The Physics of Violin

The result of a very short weekend and some very substantial writer's block is this week's feature on my very good friend, the violin.

Before reading about harmonic motion and some introductory remarks on sound, it had never occurred to me that music was all about physics. And by next week, we'll know even more about sound. Well then! ....um, I'll cover that next time. Soooooo!

Since sixth grade, when I first picked up a violin, I had messed around with things like tension and friction to get a desirable sound. Granted, I probably used the wrong word there; calling it "desirable" would be extremely misleading. Oh well, as usual, it's Sunday night!

At any concert featuring any string player, the first and foremost requirement is properly tuned strings. A violin's four strings are affixed to four tuning pegs, which when turned clockwise, increases the tension on the string. Consequently, this increases the frequency of the sound produced by the string (the sound's pitch is "higher.") The opposite, of course, results when a violin is tuned counterclockwise. Since so many different tensions can be achieved with the tuning peg, strings can be tuned to whatever note is desired. On the same end, however, tuning is sometimes a difficult and frustrating task. Back when I really was clueless about tuning, I recall breaking a few strings when I increased the tension too much.




Aside from a properly tuned instrument, a violinist's bow must be appropriately groomed with sticky substance, and lots of it. Conventionally, the bow is made with horse hair and coated with rosin. Without rosin to increase the coefficient of friction on the bow, the sound produced is very weak or completely nonexistent. Using too much rosin, of course, results in a very harsh, sticky sound. Another amateur mistake I probably made in sixth grade.






Moreover, the force of tension applies for the bow, too. Turning the screw on the bow (clockwise) increases the tension on the hair. Just like the strings, the hair needs just the right tension to produce the optimal sound. Careful owners of bows always say to loosen the hair completely after playing, each and every time. I say forget it. I generally remember this only after putting my instrument away, zipping it up, and closing the buckle. At which point I refuse to unzip my case, unbuckle my buckle, and take my bow out again, because I just can't be bothered to do all that. How annoying.

And so with a properly tuned instrument, a properly tightened and rosin'd (yes, I make up cool words) bow, a good violinist can start playing and dazzling audiences. Well, not exactly. You can play with an untuned instrument, with an un-tightened bow, without any rosin. You'll survive. I did.