Gut string dilemma
I have a question for those of you who use plain gut strings: I like playing on plain gut very much, but I find that a plain gut a'-string, once it has stabilized, requires the fingers to be placed slightly lower on the string than a wound string does (or a steel e-string, for that matter), and the difference becomes far more pronounced the higher up the fingerboard you go. That makes it much more difficult to play highly technical repertoire, since my current set-up is two Passiones on the bottom, plain gut a' (Dlugolecki), and steel e" (I've tried a gut e" from time to time, which comes a bit closer to the intonation of a gut a', but not as much as I'd expect-- but I destroy gut e"s in concert, so I use steel): so you basically have three strings (G, d', e") with essentially the same intonation pattern, and then a vastly different one thrown in the middle. Of course, it can be frustrating that the method of compensation for double-stops on the d' and a'-strings is exactly the opposite of what it is for the same pattern on the a' and e"-strings. I'm figuring out how to accommodate, and it's working reasonably well for not having been at it terribly long, but at times something or other just seems extreme (like having to play a major 6th in 7th position with one finger as though it were a fifth), and I have to wonder whether that's really what the old greats had to resort to or whether I'm missing something...
So my question to the gut-string players is whether that is your experience as well (I've found this to be the case in other instruments I've played, not just my current violin). Maybe that's just the way gut strings are? Did people like Heifetz and Milstein just grow up making these sorts of adjustments so that it was basically second-nature to them? If so, I might go ahead and keep trying to make it work, hoping I'll get the hang of it enough to be reliable in difficult repertoire in concert (maybe putting a gut d' on might make the 'dip' to the a-string less pronounced-- I know that's what Heifetz used).
Could it be caused in part by perspiration? I'd also have thought that my strings' being quite high off the fingerboard might have something to do with it (since the plain gut has a different tension and 'flex' than other strings)-- but then I know that many of the old gut players (Heifetz among them) also liked the strings quite high above the fingerboard...
Anyway, any feedback that you might have would be welcomed. Thanks!
Replies (6)
When a string is pressed down to the board, it becomes longer (not taking the straight path any more), which raises the tension and the pitch. The amount of change depends on string core size and material, string tension, and a couple of other things, and full sets of strings are balanced relative to each other. If you are playing a mixed set, as you are, you're going to have mixed behaviors in this regard. You might be able to adjust the relative behavior of the various strings by messing around a bit with different gauges, but you may not like the tonal results. Or you might. . .
I've personally never adjusted my finger angle any differently with plain gut D and A Gamut-Tricolore strings compared to when I played on synthetic strings I used in the past. Maybe I might be playing a bit more on the tips of my finger now? I'm not really sure. The plain gut strings I use are a bit thicker in diameter as compared to the wound and synthetic strings in the past, so that took a bit of getting used to. I tend to like a higher action (higher bridge) and thicker gauge strings which are ideal I feel for allowing a greater threshold for the bow.
I did change some fingering patterns for passages and cantabiles after switching to gut. Sometimes it's nice in a melody to stay on one string as long as possible (especially with gut) since every string has its own 'voice.'
I'm using pure gut D/A (Tricolor) with steel E as well. I don't find it necessary to adjust for intonation. But it's a bit thicker so of course you may feel a bit differently.
Strings do not vibrate quite like the drawings in physics books! Plain gut strings are thicker than their wound counterparts (to achieve an equivalent mass) and are usually a little less flexible. The "swell" of the vibrating string can start a fraction further from the finger-tip, and the string may sound sharper than expected.
I remember the envelopes of my plain gut A an D (before the gods created Perlon!!) carried the words "True Fifths" as real selling point!
I use a steel E with plain gut A and D. When I have used a gut E from time to time, the bowing approach is different, but I can't say I have noticed that the notes are differently placed on the fingerboard. How high is your string off the end of the fingerboard?
I have been playing violin with gut strings for many years and the adjustments, if any, are so second nature for me that i don't even notice especially, let alone describe them for someone else. :-) I actually started back in the Jurassic period when there were NO synthetic strings, just gut, wound gut, and steel.
What gauges do you use, BTW? Which brand. Unmatched gauges could exacerbate your issue.
This discussion has been archived and is no longer accepting responses.
Violinist.com is made possible by...
International Violin Competition of Indianapolis
Violinist.com Holiday Gift Guide
Dimitri Musafia, Master Maker of Violin and Viola Cases
Johnson String Instrument/Carriage House Violins
Subscribe
Laurie's Books
Discover the best of Violinist.com in these collections of editor Laurie Niles' exclusive interviews.
Violinist.com Interviews Volume 1, with introduction by Hilary Hahn
Violinist.com Interviews Volume 2, with introduction by Rachel Barton Pine
January 14, 2012 at 10:29 PM · One of my violins has 3 plain gut + copper wound G. I can't really say I've noticed the effect you describe on my gut strings, but then I have quite a low action on both my violins, so that may be the explanation why I'm not aware of the effect.
If you're using a plain gut A then it makes sense to use a plain gut D, the two strings will feel more balanced in tone and in bowing. However, some violins can be a bit particular about the choice of a plain gut D, so I recommend you have a word with a luthier first.
I used to use a Chorda D alongside the Chorda A, but the tone of the D was dull and uninteresting. I changed it for a Savarez oiled gut D (it has slightly lower tension I believe) which gives a far better tone. I have since changed the Chorda A and E for their Savarez counterparts (oiled gut), to the overall betterment of tone, even if it is very slightly quieter. I'm still using the copper-wound gut Chorda G, but my next change will be to the Savarez copper-wound G. I find that the oiled gut Savarez strings fray far less than the Chordas, which is especially important for the E (in fact my Savarez E hasn't frayed yet). One useful advantage of Savarez is that their strings come in double length - therefore less expensive overall.