Protecting Your Stringed Instrument from Extreme Weather

Violins and other instruments are like children, needing protection from unkind elements. Extreme temperatures and humidity pose the biggest threats.

For every thing there is a season. Fine violins can perform in all four seasons (as Vivaldi well understood), as do cellos, violas, and string bass. The only thing to remember is that stringed instruments, like people, need to adjust from winter to spring, spring to summer, summer to fall, and fall to winter once again.

This is because these are instruments made of natural materials – different types of wood, horsehair, and some metals, although strings are only rarely made of sheep intestines (more typically aluminum and steel filaments) – they respond to temperature and varying humidity.

Complicating that to a great degree are the different types of wood used to build violins and other stringed instruments. These are maple, spruce, and ebony, each of which absorbs ambient humidity to different degrees. This means that at the joints where those woods meet there is uneven expansion and contraction. As a preventive measure, the glues used to join those parts are chosen to shatter in extreme circumstances such that the wood itself doesn’t crack or break. A visit to a qualified violin maker after that kind of breakage is necessary to restore it to playing condition.

The problems caused by changing temperatures and humidity can include when the bridge sits higher than what is optimal (strings sit higher off the fingerboard), cracks and open seams, and softened varnish (permanent impressions can be made in the finish). A bow, too, can be affected by humidity, affecting its tautness.

But there are ways to avoid damage from extreme heat, extreme cold, and sudden changes in humidity:

Keep it in the case – Your case is a bit of a buffer to temperature and humidity swings. This is reason enough to store it inside the case, not leave it out. When traveling, be conscious of placing it in the sun or near a heat source. When you arrive at a concert hall or any other location expect the conditions there will be different from your home. Open the case and allow time for the instrument to adjust to the different environment. To be clear, only a hard case provides this protection.
But a case is not impermeable armor. If you leave it in an enclosed vehicle, in summer or winter, the temperatures can still cause expensive damage.

Wrap it in silk – There really isn’t a scientific explanation for this, but a silk wrapping around a violin slows the transfer of humidity, in and out, according to seasoned players.

Use technology – Humidifiers and dehumidifiers made for use inside an instrument case (Dampit is a common brand), as well as in the room where you are playing, can temper the ill effects.

If the cost of repairs doesn’t provide enough incentive to take these preventive methods, here’s something else that might motivate you: A violin in the repair shop is a violin that isn’t being played.

In Violinmaking, the Age of the Wood Matters

It starts with mature, old growth trees and then requires a long time of natural drying. With stringed instruments such as violins, age is an advantage.

Much is made of the fine violins made long ago. The names Stradivarius, Guarneri, and Amati immediately come to mind. The ages of those 16th, 17th and 18th century violins (and violas and cellos) only seem to increase their value, suggesting that time is no enemy of fine stringed instruments.

Time is also a quality ascribed to new violins. How so? Wood that is specifically harvested in the cold, dormant seasons is cut and stored carefully and left to age before the violin makers touch it. Some of the stacks of raw wood inventory are kept on hand for as long as 50 years.

Which begs the question: What does aging do to wood that, one assumes, improves the quality of the violin, cello, and viola? The porosity of the wood and its hygroscopic nature – hygroscopy means the material (the wood) attracts and holds water – mean it needs time for that water to leave. For products such as wood furniture and wood building materials, kiln drying sufficiently removes the moisture. But kilning changes the cellular structure of the wood, which is not good for a musical instrument because it adversely alters the acoustics of the instrument.

The woods used for violinmaking are usually spruce and maple, spruce for the top and maple for the back. For both, harvesting is done with old growth trees (again, age is an advantage), grown at high altitudes on north slopes where conditions create denser wood (the Stradivariuses are believed to have been made from trees that grew during a mini-ice age in Europe, when growth was very slow and the wood was therefore more dense). Once felled, the wood is cut into cylindrical shapes, or sliced into wedges (“billets”) that are slightly bigger than the finished pieces. They are sealed on the ends but left exposed to air on all sides to allow the slow drying process.

The woods for making cellos, violas and string bass are typically made from maple and spruce as well. And the acoustic characteristics of aging apply to these instruments also.

Not every violin is made through such a painstaking process involving long ago-harvested wood. Clearly, it is less expensive to use newer wood dried by different methods. And those savings are passed on to buyers – students, and less serious players. But it also explains why better quality violins, made by more skilled luthiers, cost more.

