It's a common complaint:
"My violin has lost its sound. It used to sound so much better.
What happened?" We've all gone through this at one time or
another or had a colleague who did so. Just what does happen? At
least three major factors can be a part of this situation: The instrument
has developed a minor short-term problem requiring maintenance;
the instrument has a serious long-term problem and/or is somehow
defective; or the player's standards are changing.
Fearing the worst, the player assumes a major problem exists. Fortunately
that is the least likely suspect. Here are some helpful hints:
Minor
Problems
Virtually everything associated with the instrument can affect the
tone or response. Most problems are minor, with normal maintenance
issues being the most likely cause.
Gluing may be required: Seams will open. Glue joints become weakened
with dryness and age. The instrument vibrates and wooden parts expand
and shrink with temperature and humidity changes. A seam may be
open enough to prevent proper transmission of vibration but not
open enough to buzz. The opening will increase until it begins to
buzz in dry weather, closing up in humid weather. Eventually it
buzzes all the time.
Tail gut: This is an essential element and often
overlooked. The tail gut is a length of nylon cord or other material
that fastens the tailpiece in place. Has it been replaced recently?
Changing the tail gut length will affect the string length between
the bridge and the tailpiece. In turn, this may affect the instrument's
tone. The tail-gut arms should flow over the saddle in a smooth,
straight manner. If either or both arms are pushed to the side the
tailpiece may not vibrate properly.
Endpin: Make sure the endpin is pushed all the
way in. Also, different endpins can significantly change the way
a cello or bass sounds.
Chin rest/tailpiece/pegs: Switching between ebony,
rosewood, and boxwood can change the sound. The best choice is the
one that makes your instrument sound its best. Just because someone
else changed from ebony to boxwood and got a nice improvement does
not mean your instrument will respond in the same way.
Strings: Have you changed them? The overall quality
of strings today is amazing but perhaps you got a bad string. It
happens occasionally and one bad string can affect the entire range.
Soundpost: It may have shifted a bit. Just bumping
the case on a doorjamb, driving over a speed bump, or long periods
of highway vibration can do it. Do you have a new soundpost? Length,
degree of fit, and position are not the only factors involved. Grain
structure and diameter are also important.
Bridge: Lots of possibilities here. A bridge can
move, changing its relationship to the soundpost. At times, the
top of the bridge can be pulled forward by string friction. This
lifts the back edge of the feet from the top of the instrument.
As a result, the pressure shifts to the front edge of the bridge,
concentrating onto a smaller area of the top, and effectively changing
the relative position of the bridge and soundpost. If left uncorrected
this leads to warping of the bridge.
Have you changed bridge protectors? Even that can affect some instruments.
Has anyone trimmed or filed any part of the bridge? A well-tuned
bridge does not like to be detuned. Check the string grooves. A
pinched string can affect the entire range and make an instrument
very cranky.
Fingerboard: Washboard ripples—slight indentations
caused by repeatedly pressing the strings—will make everything
awkward. You'll find it more and more difficult to play in tune
and fifths become almost impossible.
String adjuster or fine tuner: Yes, seriously!
I have seen a few instruments that did not like a certain design
of string adjuster. One metal design created to avoid digging into
the top of highly arched instruments extends from the tailpiece
almost to the bridge. The design hampers vibration of all the strings
and tailpiece from the bridge back to the endpin.
Rosin and dirt: A serious buildup of rosin can
affect the sound. Rosin and dirt can collect where the soundholes
narrow at the top and bottom. This buildup can cause buzzing, or
prevent the top from vibrating properly.
Climate: Temporary changes in temperature and humidity
may affect the instrument, some violins being more sensitive than
others. Touring may be a problem with a particularly sensitive instrument.
Resist the temptation to make constant adjustments. They can only
make the situation worse. Those living in areas with dramatic seasonal
climate changes should consult a good shop. A dehumidifier or hygrometer
may prove helpful. However, a dehumidifier can cause more damage
than good if not scrupulously maintained. Would you feel comfortable
being subjected to periodic bouts of high humidity followed by dry
spells? A stable condition is better than one that constantly changes.
With some instruments, different bridges and soundposts for summer
and winter may be in order.
