Stringed Instruments: When to Change the Strings

Whether for the violin, cello, viola or string bass, knowing proper string maintenance can reduce the chances of a mid-performance break.

 

Few violinists consider their music to be a contact sport. Sure, there are competitions when the side eye from one player to the next might involve some mental darts and ocular daggers. But there is a situation, whether practicing alone or in full view of the orchestra and audience, where actual physical harm can befall a player.

 

It’s the dreaded broken string. It occurs in concerts: Maximilian Simon had it happen when soloing with the Jenaer Philharmoie in 2016. Ray Chen had it happen in 2017. Itzhak Perlman was said to have played on with just three strings at a concert (it’s evidently an apocryphal tale). The renowned virtuoso Midori endured a broken string as well.

 

When it happens, there is at best an almost clockwork-like exchange of instruments with the concertmaster, who mid-performance exits the stage to fetch his or her own replacement for the remainder of the piece. There are no injuries reported among the most famous of violin soloists who’ve had to keep their cool under these most trying of circumstances. But eye injuries from broken strings among amateurs are not uncommon.

 

What’s important for all violinists is that they recognize when a string is weakening and needs to be changed. Strings are, after all, vital accessories for the violin and every other stringed instrument. So why do strings break – and when should they be replaced?

 

Need to clean. Rosin and natural oils from the player’s fingertips build up and attract dust, all of which leads to wearing of the strings. Cleaning with a cloth can reduce this hazard.

 

Poor set of the bridge or nut. Sometimes the grooves on the bridge or the nut aren’t cut correctly, increasing stress on the strings.

 

Strings wound too tight.  A string should be tuned to the pitch it is meant for. While stretching them to a higher pitch can work for a short while, the added tension can cause several problems: reduced elasticity that can adversely affect tone and tuning stability, and the instrument itself can be compromised.

 

Some last longer than others. Gut strings sound rich, but need to be replaced more often than steel. And for those who just don’t like either, the synthetic nylon strings provide a warm sound and greater longevity than gut. 

 

How much you play. Violin strings aren’t terribly different from car tires in that their lifespan is a matter of time played (miles driven). Someone who practices about an hour a day should replace his or her strings every 4 to 6 months. Play more, replace more frequently and play less, replace less frequently. But most violins should be restrung every 9 to 12 months.

 

Experienced violinists generally know how to restring their instruments, and eventually are experts at the rights and wrongs of what kind and when to do it. But the beginner is strongly advised to learn from their teacher or local violin maker.

The Violins of Pablo de Sarasate

 

Among the finest violinists of the 19^th and early 20^th centuries, Sarasate had two Stradivariuses with which to create great music. Both live on – differently.

 

Among the hundreds of surviving fineItalian violins crafted by renowned violin maker Antonio Stradivari, two were once in the hands of 19^th century virtuoso Pablo de Sarasate. One, the Sarasate Stradivarius (1724) is in the Musee de la Musique in Paris. The second, the Boissier (1713), is owned by the Real Conservatorio Superior de Musica in Madrid.

 

Where each is and what purpose it serves is a story that illustrates the different fates of great violins, as well as cellos, violas, string basses and other such fine instruments.

 

First, consider the life and career of Sarasate. Born in 1844 in Pamplona, Spain to a military bandmaster, he showed a natural affinity for the violin at age five and performed in his first concert at age eight. None other than Queen Isabella II was impressed with his talent and he was sent to Paris Conservatoire at age 12 to study there. His career took him to the capitals of Europe, Mexico and the US.

 

Over some 600 concerts, he had not one but two Strads to play on. Upon his death in 1908, he left the eponymous Sarasate Stradivarius to the Paris museum where it remains today. Importantly, it was the subject of study in 2009 on just what physically makes the Stradivariuses so special. Was it the wood, the varnish, the dimensions – or something else?

 

A research team from various French and German institutions (Jean-Philippe Echard and Lod’c Bertrand, lead investigators) presented their findings in the peer review journal Angewandte Chemie. Their methods involved extraction of samples from five different instruments (very small, done very carefully), examined with spectroscopic and microscopic technologies, to identify the wood and varnishes used.

 

The second Sarasate, in the same conservatory where he studied as a child, largely sits within a glass case along with memorabilia from the player himself. But it is played from time to time. The Russian prodigy, Mikhail Pochekin (b. 1990) won the 2008 Pablo Sarasate Prize in Madrid and was granted use of the Stradivari Ex Boissier (Ex Sarasate).

 

Sarasate bequeathed also to the world of music his own compositions, written specifically for the violin if not these two specific instruments. Those scores are in the folk idiom, opera fantasies, original compositions and transcriptions, and cadenzas to violin concertos.

 

One finding of the scientific research was that Stradivari used no exotic materials other than what was available in the 18^th century for decorative arts and paintings. The Sarasate violin showed evidence of red pigment vermilion, used for millennia in great art, including the muralists of Pompeii. It was one of several red pigments that help create the variety of tints to his instruments. Says Echard, the researcher, “Stradivari thus did not use any unusual or secret ingredients. He was simply a true master of his craft.”