Simply for Strings

Some of the most common string playing terms are explained here…

Arco: Italian for bow. Written in after passages of pizzicato (plucked) notes. Means to return to playing with the bow.

Bariolage: A passage, often in Bach but in Brahms and elsewhere, where the fingers are held down over several strings and the bow oscillates between the several strings. The Bach E Major Partita is a notorious example. Very impressive sounding; not so hard once you get the trick of it.

Bartok pizzicato: Pluck the string vertically by snapping and rebounds off the fingerboard of the instrument creating a “snap” sound.

Bouncing bow: This is not just spiccato, which is an off-the-string, at-the-sounding-point technique of very small up and down bows, originating from the wrist, but a host of other definitions with very fine distinctions as to their meanings. {Worthy of further study are: saltando, saltante, saltato, saltellato, saltellando, sautellé.}

Col Legno: Passage where the sound is produced by striking the wood of the bow against the string(s). One should not use one’s best bow in this type of passage, particularly if the bow is expensive.

Con sordino: With mute. Passages with mute end with the phrase “senza sordino” which means to remove the mute. There are several varieties of orchestral mute including the Tourte, Bech and Roth.

Détaché: Impossible to define this, as there are so many varieties. Basically, up and down; a change of bowing direction with some articulation. Does not necessarily mean staccato (though sometimes defined as such); can be heavily accented or not.

Down bow: If the bow is on the sounding point in the middle of the bow, if you pull down toward the right, that is a down bow. Up bow is the opposite.

Harmonics: Bell-like tones created by lightly touching the string with the flat part of the left finger, which breaks the string into partials. The first harmonic learned by students is the one mid-way between the nut and the bridge, at about an inch or so above (towards the bridge) where the body of the violin begins. Indicated by a 4 and a 0 fingering. Used by composers for affect.

Left hand pizzicato: pizzicato created by a sharp plucking of the string with the violin (left) hand.

Legato: Smooth, tied together. May be indicated by a slur mark.

Marcato: Marked or accentuated notes.

Martelé: Staccato (short) with heavy accent.

Pizzicato: Usually written as “pizz” in the parts, and “arco” when the pizz section is meant to end. Plucking the string with the left hand. Technique may be done in several ways with respect to the holding of the bow in the left hand: (a) for very quick notes in pizz, the left index finger may be extended, and the pizz done without much changing the shape of the bow hold; (b) the bow may be grasped by the fist and the thumb used to balance the hand, with the index finger pizzing; and (c) the bow may be set down in the lap or on the stand for extended passages in pizz.

Ponticello: Orchestral technique of playing on the bridge (sul ponticello). “Dietro il ponticello” is playing behind the bridge. End of ponticello passage may be indicated by “ordinario,” often written as “ord.”

Portamento: An audible slide from one position to the next. As modern stringed instrument technique developed in the later part of the 20th century, players tended to be less and less “smaltzy,” and portamento used more carefully. But in the performances of Yo-Yo Ma (for example) you will be surprised to discover a lot of portamenti, but they do not sound syrupy at all. This is a matter of “taste,” that longed for but often hard to define characteristic of great string playing.

Richochet: Fast bounces, similar to spiccato but in the upper half of the bow.

Sautille :(French; Italian saltando, German Springbogen, Spanish saltillo) – A bowstroke played rapidly at the balance point, one bowstroke per note, so that the bow bounces very slightly off the string of its own accord. It is not indicated in any consistent manner: sometimes dots are placed above or below the notes, sometimes arrow-head strokes, and sometimes the stroke is simply left to the performer’s discretion. spiccato and sautillé are sometimes used as synonyms, though spiccato tends to be applied to a broader range of off-the-string strokes.

Senza Sordino: Remove mute

Slur: A curved line, below which or above which, all the notes are smoothly articulated together. Phrase breaks occur outside the slur. The primary distinction between a slur and a tie, is that a tie unites one or more notes of the same pitch, requiring that the pitch not be replayed, but held the time required. Slurs slur notes of different pitches, as a rule.

