument using responsibly sourced,  FSC®certified spruce and maple, and we innovate with alternative fingerboard materials like Sonowood and GaiaTone to avoid endangered species. The result is an instrument that is both affordable, sustainable and outstanding.

Viola Specific Design: Our fractional violas have unique proportions, including a shorter neck length and a different neck angle, making them more comfortable and intuitive to play.

Voice, Vibrance, Value.

Small Craft, Big Sound

Just because an instrument is small doesn't make it easier to build.

We believe that young prodigies deserve the same no-compromise quality as older players. That’s why our fractional instruments are built with the same careful wood selection, master craftsmanship, oil varnish, and professional adjustments as our full-size instruments.

Many of our smaller instruments are played in conservatories throughout the country, a testament to their exceptional quality. Your younger players deserve no less.

Our sustainability mission is at the heart of our craft. We use ethically sourced, domestic woods, and our eco-friendly materials like Sonowood and GaiaTone prevent the use of endangered species. Our instruments are not only beautiful but also contribute to the preservation of natural resources, allowing for an uncompromised appreciation of the art of instrument making.

Unlike many rental instruments that receive a basic, factory setup, every V. Richelieu instrument is professionally set up by a luthier before it is sent to you. We outfit our instruments with high-quality strings and use Wittner Finetune Pegs. These advanced geared pegs make tuning incredibly easy and stable, eliminating the frustration often associated with traditional friction pegs. Our professional setup ensures the instrument is comfortable to play and produces the best possible sound, giving you a superior experience right from the start.

Each string of a violin, viola or cello is calibrated to ring at a certain pitch, but maintaining that pitch requires constant adjustment. One might think that learning to tune your instrument is the first thing a teacher shows you how to do, but with violin family instruments, tuning is part of your training and is developed over time. While pianos hold their tuning for a long time, violins go out of tune regularly and before playing, be it at home practicing, school orchestras, lessons or any playing time, you will have to touch up your instrument’s tuning.

Hearing the correct pitch requires some help. Very few people are born with perfect pitch (the ability to hear the correct pitch without the aid of a reference tone). In the old days, we used chromatic pitch pipes or tuning forks to tune. Each string is tuned around the A, and 440 mhtz is the USA standard A. A tuning fork will hum at 440 when struck. But hearing the tone of the fork or pitchpipe and then matching that pitch to a string’s tone is not easy and requires a developed, trained ear. And then the other strings (G,D and E on a violin) have to be tuned relative to that A. It’s not easy for beginners!

So what does a beginner do?

Sounding good requires playing in tune and this is impossible if the violin is not tuned correctly to start with. Fortunately, technology makes tuning a lot easier! The first thing to do is acquire an electronic chromatic tuner. These devices have built in microphones that listen to the instrument as you pluck a string. It will tell you what note it heard, and whether it is sharp (too high) or flat (too low) to the proper A-440 calibration.

To illustrate, you’ll pluck the D string. Maybe the tuner will say C# (C-sharp) so you know the note is too low.  You turn the peg, tightening the string, and the C# moves upward. You check the tuner again and now it records D but the needle is well below the center line, so still too flat. Now you tune with your microtuner at the tailpiece as you are getting closer. Check again….make more adjustments. Finally that string is in tune and you can move on to the A.  

Using a device like this does not require any (ANY!) ear training. All you need to know is the alphabet (up to G) and the notes each of your instrument is supposed to play: E, A, D, G on violin and bass; A, D, G, C on viola or cello. The device does all the listening and tells you visually your tuning. Some light up Green when your right on, Yellow when close, Red when way off. Others show a digital needle…but all are easy to get the hang of.

You can buy excellent tuners. Some clamp onto your instrument and work with a simple pick up instead of a microphone….we prefer these as they are not confused by background sounds (like your stand-mate tuning). Planet Waves (by D’Addario) makes a great violin and viola mini-tuner that clamps on in a very subtle way to the violin. Korg makes excellent microphone-driven tuners. But you can also just download free tuning apps on your phone…they often work well, though are only as good as your phone’s microphone.

So don’t be discouraged if your violin is out of tune. With the help of a little technology, you can get her tuned up in just a minute or two and be off to playing your music with a properly tuned instrument!

The strings you choose have an impact on the sound you can create.