Accessories for the Beginner Violin Player

There are several items the stringed instrument musician should acquire early in his or her training. It enables better play from the start.

The violin is perhaps among the most beautiful of musical instruments in both sound and appearance. A mere picture of violinist playing – or even just the instrument itself – conjures lovely images in the minds of anyone who appreciates fine music.

But just as with elegant sports cars and majestic homes, there is far more behind the scenes that goes into making beautiful violin – or cello, or viola, or bass – music. For the beginning player, there are several items the local violin shop will pair with a purchase or rental of the instrument that are essential or very important to music making. Here is a modest list of those accessories for stringed instruments:

Rosin – You probably knew you needed this; it’s mentioned in John Denver’s “Thank God I’m a Country Boy” (“When the work’s all done and the sun’s setting low, I pull out my fiddle and I rosin up the bow…”). Virtuosos with names like Perlman and Hahn of course use rosin too, of course – it’s an essential substance that creates friction on the bow that produces sound when in contact with the
strings. If there is no rosin, there is no sound.

Shoulder rest – The violinist never rests, but a little bit of spongy material attached to the underside of the instrument at least makes playing a bit more comfortable. It does this by keeping the violin from slipping and creates an overall ergonomic benefit. A related item, placed on the topside of the instrument, is the chin rest.

Tuning fork – While very “old school,” the tuning fork (generally set to the A note) is a reliable, low-tech way to tune the violin. This is increasingly important for the player when joining an orchestra or chamber ensemble.

Fine (electronic) tuners – Very easy to use are electronic tuners, many of which also have a metronome built in. Again, acquiring a sense of perfect pitch is part of what makes for better instrumentalists of all kinds.

Backup strings – Many things in life are temporary, and violin strings are among them. Made of horsehair, an organic material, they simply will fray and break with playing. Instrumentalists who are serious about their playing will always keep a backup set on hand for when that happens.

Mute – For the beginner, a mute might be useful to enable quieter playing. (Perhaps there are two or more musicians in your house who want to play at the same time?) But they are also required in orchestras for some scores or at the whim of the conductor.

Music stand – An inexpensive item – as are most accessories – this enables better posture and helps the musician prepare for orchestral play.

Conclusion: Don’t be intimidated by the complexity of these items. Just consider the learning you had to undertake for driving a car, adding the proper fuel, or tending to its maintenance. If you’re a homeowner, you know homes require attention to repairs and parts to function properly. Violins along with all other stringed instruments need accessories such as these to help the player explore the full range of what makes beautiful music.

Authentication and Certification of Fine Stringed Instruments

An especially knowledgeable violinmaker can identify the origin of a violin. This goes beyond an appraisal – a certificate of authenticity applies to insuring a fine instrument.

The enduringly popular Public Broadcast System program, “Antiques Roadshow,” has multiple episodes in its archives where a violin is appraised at large sums, as much as $50,000 and more. Some instrument owners are delighted that a long-ago purchase by a parent or other relative now puts great value in their hands. But those stories are the exception to the rule.

But whether the violins were obtained by inheritance or other legitimate means, or even through criminal acts, the actual origin of fine stringed instruments is about more than monetary value. A highly trained professional can usually ascertain the authentication of the maker, which in part tells the story of value. The professional will then provide written documents that certify the origin, value and authenticity of that instrument.

The same can be said of a fine cellos and violas. There are clues in the craftsmanship, the wear, and the wood. Interestingly, the label in a fine violin can be unreliable because even in the 18th and 19th centuries there were forgeries, while other, better-quality violins were labeled as homage to a great predecessor. If the label says “Stradivarius,” it mostly likely means it was not made by that master but an acolyte or admirer.

What’s most important is that a qualified, trained eye of an authoritative expert be employed in the authentication and certification process. This expertise comes from years of education, work, and exposure to great violin makers of the past, and an instinct for the many fine details and clues. Not every local violin shop is going to be able to provide this expertise.

Aside from relying on expertise, the certifying professional will perform meticulous research in order to ensure the accuracy of the certificate issued. The certificate includes the name, qualification and seal of the author of the certificate. It certifies the name of the instrument’s maker or workshop, the place of its origin, the date of its making, its estimated value and a description of the instrument, its dimensions and condition. High quality images are attached to the certificate.