Staccato: Generally, short. Spaces between the notes. An important articulation developed by the control of the bow from the second joint of the bow hand on the stick.

Sul tasto: Playing over the fingerboard (which produces a softer sound). Okay as an orchestral technique, not okay as a bad habit, due to lack of bow control or the affect of gravity if the violin is not held parallel (or above) to the floor. End of sul tasto passage may be indicated by “ordinario,” often written as “ord.”

Sul ponticello: On the bridge. Instruction to string players to place with the bow as close to the bridge as possible to produce a glassy metallic but mysterious sound effect. Often written, “sul pont.”.

Tremolo: Orchestral technique of many small and unmeasured up and down bows, accented or unaccented, at various dynamics, as indicated by the composer. Often used to fill the sound more full, or to create excitement or tension.

Vibrato: An oscillating of the sound, used to provide warmth to a note. Basically three kinds of vibrato: finger vibrato, hand vibato, arm vibrato, with string players tending to use one or more of these according to their own propensities. In the Baroque period vibrato was considered an ornament. In contemporary technique, continuous vibrato can be a problem and has to be controlled.

A zipper slider is made to open and close the teeth of the zipper. Be sure that the zipper is completely unzipped before opening the case to prevent damage to the teeth. The slider is designed to slide back and forth along the zipper. Therefore, you should not pull upward on the slider because it will loosen its jaws and eventually make the slider too loose to close the zipper properly. This is usually the first sign of a worn zipper and you should adjust it as soon as possible to avoid further problems.

To stop this problem, you can tighten the back of the slider with a set of pliers. Open the zipper all the way before starting so the slider is touching the material of the cover.

Lightly clamp the pliers along the side of the slider and press down. Make sure to apply the most pressure to the back of the slider. Be careful not to apply too much pressure at first. Use light pressure a few times until the slider is tight enough to slide along the zipper and properly close the teeth.

From www.bamcases.com

How to choose and use your strings.

Many musicians and students are amazed and sometimes bewildered by the large number of strings available for the violin, viola, cello and bass. We are offering this information to answer some of the basic questions about choosing strings.

Each different type of string has its own special characteristics, which can change the sound of your instrument. These characteristics can make subtle (and sometimes not so subtle) changes in the quality, playability, volume and responsiveness of the instrument. In some cases, changing one or more strings can improve a weakness in a specific part of the range of the instrument. Some instruments respond best to a certain kind of string and less well with other types. Each instrument has its own personal characteristics. A string that works well with one instrument may not produce the best sound with another brand. There is also a vast number of playing styles that dictate string choice. 

A classical violinist might choose strings that would be unsuitable for a bluegrass fiddler. A jazz bass player who plays mostly pizzicato would like a string that symphony bassists would find difficult to use. For centuries, all musical strings were made of sheep gut (not cat gut, as many believe). By the 16th. Century the lower, thicker strings were wrapped with silver wire to reduce mass. Today, almost all gut strings are wrapped with aluminum or silver. In the early 20th. Century, all metal strings were introduced to improve stability in pitch and durability. Steel E strings for the violin became popular, primarily because gut E strings broke so quickly. About 20 years ago, strings with nylon cores were introduced. They share many of the tonal qualities of gut strings but are much more stable in pitch as compared to gut strings, which need constant tuning. Today, perlon core strings are the most popular strings among students and classical players.

Gut Core Strings

Many classical musicians still prefer gut strings for their warm sound, full of complexity with rich overtones. When you play on a gut string, you can hear much more than just a simple uncomplicated tone. The response is a bit slower than synthetic core strings, and has a lower tension, giving them a pliable feel under the fingers. Musicians who perform early music on instruments set up in the Baroque style wouldn’t think of using anything else but gut strings. There are however, some problems with gut strings, the most troubling of these is the gut string’s instability in pitch. Gut strings go out of tune frequently. For the first week or so after installation, they must be tuned constantly while they stretch. They also are very sensitive to changes in temperature and humidity. In addition, they are more expensive than most other strings. We would hesitate to recommend a gut string to a beginning or even intermediate student because of these characteristics.