Just as changing the color of the glass in a window changes how you perceive the view from that window, changing strings can alter the tone-picture of your instrument. The core tone of your violin remains, but is shaded by the nuances of your string selection.

String designs balance the attributes of the string core and the windings. Bowed strings are the hardest strings to manufacture and require very careful calibration to achieve particular tone colors, levels of power, and durability.

The core of the string defines the fundamental tone of the string. The windings shape that tone and offer the power a string needs to respond. And a dampening material will be used to ensure a stable tone that remains true as the string is continuously energized by the bow.

The core of a string could be as natural as gut or as space-aged as zyex. Manufacturers often keep the exact materials used in the core a secret, calling them “synthetic”, but some ingredients include: gut, perlon, carbon-fiber, zyex or steel thread called “ropecore.”

Materials used in the windings involve a variety of strong metals, some quite expensive: aluminum, silver, titanium, platinum, tungsten are common choices.

Today, there is a myriad of string choices available to the player. Make your selection, balancing what sort of sound you want to achieve with the natural core tone of your instrument.

Factors To Consider

Material

Strings were traditionally made of either steel or gut . Steel strings produce a brighter and more powerful sound, while gut strings are warmer and more complex. Today, all sorts of modern materials from perlon to zyex to carbon fiber are used in string construction: each material creates a unique tone.

Gauge

Strings come in different gauges or thicknesses. Thicker strings produce a richer and more powerful sound, while thinner strings are more responsive and easier to play.

Tension

Strings also come in different tensions, which can affect the playability and sound of the instrument. Higher tension strings are generally more powerful and responsive, while lower tension strings are easier to play and produce a warmer tone.

Brand

There are many different brands of strings on the market, each with their own unique sound and feel. Some popular brands include Pirastro, Thomastik-Infeld, and D'Addario.

Price

Strings can vary greatly in price, from cheap to expensive. As with most things, you get what you paid for. It's important to find a set of strings that fits your budget while still producing the sound and feel that you're looking for.  More expensive strings tend to be made from rarer materials and offer a more complex tone and more power.

Safely protect your instrument with a case that reflects your style preferences and personality.

One case does not fit all. Balance your priorities between price, weight, security, and features.

Understand the key differences between materials, shapes, manufacturers and features to find the perfect case for you!

WOODEN

Affordable

Heavy

Great for someone on a budget

Best quality hand-made cases are wooden cases

FIBERGLASS

Most popular cases

Variety of color options

Budget-friendly

Provides protection and durability

Scratchable

Heavier

CARBON FIBER

Most popular professional cases

Extremely lightweight but strong

Extremely protective and durable

Poor thermal insulator

POLYCARBONATE

Very protective and very durable

More temperature resistant

Affordable for the quality of protection

Lighter-weight

ABS

Popular amongst students and professionals

Affordable

Temperature resistant

Very strong - Crash-proof

Material

Most cases are made of either wood, foam, composites like polycarbonate or ABS, fiberglass or carbon fiber. Wood is a classic option that offers a traditional look, while other materials are more modern and lightweight.

SIZE

Cases come in different sizes to accommodate different storage and weight requirements. Make sure to choose a case that fits your instrument properly to ensure the best protection.

DURABILITY

Look for a case that is sturdy and well-made to ensure that it will protect your instrument from bumps and scratches. The best cases will last a life-time, but many affordable cases should provide 10-years of protection. Inexpensive cases are short-lived; don’t expect more than 3 years.

FEATURES

Some cases come with extra features like backpack straps, hygrometers, and humidity control systems. Consider which features are important to you before making your purchase.

Humidity And Temperature Controls

Some cases offer more insulation and retain internal humidity and temperature better than others. Insulation is a factor of the material used in the top and bottom halves of the case and the valance that surrounds the case around the zipper or closure. Work with a good retailer who can give you knowledgeable guidance on which cases will suit your environment the best.

STYLE & COLORS

Cases come in a range of styles and color designs, from classic to modern. Choose a style that matches your personal taste and reflects your personality.

Investing in a good violin case is essential to protecting your instrument and ensuring that it lasts for many years. By considering these factors, you can find the right case to suit your needs and keep your violin safe and secure during transport and/or storage.

So many choices, You do You! Consider your priorities and let your retailer help you find a match.