An improved shoulder rest for a stringed instrument such as a violin or a viola. The rest has a curved edge conforming to the shape of the tail piece of the instrument. One surface of the rest is planar and is positioned against the bottom of the tail piece. The opposite surface has a first region and a second region of increased thickness. An intermediate region transitions between the first and second region. The rest is formed from a resilient foam material and is detachably secured to the instrument by an elastic band extending between the C-bouts and the end button. In a playing position, the thicker second region is placed over the collar bone area of the musician and the thinner first region extends forwardly along the shoulder so as to not raise the instrument.