Aside from learning the value of an instrument, the additional purpose for achieving this certification is to get proper insurance for it. This certification adds value to the instrument and is necessary to properly insure any fine violin, viola, cello or bow.

For the musician who travels with his or her instrument, this is an important consideration. The cost for certification is typically 5% of the appraised value.

In some cases, the absolute certainty of an authentication is not possible, even if the value can be appraised. The luthiers of the past did not always make it easy to identify who created what.

Ways to Electrify an Acoustic Fiddle

The electric guitar didn’t kill the acoustic ones, and neither have electric violins diminished acoustic violins. They broaden artistic range.

Is it somehow unwholesome for the serious violinist with a firm grounding in classical music to toy with the idea of electric violins? Or for that matter, can players of cellos, violas, and the stringed bass also consider what kinds of sounds they can produce with an electrified instrument?

There’s absolutely nothing wrong about it, as the work of players such as Mark Wood (Trans-Siberian Orchestra), avant-garde artist Laurie Anderson, jazz violinist Regina Carter, Myleene Klass (British pop group Hear’Say), and Miki Fujimoto (violinist in the progressive rock band Fantasmagoria) prove out. These are serious, accomplished musicians who no doubt began their training in the rigors of classical music but later found their path to more contemporary and often experimental music. All have a following that appreciates their creative voices. And they probably had good counsel from their favorite violin shop.

There are two primary means of creating electrified violin music. One is to buy an electric violin – another topic for another day – and the other is to simply amplify a traditional violin with a microphone. The amplification method can be done by three different methods:

Microphone near the violin: This is no different than simply creating any sound that is then amplified on a public address system, as with someone speaking at a microphone in front of a large crowd. Freestanding microphones are used in recording studios where ambient noise is all but eliminated; in a larger concert setting the microphone can pick up sounds from other sources.

Mini microphone attached to the violin: This is where a small microphone is mounted on the side of the instrument over the bridge area. The sound pickup is much more direct and arguably produces the most natural sound.

Pickups: Like the mini microphone, it is attached to the acoustic instrument but has fewer feedback problems. As such, pickups are generally preferred by musicians who are serious about electrifying their violins. Mounted on the instrument, under or near the bridge or tailpiece, a pickup comes in magnetic and electrodynamic versions. These are newer technologies and favored for a warmer sound.

While designed for the violin, the pickups can amplify a viola, cello and upright bass. The additional advantage for the violinist, particularly those who want to provide a more theatrical performance, is the pickup is more mobile and therefore allows the player to roam about a performance space without being tied to a boomed microphone.

Additional items to add to an electric strings sound include effects processors and stomp boxes. An all-in-one option for beginners is a multi-effects processor that produces (intentionally) reverbs and delays as well as (intentionally) distortions and overdriven tones.

Laurie Anderson might have been a challenge to her classical instructors – she graduated magna cum laude from Barnard College and got a masters degree in sculpture from Columbia University – but her use of magnetic tape in place of horsehair bows on her violin in the 1970s is still talked about today. Electric or electrified violins can create art that even Niccolo Paganini might appreciate.

Understanding Humidity and Stringed Instruments

Atmospheric water - humidity - changes the size and weight of wood in violins, cellos and other stringed instruments. But it can be managed.

Perhaps Vivaldi understood both the beauties and curses of nature. Arguably the composer’s most popular composition, “The Four Seasons” (Le Quattro Stagioni), celebrates the changes from spring through summer, fall and winter. But he also might have known how changes in weather can subtly torture fine cellos, violins, basses, and all other wooden-stringed instruments.

That’s because all of those instruments are forged from an organic product, wood, that is affected by humidity. The violin that plays well outside on a hot, sultry summer night will need care and adjustment if moved inside to a dehumidified space (such as a concert hall) or transported to a dry, cooler climate a day or two later. Humidity changes are the enemy of stringed instruments.

The scientific explanation of this is in equilibrium moisture content (EMC), which is the balance between water bonded within the wood of the instrument itself and water in the air. That moisture in the wood, when newly introduced (e.g., when the violin travels from dry, coastal California by airplane to a humid Georgia in summer), will have several effects on the instrument and how it plays:

Expansion (humid air) and contraction (dry air) of all pieces of wood. The effects of shrunk (when dry) or swollen (when wet) wood: There are many things that can go wrong, which are the symptoms that can alert you to what the problem is. They include: Tightening or loosening of the strings, slipping/sticking pegs, open seams or cracks, buzzing/nasal/muted sounds, when the bow skates across the strings, a decreased response or projection of sound, or a change in the neck projection.

