A new type of shoulder pad: A review

I recently saw an article in The Strad that immediately caught my attention. A guy in Japan had invented a shoulder pad (yes, a pad – not a rest) that attached to you instead of the violin. This – at least in in theory – should make it easier to move the violin around and change your playing position, which from a physical therapy point of view is a good thing. I contacted the guy and he kindly send me a test sample. It is very well made of non-slip neoprene and utilizes strong magnets inside the pad to hold it in place. As a player who usually tugs a thick wash cloth under my shirt, the concept isn’t new to me, but I’ve never seen it implemented in such a clever way. I decided that a short video would make this concept shine through more clearly, so here goes: 

Double click the video to view full screen. I should stress, that if you are used to a rigid shoulder rest, moving to a pad requires learning how to hold the violin more with the left hand – if not, you will inevitably run the risk of pressing more up and forward with your shoulder (bad!), so experiment at your own risk! The MagiPad on the web is here.