Major
Problems
Most players fear long-lasting problems, yet they are the least
likely to occur. Most cracks, if properly repaired, have little
or no effect on sound. Even serious damage to the ribs has little
long-term effect. There is little to fear, assuming proper repairs
have been done by a competent person, and the instrument may sound
better after the repair.
Still, some problems can create definite changes in the instrument.
Occasionally a neck/fingerboard will drop, usually because of major
climate changes. A violin with a too-low neck will lack volume and
the tone generally will be reedy and nasal. Raising the angle will
increase volume and clarity. A new neck or fingerboard will change
the sound, sometimes dramatically. Whether the change will be for
better or worse cannot normally be determined in advance.
Bass bar: A new bass bar will likely change the
sound. My experience is that a weak bass bar produces an overly
refined sound that lacks vigor. A good bar produces a strong and
healthy sound. It sounds like the same instrument, but now finally
awake. A bar with too much wood in it will generally create a brighter
sound but with less clarity and slower response.
Thin top: One serious problem that's almost impossible
to cure is the result of a top being too thin. The instrument may
have left the maker's hands that way or it may be an older instrument
that has been thinned (regraduated) in order to sell it. In general
terms, the thinner the top and back, the darker the timbre—the
fewer upper harmonics in the sound envelope—and the louder
the instrument. Thinning the top is an easy path for a neophyte
maker and a quick fix for a dealer trying to get rid of an older
instrument that doesn't sound very good. Unfortunately, once a certain
point has been passed the tone will not stand up to time and usage.
The instrument will sound good for a while but will gradually lose
its tone.
An exact figure for "too thin" is impossible to determine.
Perfection by one maker may be too thin for others. Antonio Stradivari
is famous for having created quality sound using thicknesses too
thin for most other makers. Modeling, arching height, wood resonance,
wood strength, graduation method, and other elements affect strength.
The wood fibers must be strong enough to withstand normal string
tension and still be able to vibrate freely and with quality throughout
the instrument's frequency range. If the instrument is straining
to withstand string pressure it will have little reserve strength
left with which to vibrate properly.
As an analogy, think of the string tension and pressure on the violin
as a heavy pack on your back. Walking and running are the equivalent
of the violin playing. With a 20-lb. load you will be able to run.
Decrease your strength sufficiently (as by thinning an instrument
too much) and you may still be able to support the load and walk,
but running becomes difficult. You may be able to do it for a while
but eventually the over-stressed body just does not cooperate fully.
You may recover somewhat by removing or decreasing the load (as
by relaxing the strings). Unfortunately a violin does not build
new strength with exercise and training. Once the full load is picked
up again the problem repeats itself.
Some guidelines may help: If the instrument has
good volume, projects well, has a gutsy and focused bass, sparkles
at the top and does not have a harsh, brittle treble, you have a
good instrument. If the notes have sparkle and resonance all the
way up on all the strings, go no further.
Someone
got it right.
If the bass has great volume under the ear and seems to be dark
like chocolate, be careful. Those notes probably sound like pudding
instead of pearls to the audience. In addition, be very careful
if the treble is harsh or if the notes seem to die halfway up the
fingerboard on all the strings. These are symptoms of a top that
may be too thin. A competent and trusted repairperson can be very
helpful in diagnosing this problem.
The Player
The most interesting and least discussed factor regarding loss of
tone lies within the player. With a new instrument you listen very
carefully to your own sound. You hear all kinds of things, just
as you listen more closely and hear things when you get a new car,
or when the car has just come back from the mechanic. Strings lose
their freshness, the weather changes, the bridge moves, and suddenly
you have a crisis.
Panic time.
Or you may begin to work with colleagues with better technique and
instruments. To your ears it seems that your instrument does not
sound as good as previously. The violin has not changed, but it
is being compared to a better class of instruments. At the same
time, your own sense of sound may be changing with greater exposure
to better players and instruments. Again, your violin seems to be
getting worse every day. Einstein would understand this bit of musical
relativity. A good repairperson can bring the instrument to its
optimum capability but the only permanent cure is to find a better
violin.
This article covers only some of the ways your instrument may change.
Most are temporary and few are catastrophic. Should you need professional
repairs please entrust your beloved instrument only to a competent
person. Let the inexperienced practice with someone else's violin.