Steel Core Strings

Steel core strings came into existence partially because of the drawbacks of gut strings and as a concession to beginning students. Steel core strings are very stable in pitch, even when first installed. They also have a sound that is very different from gut strings. They all tend to have a sound that is simple, clear, direct, pure, and usually a bit hard with few overtones and no real complexity. Often they are bright and a bit thin sounding. This quality is not as pronounced in the cello where all metal strings are more standard. Non-classical players, especially country and folk fiddlers, as well as many jazz musicians often prefer steel strings. They also work well with small size, inexpensive student instruments. In addition, most bass players use steel core strings. There have been some interesting changes in the construction of steel strings and these changes have been of particular interest to cellists. Steel cores (usually thin fibres of roped or spiralled steel) are now wrapped with a variety of metals such as aluminium, chrome steel, tungsten, silver and most recently, titanium. These changes in technology have allowed manufacturers to produce strings with more sophisticated sounds. When we discuss different brands, we will go into more detail about these different materials and their unique sound.

Synthetic Core Strings

Over the last 25 years more and more musicians have switched from gut to synthetic core strings. The more common synthetic used is Perlon, a kind of nylon. These strings share many of the tonal characteristics of gut strings but are much more stable in pitch and generally have a faster response. They need to be tuned far less often, and “play in” only after a day or two rather than the usual week that it takes for gut strings to stabilize. Since the core is synthetic, this type of string can be more consistent in quality than gut, but they do lack some of the complexity of sound that gut strings have. Because of this, some musicians prefer to continue using gut strings. Today there is a large variety of synthetic core strings on the market, each with their own special characteristics.

String Gauge

Almost all strings are available in different thickness or gauges, for example Thomastik Dominants, which are available in stark (thick), mittel (medium), and weich (thin). Pirastro Eudoxa, Olive and Kaplan Golden Spiral gut strings come in a variety of gauges indicated by gauge numbers. The majority of string players use the medium gauges. In general a thicker than normal string will require more tension in order to bring it up to pitch. This increase in tension will produce more volume and sometimes a fuller sound but with a slower response. A thinner string requires less tension and will give a faster response, but with less volume and a thinner, slightly more focused sound. What gauge string you choose will depend on the qualities of the particular instrument you are playing. A violin may need a thicker string to give it more “punch” or power, or more fullness of sound. Yet on other instruments, those thick strings will choke the sound and make it unresponsive and dull. On the other hand, a thinner string might help an instrument with a dull, unfocused, fuzzy sound but might sound shrill and thin on others. We must stress that every instrument responds differently to different strings. The only way to determine the optimum string for you is to try a variety of strings on your own instrument.

Qualities Of The Most Popular Strings

1. Gut Strings

Pirastro – Oliv – These premium strings have a brilliant sound with rich complex overtones and a relatively fast response. The Olive E is gold-plated and has an unusually pure, clear and brilliant sound.

Pirastro- Eudoxa – One of the most popular of strings before the introduction of synthetic core strings, the Eudoxa has a warm, mellow sound with a slower response than the Olive or synthetic core strings. Great on some older instruments, they can be a bit dull on others.

Pirastro – Gold Label – An economy gut string with a sound mid way between the other Pirastro gut strings. Available only in medium gauge. The violin E string is popular for its brilliance.

2. Synthetic Core Strings

Pirastro – Evah Pirazzi – A recent addition to the ever-growing assortment of high-tech strings, the Evah Pirazzi joins the Obligato in Pirastro’s lineup of composite core strings. These excellent strings have a brilliant sound as compared to the darker Obligato. They are brilliant with a nice silvery sound and plenty of depth. They take longer to settle in than other synthetic strings, usually four to five days, so give them a chance.

Pirastro – Obligato – These strings are among the latest of the new generation synthetic core strings, using a composite material rather than nylon (perlon). They have a good sound somewhat similar to Eudoxa gut core strings but with a quicker response and slightly less complexity. Of all the synthetic core strings, the Obligato is closest in sound to gut core strings. Within the last year Pirastro introduced Obligato for viola, cello and bass. The cello strings seem to be an excellent choice for an instrument that is a bit too shrill.

