Construction and mechanics Violin

1 construction , mechanics

1.1 strings
1.2 pitch range
1.3 acoustics
1.4 sizes
1.5 mezzo violin

construction , mechanics

the construction of violin




violin , bow.

a violin consists of spruce top (the soundboard, known top plate, table, or belly), maple ribs , back, 2 endblocks, neck, bridge, soundpost, 4 strings, , various fittings, optionally including chinrest, may attach directly over, or left of, tailpiece. distinctive feature of violin body hourglass-like shape , arching of top , back. hourglass shape comprises 2 upper bouts, 2 lower bouts, , 2 concave c-bouts @ waist, providing clearance bow. voice or sound of violin depends on shape, wood made from, graduation (the thickness profile) of both top , back, varnish coats outside surface , skill of luthier in doing of these steps. varnish , wood continue improve age, making fixed supply of old well-made violins built famous luthiers sought-after.

the majority of glued joints in instrument use animal hide glue rather common white glue number of reasons. hide glue capable of making thinner joint other glues, reversible (brittle enough crack applied force, , removable warm water) when disassembly needed, , since fresh hide glue sticks old hide glue, more original wood can preserved when repairing joint. (more modern glues must cleaned off entirely new joint sound, involves scraping off wood along old glue.) weaker, diluted glue used fasten top ribs, , nut fingerboard, since common repairs involve removing these parts. purfling running around edge of spruce top provides protection against cracks originating @ edge. allows top flex more independently of rib structure. painted-on faux purfling on top sign of inferior instrument. , ribs typically made of maple, matching striped figure, referred flame, fiddleback, or tiger stripe.

the neck maple flamed figure compatible of ribs , back. carries fingerboard, typically made of ebony, other wood stained or painted black on cheaper instruments. ebony preferred material because of hardness, beauty, , superior resistance wear. fingerboards dressed particular transverse curve, , have small lengthwise scoop, or concavity, more pronounced on lower strings, when meant gut or synthetic strings. old violins (and made appear old) have grafted scroll, evidenced glue joint between pegbox , neck. many authentic old instruments have had necks reset increased angle, , lengthened centimeter. neck graft allows original scroll kept baroque violin when bringing neck conformance modern standards.

closeup of violin tailpiece, fleur-de-lis



front , views of violin bridge



sound post seen through f-hole

the bridge precisely cut piece of maple forms lower anchor point of vibrating length of strings , transmits vibration of strings body of instrument. top curve holds strings @ proper height fingerboard in arc, allowing each sounded separately bow. sound post, or soul post, fits precisely inside instrument between , top, below treble foot of bridge, helps support. transmits vibrations between top , of instrument.

the tailpiece anchors strings lower bout of violin means of tailgut, loops around ebony button called tailpin (sometimes confusingly called endpin, cello s spike), fits tapered hole in bottom block. e string have fine tuning lever worked small screw turned fingers. fine tuners may applied other strings, on student instrument, , built tailpiece. fine tuners enable performer make small changes in pitch of string. @ scroll end, strings wind around wooden tuning pegs in pegbox. tuning pegs tapered , fit holes in peg box. tuning pegs held in place friction of wood on wood. strings may made of metal or less commonly gut or gut wrapped in metal. strings have colored silk wrapping @ both ends, identification of string (e.g., g string, d string, string or e string) , provide friction against pegs. tapered pegs allow friction increased or decreased player applying appropriate pressure along axis of peg while turning it.

strings

strings first made of sheep gut (commonly known catgut, despite name did not come cats), or gut, stretched, dried, , twisted. in years of 20th century, strings made of either gut, silk, aluminum, or steel. modern strings may gut, solid steel, stranded steel, or various synthetic materials such perlon, wound various metals, , plated silver. e strings unwound, either plain or gold-plated steel. currently, violin strings not made gut much, many performers use them achieve specific sound in historically informed performance of baroque music. strings have limited lifetime. when violinist plays string, oil hands , sweat can damage strings. well, rosin bow can accumulate on part bowed. eventually, when oil, dirt, sweat , rosin accumulate, string can become old , dirty. apart obvious things, such winding of string coming undone wear, players change string when no longer plays true (with intonation on harmonics), losing desired tone, brilliance , intonation. string longevity depends on string quality , playing intensity. in 2010s, huge variety of strings available.

pitch range

3d spectrum diagram of overtones of violin g string (foreground). note pitch hear peak around 200 hz.

a violin tuned in fifths, in notes g3, d4, a4, e5. lowest note of violin, tuned normally, g3, or g below middle c. (on rare occasions, lowest string may tuned down as fourth, d3.) highest note less defined: e7, e 2 octaves above open string (which tuned e5) may considered practical limit orchestral violin parts, possible play higher, depending on length of fingerboard , skill of violinist. yet higher notes (up c8) can sounded using artificial harmonics.

acoustics

the helmholtz corner traveling , forth along string.

the arched shape, thickness of wood, , physical qualities govern sound of violin. patterns of node made sand or glitter sprinkled on plates plate vibrated @ frequencies, called chladni patterns, used luthiers verify work before assembling instrument.

sizes

fractional ( ⁄16) , full size ( ⁄4) violins

apart standard, full ( ⁄4) size, violins made in so-called fractional sizes of  ⁄8,  ⁄4,  ⁄2,  ⁄4,  ⁄8,  ⁄10,  ⁄16,  ⁄32 ,  ⁄64.these smaller instruments commonly used young players, fingers not long enough reach correct positions on full-sized instruments.

while related in sense dimensions of instruments, fractional sizes not intended literal descriptions of relative proportions. example,  ⁄4-sized instrument not three-quarters length of full size instrument. body length (not including neck) of full-size, or  ⁄4, violin 356 mm (14.0 in), smaller in 17th-century models.  ⁄4 violin s body length 335 mm (13.2 in), ,  ⁄2 size 310 mm (12.2 in). violin s closest family member, viola, size specified body length in inches or centimeters rather fractional sizes. full-size viola averages 40 cm (16 in).

occasionally, adult small frame may use so-called  ⁄8 size violin instead of full-size instrument. called lady s violin, these instruments shorter full size violin, tend high-quality instruments capable of producing sound comparable of fine full size violins. 5 string violin sizes may differ normal 4 string.

mezzo violin

the instrument corresponds violin in violin octet mezzo violin, tuned same violin longer body. strings of mezzo violin same length of standard violin.