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A Guarneri-type chinrest.

A chinrest is a shaped piece of wood (or plastic) attached to the body of a violin or a viola to aid in the positioning of the player's jaw or chin on the instrument. The chinrest may be made of ebony, rosewood, boxwood, or plastic.

Chinrest clamp wrench

The attachment consists of a metal bracket that hooks over the edge of the back, clamped onto the instrument by means of two threaded barrels connecting it to screws on the chinrest. Both the lower bracket and chinrest are usually padded with cork to minimize damage to the wood. The wrench shown makes it easy to adjust the clamp tension without damaging the rib of the violin. "Hill-style" clamps have a separate foot for each screw rather than a bar between them. (Some modern composite chinrests have clamps adjusted with a small Phillips screwdriver or with a hex key.)

There are many different types of chinrests available today, the most popular being a "Guarneri" type, which attaches centered over the tailpiece with a "cup" to the left, and a sort of "hump" covering the tailpiece. Other types attach to the left, usually without the aforementioned hump. Either type must be placed so it does not touch or buzz against the tailpiece. Some players prefer the chinrest cup in the center, rather than to the left, including the "Flesch" type, which may be had with or without a hump in the middle. Some chinrests are available in different heights as well as shapes.

Many other products have been created to avoid giving the player a violin "hickey", a red spot on the player's neck developing from contact with the chinrest. Some players prefer to use a cloth, such as a handkerchief, to cover the chinrest to make it more comfortable. Several types of padded fabric slipcovers are commercially available, which may not only cover the chinrest cup, but also extend to provide a barrier between the metal clamp hardware and the skin, beneficial if the hardware is plated with nickel and the player is allergic to the metal.

A few violin and viola pedagogues (such as Susan Kempter) advocate customising chinrests by having luthiers add height with extra wood underneath, and/or by sanding the top until it fits each player's individual jaw.

Vociferous debate may be elicited in some circles by suggesting that a violin sounds better without a chinrest. Rumor has it that Paganini played without a chinrest, although strong evidence has yet to be found. A few professionals today (notably Regina Carter) do not use a chinrest on their modern instruments; many who play Baroque instruments also avoid one.

• Violin
• Shoulder rest