Pirastro - Violino – This new string was introduced as a “student” string. The Violino has a warm, full tone that seems to work well with new student instruments, especially those of European origin, with bright, somewhat hard tone. These strings seem to take away some of the “edge”.

Thomastik – Infeld Red and Blue – Thomastik’s first new violin strings in over 20 years, these two strings were introduced together. The Infeld Red has a darker, warmer tone and the Infeld Blue is more brilliant in sound. They are designed so that you can mix and match them on your violin to get the balance you need. The tension is the same for either set. The Infeld Reds are warmer and darker in tone but not dramatically so. The difference is subtler than the difference between Pirastro’s Obligato and Evah Pirazzi.

Thomastik – Dominant – The original synthetic core string, made with Perlon. Dominant strings are bright and responsive and are by far the most popular. When new, Dominant strings have a metallic edge, which fades after a few days of playing.

Corelli - Crystal strings have a relatively dark, warm sound yet are bright and focused.

Corelli - Alliance - These premium priced strings have a kevlar core. Their sound has more brilliance than the Corelli Crystal along with richness and complexity. Alliance strings also seem to have a longer life than most other synthetic strings.

Larsen synthetic core violin and viola strings – The Larsen cello strings have been around for some time but until recently they never made violin strings. The sound is big, brilliant, and slightly darker than Dominants, with an interesting metallic edge that gives the sound power and punch. The tone also has depth and complexity.

D’Addario - Zyex strings have a brilliant, very focused sound, but without a great deal of complexity. They are very stable in pitch.

3. Steel Core Strings

Thomastik - Spirocore – A bright sounding string with some edge. They are especially popular with cellists who need a great deal of brilliance. The cello G and C tungsten are high-tension strings with a big sound. The silver G and C have less of an edge to their sound.

Pirastro - Chromcor – A bright string, excellent for inexpensive student instruments.

Pirastro – Piranito are good for those looking for an inexpensive string for student instruments.

D’Addario - Helicore – This string has become very popular. It has a warm sound, unusual for a steel core string. The Helicore bass strings are getting good reviews. They are available in Orchestra, Pizzicato and Hybrid. The Hybrid is for players who want both a good bowing response and a good pizzicato response. The Pizzicato is for the player who plays primarily or solely without a bow. The Orchestra version is for players who primarily bow.

Jargar – These strings have been popular for many decades, especially with cellists who have made the Jargar A the string of choice. The G and C strings are also available with silver winding for a brighter, more brilliant sound. Jargars have a warm sound when compared to most other all-metal strings.

Larsen viola and cello – These premium priced strings were introduced only a few years ago and have become popular with cellists for their pure, clear sound. The Larsen “Solo Edition” strings have a brighter, more brilliant sound. Available as A, D, G and C (tungsten) for cello and A for viola.

Prim – These inexpensive, bright strings have an edge to their sound that is popular with fiddlers and some cellists.

We hope that the above descriptions will assist you in making a choice of strings for your instrument. However, we must stress that the only way to choose the correct string is to try a variety of brands and gauges. Each and every instrument responds differently to different types of strings.

Installing Strings

We recommend changing strings every six to twelve months. Over time, strings lose their brilliance and edge and become dull and unresponsive. Most musicians don’t realize how the sound of their strings change over time because the change is so gradual. When changing strings, remove only one at a time with all the others up to pitch, keeping the tension on the top. Before putting on the string, use a soft pencil on the groove in the nut and bridge. The graphite is a lubricant that reduces the chance of string breakage. Don’t tighten the strings to a higher than normal pitch as this will weaken the string and increase their chance of breakage. Strings should be wound evenly from the center of the peg to the edge of the peg box, but should not push against the peg box. The condition of the nut, pegs, bridge and tailpiece of your instrument is very important. Strings should fit the grooves in the nut and bridge correctly. If the grooves are worn or uneven, your strings will break more easily. We will be happy to examine your violin, viola or cello to be sure that everything is in optimum condition.

Simply for Strings has a huge range of strings. Take a look in our online store, or drop by for a visit!