Violin size finder
A free violin size finder for kids. Measure your child's arm from the neck to the middle of the palm, type in the number, and see which violin size to try first.
Measure first
- Have your child stand straight and hold the left arm out to the side, level with the floor, palm up.
- Hold a tape measure at the side of the neck.
- Measure to the middle of the palm.
Measure twice. Do not let your child stretch or shrug.
Try this size first
Then check with the violin in hand
With the violin in playing position, have your child reach the left hand up to the scroll, the curled end.
- A good fit. The fingers curl around the scroll while the elbow stays a little bent.
- Too big. The arm is locked straight, or the fingers cannot reach around the scroll.
- Too small. The elbow is bent tight and the arm looks cramped.
A chart gets you close. A teacher or a violin shop makes the final call. When a child is between two sizes, many teachers advise the smaller one. Do not buy a size to grow into.
The size chart
| Size | Arm length, neck to the middle of the palm | Rough age |
|---|---|---|
| 1/16 | 14 inches (35.6 cm) | 5 and under |
| 1/10 | 15 inches (38.1 cm) | 4 to 5 |
| 1/8 | 16.5 inches (41.9 cm) | 5 to 6 |
| 1/4 | 18.5 inches (47 cm) | 6 to 7 |
| 1/2 | 20 inches (50.8 cm) | 7 to 9 |
| 3/4 | 22 inches (55.9 cm) | 9 to 11 |
| 4/4 | 23 inches (58.4 cm) | 11 and up |
The fractions are names, not measurements. A 1/2 size violin is not half as long as a full-size one. The ages are rough guides only.
How the finder works
Each violin size has an arm length on the chart. Your child fits the largest size whose arm length they have reached. An arm of 19 inches has reached the 1/4 size at 18.5 inches and has not reached the 1/2 size at 20 inches, so the finder says 1/4. Between two sizes, that is always the smaller one.
The finder also tells you when the measurement is within half an inch of the line between two sizes. Those are the cases where a second opinion matters most.
Where the numbers come from
The chart is the one in our guide to violin sizes for kids. It comes from the sizing guide published by Shar Music, a string instrument shop. We checked it against a second published chart, from StringWorks, another string instrument shop. The two agree to within half an inch at every size. Charts from other shops differ by an inch or so at some sizes, which is why the last step is always a teacher or a shop with the violin in your child's hands.
Sources: Shar Music, the complete string instrument sizing guide and StringWorks, sizing chart for a child's violin or viola, both checked in November 2026.
Good to know
Children grow out of small violins fast. Measure again after each growth spurt and at the start of each school year. The bow and the case come in matching sizes, so a new size of violin means a new size of bow. Because the sizes change so often, many families rent the small ones. Read renting vs buying an instrument for a child before you choose.
Some makers also build a 1/32 size for the smallest players and a 7/8 size for small adults. This finder covers the seven common sizes. It is for violins only. Violas are sized in inches, and a cello is sized with the child sitting down.
Goes well with
- Violin sizes for kids: how to measure and choose
- Best age to start violin lessons
- Renting vs buying an instrument for a child
- Violin for kids: how it works and what to hear
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