![]() ![]() The sound post is also the only internal part of a string instrument that isn’t glued into place - instead, a luthier will move it up and down to best fit the acoustics of the individual instrument. It’s interesting that in Spain, this small piece is referred to as the “Alma,” which translates in English as the “Soul” of the instrument. However, without it, the instrument is useless, since the sound post acts to transfer the vibration of the strings from the top to the back of the instrument … which eventually produces the tone and is responsible for the sound projection. It could be said that the most vital component is the sound post, which appears at first glance to be nothing more than a simple spruce dowel between the top and back of the instrument. Some parts may seem ornamental, as opposed to functional, but the reality is that every piece of wood plays an important role in contributing to the sound the instrument produces. These are dense materials that hold up to long-term use. Ebony and rosewood can be used for pegs, tailpiece, fingerboard and (in the case of violin and viola) chin rest. Tops are normally spruce, which is much softer and helps produce a strong tone. The back, ribs and neck are carved from maple, which is a rigid wood. In general, it takes 70 pieces of wood to craft a string instrument, whether it’s a violin, viola, cello or bass. It Takes a Lot of Wood to Make a String Instrument The same material went into stringing tennis racquets up until the 20th century, before scientists developed polymers. It’s true that these were a byproduct of animal intestines - but they came from the intestines of sheep, not cats. The viola and cello also changed form during that era.īonus trivia: Perhaps you’ve heard that many early stringed instruments originally used “catgut” strings. Italy was the leader, home of the great Cremonese School that brought forth the Amati design that was later the basis for designs by Gaspar d’Salo, Antonio Stradivari, Giuseppe Guarneri and other well-known violin-makers. By all accounts, the bowed instruments of today were largely the development of European instrument-making guilds in the 16th century, during what is now called the “Golden Age” of violin making. A phorminx.īut how and exactly when these developed into modern string instruments is largely lost to history. Some were played with a bow, but the shapes were quite different from those we now recognize. There were many types of stringed musical instruments then, such as the harp, lyre, phorminx and psalatery. String instruments date back to at least ancient Greek times. No One Is Really Sure Where Violins Came From Here are five more things about string instruments that may surprise you. ![]() In our blog “ Five Things You May Not Know About String Instruments,” we covered some little-known facts about string instruments that even some experienced players may not be aware of.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |