Light gauge for viola?
As the title says, does anybody utilize lighter gauge strings on their viola to try and get better response?
If so, could you talk about the tradeoffs?
I would imagine you'd lose some of the power that can add depth to the beautiful, sonorous viola sound. But there is always the struggle of getting the strings to "get moving" to get that sound in the groove in the first place.
I spent last week travelling, and thus brought my violin with me instead of the viola. It was a piece of cake to play that thing after being on the viola 98% of the time the last 6 months or so. It felt as if I hardly needed to add any weight to my bow arm to get a full sound from the violin
Which got me thinking about the possibility of using the light gauge strings on the viola.
I currently use Vision Solos (which only come in medium...) and they are fantastic strings for my viola. But I'm trying to plan for my next string change in a month or so, so I'm contemplating my options starting from now.
Any comments out there?
Replies (8)
I find lighter strings on a lightly-built viola can actually liberate the wood and sound louder; I also get more upper overtones, and amore colourful and varied sound.
On my "spare" viola, built like barge, the extra overtones just sound harsh, so I put medium Jargars on it and use it for muscle-building..
Seraphim,
how long is vibrating string (the distance from the nut and the bridge) on your viola?
All things being equal, longer "mensure" calls for thinner strings, shorter for thicker. If I am not mistaken, the rationale behind this is mass per unit of length at certain tuning pitch, which results in more or less overall tension.
Some brands do provide different strings (long, medium and short) to address this issue.
There are, of course, some exceptions to this rule, but you could use it as a starting point.
[Ideally, one should experiment with the same brand; some producers do not provide tension data, and it is impossible to compare different gauges of different strings. A good example is Zyex vs Dominant - Zyex medium for violin results in a bit more tension that their Dominant counterparts. ]
I hear you Rocky.
However, even with a set string length, as in the case of a violin, using different gauges produces different results. And with violas, that are MUCH less standardized in size and shape, even with the same string length, things seem much more complicated in this regard.
I sometimes hear talk of various gauge use when discussing violin strings, but I don't think I've ever seen it mentioned in the viola string discussions (maybe I'm mistaken?)
Have you tried different gauge string sets?
On one of my violas, the D string was weak (by ~5 dB), so I put a heavy gauge on there (they were all Zyex strings), it equalized the volume. I hadn't checked on change in response. Since then I've swapped a bunch of stuff around on that one so it's not set up right now for comparrison.
It is hard to get a quick response on violas, only high quality violas will have it. And it is essential for a good player.
If the new strings don't work, move to another instrument.
Claudio,
So, have you tried light gsuge strings on your instruments? Any comments on what is gained or lost by using them?
A quick reply?
Light Jargars (solid steel core) I found more buzzy or gritty than the warmer medium ones.
Light Tonicas (nylon core, not the new "composites" as in Evahs) I found had more colour, if less depth.
I think I just used light gauge A strings sometimes in the past...
Lack of response is a difficult thing to cure in violas, mainly in the C and G strings.
In the violas I make I use Evah Pirazzis with a Larsen A, but my players in Germany do prefer gut strings.
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November 22, 2014 at 12:14 AM · Lighter gauge strings would likely give you a quicker response, but on the other hand, they might make it so it's not only harder to play louder (since the low tension will limit the amount of pressure you can apply), but also to play softer, once you reduce the tension past a certain point (precisely because the strings will respond with so little effort).
I think that the inability to play very loudly might present more of an issue for most players. If you have a very powerful instrument that chokes under moderate amounts of tension, they might work for you.