How Do I Change My Violin Strings?

Improve your Violin Sound by Adjusting the Bridge!

Y'all tin practise much more finding the best strings for your violin. Most violinists should learn toADJUST the POSITION of the BRIDGE to find the all-time sound.

At that place are iii things you lot tin can do to the span to improve your violin's sound!

I. Stone the TILTING BRIDGE dorsum to brand the FEET FLAT on the belly;

2. Move THE BRIDGE CLOSER TO THE SOUNDPOST;

Three. Movement THE Bridge CLOSER TO THE BASS BAR;

Here are some pictures of where the soundpost and bass bar are within the violin:

Soundpost position-vertical behind bridge

Soundpost cross-section

Please follow the instructions below on an cheap $50 violin!

Warning: DO Non do the following with an EXPENSIVE VIOLIN!

Take expensive violins to a specialist at the violin repair section of a well know music store please.

I. TILT THE Span BACK TOWARDS YOU SO THAT THE Anxiety ARE FLAT ON THE BELLY (the front of the violin). This is by far the most common cause of a deteriorating sound from your violin. It is caused from the turning of the tuning pegs which pull the strings and the superlative of the bridge forward. As a result the bridge will tilt on its feet. The vibrations of the strings volition not transfer fully to the violin. The remedy is very easy to execute and should be done at least once a month:

Put the violin in your lap with the coil facing away from you;
Place your thumbs at the feet of the bridge and your eye fingers on the other side of the feet. You identify your index fingers in a higher place the bridge: your left index finger on the span between the G and D string and your right index finger on the span between the A and E cord.
Now GENTLY Stone THE Bridge BACK TOWARDS YOU equally yous press the bottom of the violin against yous. The feet of the bridge will want to come back from a tilted position. When the anxiety are seated flat then they will not want to move whatever farther dorsum. Note that you volition need to move against the pressure of the strings pressing on the bridge. However, to right a tilted bridge does non need you to loosen the strings.

Two. MOVE THE Span CLOSER TO THE SOUND-POST:

Before you exercise anything, I recommend that you put a small strip of newspaper tape at the electric current position of the bridge so you tin return it to its original position, if you want to.
Look through the f-pigsty which is on the right side (E-string side) of the bridge and as yous look behind the correct foot of the bridge you will come across a post which connects the front of the violin to the back of the violin. This is called the Sound-mail.
Check that the edge of the Sound-mail service is 2mm to 4mm behind the right foot of the bridge. The focus and volume of the audio varies co-ordinate to this distance. A lot of Sound-posts are installed as well far away from the bridge. As y'all cannot hands change the position of the Sound-post, I recommend that you alter the position of the bridge.
To alter the position of the span, you must start loosen the strings slightly simply enough to allow you to move the bridge. Do non loosen the strings too much as many soundposts are non fitted tightly inside the violin and may fall over. Merely move the bridge 1mm closer to the soundpost and and so retune the strings. As you endeavour the violin you lot will detect that it is now more focused, louder and brighter. With trial and error you can detect the perfect position of the bridge. You will know if yous have moved the bridge as well close to the soundpost when the audio starts to lose some of its resonance or ringing quality.
If you don't like the new sound, you can e'er move the span back to its original position to obtain your original sound.

III. MOVE THE Bridge to the left so information technology is CLOSER TO THE BASS BAR: This can better the tone and balance of the strings.

Firstly, the TONE can exist made warmer by moving the left foot of the bridge over the bass bar because the lower frequencies of each cord are amplified by the bass bar. This is a very useful fashion to set a violin which is too bright or shrill on the E and A strings.

Secondly, y'all tin brand each cord's volume the aforementioned by moving the span to the left or correct to give what is called a Balanced tone or sound.

Before you do anything, I recommend that you put a pocket-size strip of paper tape at the current position of the bridge and so you can return it to its original position.
Look through the f-pigsty which is on the left side (Thou-string side) of the bridge and you will see the Bass-bar running to the right of the f-hole. The Bass-bar is a 277mm bar of wood attached under the forepart of the violin belly.
The goal is to have some of the left foot of the bridge on acme of the Bass-bar.
Loosen the strings slightly simply enough to permit y'all to move the bridge to the left. Only move the span 1mm closer to the Bass-bar and then retune the strings. As you try the violin y'all will observe that information technology is now more than focused, louder and fuller on the G string and the D string in item. With trial and error y'all can find the perfect position of the bridge.
You will know if you have moved the bridge besides far when the East string and the A string showtime to lose their volume and tone. A compromise is needed and so that you tin can observe what we called a "counterbalanced" audio across all the strings. What this means is that all the strings are of equal volume, tone and quality.
Re-position the strings on the bridge: if the bridge has moved merely 1mm and so you do not need to re-position the strings. However, exist aware that the Eastward string may at present be likewise depression and lose some of its ringing quality. A bridge protector can be placed over its groove to raise the E cord meridian or yous can place the cord on the right of its groove to raise the E string. If necessary, you tin can do the same with the other strings. You may not need to put in new grooves as the strings themselves will do this over fourth dimension as you constantly retune the strings. Just for your data, the distance between each string on the span should be 11.5mm.
If you lot don't like the new sound, you can always move the bridge dorsum to its original position to obtain your original sound.
Relish your ameliorate sounding violin!
Advanced warning! This can be highly addictive, so exercise exercise all of this on several inexpensive violins. Try to resist the temptation to constantly adjust the bridge unless information technology is a inexpensive violin.