Looking for Something a Bit Smaller than a Full-sized Violin? 

Have You Considered a Small Pattern 4/4 Violin?

Have you found it challenging to play a full-sized violin because its dimensions don’t fit your fingers or your arm length just right? Have you tried a 7/8 size and found that it was just a bit too small and perhaps didn’t project as much as you’d like? Do you wonder if there is a workable solution for this conundrum?

One great option for violinists for whom a full-size 4/4 is just too large and/or uncomfortable is a full-sized violin built on a smaller pattern. While they are more difficult to obtain than standard-length, full-sized violins, there are contemporary makers who are producing them, often patterned after legendary 18th-century Italian master makers such as Guarneri Del Gesu and Giovanni Battista Guadagnini. 

Typically, small pattern violins have a back length that measures between 350-352 mm. These violins are often just the right size for players with shorter arms and/or small hands. And they can sound just as good as larger pattern  4/4 violins.  

For historical context, here are a few classic examples of small pattern violins from a few of the legendary master Italian makers in the 17th and 18th centuries:

• the 1666 Stradivarius “Aranyi” violin by Antonio Stradivarius (1644 – 1737) with a back length of 348mm 
• the 1667 Stradivarius “Jenkins Thompson” violin by Antonio Stradivarius with a back length of 350mm
• the 1735 Guarneri “Plowden” violin by Guarneri ‘del Gesù (1698 – 1744) with a back length of 351mm
• the 1741 Guarneri ‘Kochánski’violin by Guarneri ‘del Gesù with a back length of 351.5mm
• a 1750 violin from Milan by Giovanni Battista Guadagnini (1711 – 1786) with a back length of 350mm
• a 1771 violin from Turin by Giovanni Battista Guadagnini with a back length of 350mm

While these antique small pattern violins are rare and exceedingly expensive, they are being copied by the best contemporary luthiers, resulting in violins that can fit comfortably, produce ample power and a full tone, and display an antique flair.

To assist those of you who may benefit from a small pattern 4/4 violin, Dolce Violins works with award-winning modern violin makers to select small pattern violins for professionals and serious students alike. Click on the following links to explore a few of the fine small pattern violins we carry: