Mode: |
Mode Definition |
To Identify Pitch |
Violin Position: |
Control Frequency by |
Match: |
A0
260-
290Hz |
"Helmholtz," the so-called
breathing mode |
Blow rather hard across f-hole
on more active G string side. Both f-holes should give same
blow-tone pitch on completed instrument |
C4 to open D4 string. |
Cavity volume, flexibility of
all cavity walls, f-hole area and f-hole edge thickness. Increase
volume (larger pattern or higher ribs), thin plates and ribs,
thicken f-hole edges or reduce f-hole area to lower frequency. |
A0 - Do not try to change A0
frequency after violin is assembled. F-hole area does not
affect A0 frequency very much. |
B0
250-
300Hz |
First bending of neck and slight
bending of body. Nodes across lower bout, at body/neck joint
and at nut. A non-radiating mode |
Hold violin vertically at widest
edge of lower bout with strings damped (but not against fingerboard)
and tap back of scroll, or soft mount violin horizontally
at corners over plate eigenmode tester. Glitter sprinkled
on end of fingerboard will move |
B3 to open D4 string |
Mass and stiffness. Add mass
in moving areas (e.g., end of fingerboard, pegbox or chinrest)
or remove stiffness in a bending area (e.g., fingerboard and
neck between nut and body and/or underside of fingerboard
close to neck) to lower frequency. Remove mass in moving area
(especially end of fingerboard) or stiffen bending area (e.g.,
a stiffer fingerboard) to raise frequency |
B0 - Match to A0 or to Wood
Prime (W’). This matching adds vibrational energy and
spreads out tone over a wider range (i.e., lowers Q), thus
affecting whole instrument. |
A1
430-
490Hz |
Internal, end to end cavity
mode (longitudinal standing wave) with one node across C-bout
area. |
Use cavity pressure testing |
Open A4 string to B4. Slightly below W, the
Main Wood frequency. |
Length of body cavity and flexibility
of all cavity walls. Make longer pattern and more flexible
plates and ribs to lower frequency. Vise versa to raise frequency. |
A1 - Separate from B1 by 60-80Hz
for soloists, 40-60Hz for orchestra and below 40Hz for chamber
music. Hard to remove in finished violin. |
B1
480-
590Hz |
First prominent top plate mode
of assembled instrument with some bending of ribs and back.
Top is most active, especially at bridge and bassbar area.
|
Soft mount violin horizontally
at corners over eigenmode tester. Glitter sprinkled over top
plate will move, especially over bassbar |
B4-D5: Usually one to three semitones above
the open A4 string |
Frequency of free plate eigenmodes
(especially modes 2 and 5), stiffness of ribs, liners, post
and bassbar. Thin ribs 0.1mm, install more flexible Condax
type post and/or bassbar. Install stiffer bassbar and/or soundpost
to raise |
B1 - See A1 separations. |
B-1
145-
190Hz |
A rigid motion of body and neck
rocking around the node across C-bout (like a see-saw) with
a hinge joint at nut. A non-radiating mode |
Soft mount violin at nut and
C-bout over eigenmode tester with end of lower bout over speaker.
Glitter will be most active on end of fingerboard and scroll |
D3 to open G3 string. |
Mass and stiffness. Add mass
in moving area (end of fingerboard, pegbox, scroll or chinrest)
to lower. Remove mass in moving area (e.g., end of fingerboard,
chinrest, pegs, pegbox or scroll) to raise frequency (will
also affect B0 frequency). |
B-1 - Not enough is known about
B-1 to say what frequencies or matching it should have. One
possible mode to tune the tailpiece to. |
Abbr: |
Definition |
To Identify Pitch |
Violin Position: |
Control Frequency by |
Match: |
W
450-
550Hz |
Main Wood or (A1+B1)/2 approximately
(when bowed). The exact frequency of W depends on the relative
strengths of A1 and B1 |
Damp strings but not against
fingerboard. Hum into G side f-hole and feel movement of top
and back at either end of violin. Pitch heard is octave below
W. W is the strongest sound on a bowed instrument within a
tone above the open A string. |
A4-C#5: Semitone or two above
open A string. An octave above the Wood Prime (W'). |
Relative frequencies and strengths
of A1 and B1. |
W - Haunt of wolf note, therefore,
it is best to have Main Wood frequency between notes if possible. |
W'
or Z |
Wood Prime or W/2. "Subharmonic" of W based on second harmonic reinforcement. |
Hum into G side f-hole and feel
movement of top and back at either end. Listen for strong
tone |
Several semitones above open
G string. |
One half relative frequencies
and strengths of A1 and B1. |
|
A0/2 |
A0/2: One half A0 frequency. "Subharmonic" of A0 based on second harmonic reinforcement. |
See A0. |
Octave below A0; below the violin
playing range |
Controlling A0. |
A0/2 - One possible tone to
tune the tailpiece to. |
W/4 |
W/4: One half wood prime. "Subharmonic" of W based on fourth harmonic reinforcement. |
See W and W'. |
Two octaves below W. Calculated
from W or W'. |
Controlling W. |
W/4 - One possible tone to tune
the tailpiece to. |
Mode: |
Definition |
To Identify Pitch |
Violin Position: |
Control Frequency by |
Match: |
TP
120-
150Hz |
Tailpiece frequency. Vertical
or twisting motion of whole tailpiece. |
Tap on tailpiece with pencil
eraser or put glitter on string-end of tailpiece and vibrate
as to test for B0. |
B2-D#3. Below playing range
of violin. |
Tailpiece mass, stiffness, length,
weight of tuners, distance from saddle and bridge (begin with
string ends between bridge and tailpiece at 1/6 string lengths).
Add mass to string end of tailpiece to lower frequency, and
vice versa to raise. Experiment with other parameters. |
TP - Match to A0/2, W/4, B0/2
or B-1 (B-1 is unusual). |