Distinguishing The Different Types Of Violin Strings

How do you choose the best and appropriate strings for your violin

? The sound produced by a violin is greatly impacted by the construction of the violin and the type of strings that are being used on it. The choice of strings is as much a personal preference as choosing the instrument itself. Just as each violin is unique, different strings are distinct in terms of the sound produced, ease of playing, the volume and response to the instrumentalists bow.

Violin strings fall under three general categories according to what raw material was used. They can either be made of a synthetic core, animal gut, or steel.

Gut strings come from the gut of sheep, not cat gut as was commonly believed in olden times. During the 16th century, the lower strings were encased in silver wire to make them thicker. This allows the production of low-sounding notes. In modern times, one up to three threads of silver or copper wire are wound around a gut core to create a pitch similar to that produced by a much thicker pure gut string.

Gut strings are preferred by violinists who want warm, rich sounds with complex overtones. Gut strings necessitate longer stretching times as compared to synthetic strings. Although generally stable after being stretched, gut strings may be affected by varying weather conditions and, consequently, entail more frequent tuning. Drastically different tones can be produced by different gauges of gut strings. Smaller gauges of gut strings produce brilliant sounds, but with less carrying power. Gut strings with thicker gauges produce powerful, gritty sounds at high tensions. Violinists trying to recapture Baroque sounds usually prefer gut strings for their violins.

For fiddlers, or non-classical instrumentalists, steel core strings are the popular choice. This type of strings produce a direct, clear sound with few overtones. Some overtones can be produced by wound steel string varieties. Compared to gut strings, steel core strings have a more stable pitch. They have very bright sounds. They are also very durable which is why school instrument sets usually have this type of strings.

Lastly, we have the synthetic core strings. These strings were introduced in the 1970s by Thomastik-Infeld through their line of nylon perlon strings called Dominants. The innovation ushered in the use of other nylon and composite materials. Synthetic core strings produce warm sounds comparable to gut strings, but with better pitch stability.

by: William Barker

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