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A collarbone pad
The two most common obstacles to playing without a shoulder rest are: 1) the edge of the instrument feels hard and sharp, and 2) the instrument will want to slip away from the collarbone. The kréddle CUSHION is designed to fix both of these problems. However, the CUSHION is not meant to directly replace a shoulder rest; it’s meant instead to help reestablish the most important connection to the instrument that is lost when a shoulder rest is used-namely the connection to the collarbone.
Shoulder rests tend to break the instrument-collarbone connection by lifting the instrument. They therefore produce a seesaw-like weight transfer which is inherently unstable, and which requires excessive use of static muscle engagement. Over time these static positions often end up causing more pain and injury than they fix. The CUSHION is for players who recognize the benefits of more dynamic motion in the musculature, and who are prepared to move from the statically fixed feeling shoulder rests produce, to the inherently flexible and also potentially disorienting feeling of playing with no shoulder rest. Please note that the CUSHION, like all other tools, is not magical, and the transition from with a shoulder rest to without will likely take some time and patience. For anyone used to playing without a shoulder rest however, the addition of the CUSHION will likely be immediately pleasant.
Some players use the CUSHION in conjunction with a shoulder rest. We need more experience with this set up to comment more, but certainly do whatever seems to work best for your playing!
For more information about how the CUSHION integrates into violin & viola playing, see the video of CUSHION features below.
- The CUSHION's outer surface is soft and grippy.
- Inside the CUSHION is a skeletal part providing structure and support. Note that the CUSHION is not like a foam pad; it has more solidity than foam. This has been done because an increase in compressibility reduces support-similar to an overly soft bed providing insufficient back support.
- The CUSHION's shape includes a rounded lip to "hook" with the collarbone.
- The use of small dimples increases the grip of the CUSHION to clothing.
- The CUSHION prevents any contact with the metal chin rest clamp.
- The CUSHION works with both violin and viola.
- The CUSHION has been designed to work with any standard chin rest clamp-a kréddle CHIN REST is not required (only recommended) to use the CUSHION.
- The extended slot in the CUSHION provides the ability to move it along the edge of the instrument separately from the chin rest bracket, giving players the ability to dial in the position accounting for instrument position, jaw-to-collarbone relationship, and chin rest placement.
- Comes in four colors.
- For the ultimate customizable set up, consider using the CUSHION in conjunction with the fully adjustable kréddle CHIN REST.
- Click here for a video of CUSHION features.
- Click here to buy the kréddle CUSHION.
