After yesterday's presentation, I was wondering if besides all the phisical aspects Lynne mentioned, if eye dominance is taken into consideration in setting up the chin rests. I remember reading 1 or 2 artcles about it, in which they claimed that the students may want to turn their heads in werid ways (depending on eye dominance) in order to see the contact point and the fingerboard, and different types of chin rest can help prevent that.
Thanks!
Yes; we all come wired left- or right-eye dominant, but our equipment should not nail us down in one spot even if to serve one eye. We want our equipment to allow head movements on top of the chinrest. In order to maintain good physical health and balance when playing, our head needs to balance out the movements of our right hand and even for some left hand movements. Be aware that rigid shoulder pads and ill-fitting chinrests WILL limit the turning or "bobbling" of the head left to right on the chinrest. In the films, notice the head movements of Paul Rolland. This is what we want.
To say that one eye must dictate the turn of the head would be to say, too, that the player can only do relatively fast down bows or slow up bows if they are right-eyed. To limit movement is to invite injury and to "minimally" shortchange musicality.
Remember, too, that the brain is plastic; it will eventually do whatever is necessary to balance out movements that happen in violin/viola playing and in life, generally. We want to be "jugglers" of the instrument and not a statue that holds poses. Think too; even in sleep, we move around because the body gets tired of one position.
Being a wearer of contacts and glasses, I will find the answer interesting too.
This is an interesting question, and I'm curious as to the answer!