Weight increases. The sound of a stringed instrument changes because the wood is denser with moisture in humid conditions. What one buys in a violin maker’s shop does indeed change as soon as it travels somewhere.

The bigger the instrument, the bigger the effects. Because it is made of more wood, a bass or a cello will experience greater effects from changes in humidity/moisture than a violin.

Ideally, you would treat your violin the way museums treat great physical works of art. You would always maintain a set degree of humidity and temperatures. Unfortunately, musical performances and musicians exist in a bigger world; therefore the stringed instruments must find a way to travel to the ends of the earth.

This is why a few active measures by the musician might be undertaken. They include measuring the relative humidity of an environment with a tool called a hygrometer. But just measuring it is step 1. More importantly, you can control humidity by several means: run a humidifier (if it is too dry) or a dehumidifier (if it is too wet) in the space where you will be playing. For traveling, a humidifying Dampit might work (particularly useful in winter, when artificial heating systems are drying). But ideally, the violin will adjust to the local humidity - and the musician will adjust the instrument strings accordingly - when in a new environment for two or three days.

To gain a bit more insight into protecting an instrument from environment, a visit to a local violin shop should do the trick. A local violinmaker would stock proper cases, dampits and humidifiers among the accessories they stock.

Vivaldi may not have had the modern tools for reading humidity, nor did he have airplane travel to hasten the atmospheric changes. But he certainly appreciated the graduations in temperature and humidity over the course of four seasons that allow us to adapt more easily to Nature’s whims.

The Benefits to Children Who Learn String Instruments

Music study can lead to a rewarding career. But simply learning how to play a violin (or tuba or oboe) can positively affect development in many ways.

We go to a concert hall and see virtuoso musicians performing some of the most adored musical compositions on some of the finest violins and cellos and pianos ever made. It is difficult to imagine that at one point, these violinists and pianists - and flautists and bassists - were once novice players, taking lessons as children, and setting the timer to assure at least one hour of practice per day. But that’s how a great number of performers begin.

A considerable body of research has developed in recent decades on the cognitive, physical, and social benefits of childhood music education. Some of those benefits accrue from any musical instrument study, and some specifically come from learning to play a stringed instrument such as a violin, cello, bass, harp, or viola.

One of the leaders in this research and reporting is Chris Boyd Brewer, whose 1995 book Music and Learning continues to be a reference source on the power of childhood music lessons. She quotes Beethoven: “Music is the electrical soil in which the spirit lives, thinks, and invents.”

Indeed, it contributes to an understanding of math - those notes on a page that represent beat, rhythm, and scales are a lesson in division, fractions, and patterns. It also contributes to an understanding of physics: the interaction of bows and strings involves friction and vibrations in a range of degrees. One need not be a violinmaker to understand these physical properties; the musician understands them from study and practice.

Musical training helps in all kinds of mental and even social development as well. How so? Brewer lists 16 benefits, including the following:

Change brain wave states - Research from the Rotman Research Institute in Toronto shows that fine movements made to create a sound, done with an unfamiliar instrument (a Tibetan singing bowl) created audio-induced brain waves that improved connectivity between auditory and sensorimotor areas of the brain. (Producing the same sound in this study from simply pressing computer keys didn’t have the same effect on brain waves.)

Focus concentration - Brewer says that mental, physical, and emotional rhythms are stabilized by music. “Baroque music - such as that composed by Bach, Handel, or Telemann, - that is 50 to 80 beats per minute creates an atmosphere of focus that leads students into deep concentration.”

Increase a multisensory learning experience - She calls this “whole brain learning,” and she sees benefits in what she calls “Active Concert” and “Passive Concert” modes. The Active version is of course what the player experiences, but even the Passive mode, listening to music while studying something else, increases information absorption.

Community building - By another description this is about the interaction of players - a band, ensemble, or orchestra - which involves the shared goals of a community that requires cooperation. They might compete, they might learn from each other, but importantly, they share a goal of creating the sound that an individual cannot create on his or her own.

Other benefits, noted by other educators, include having an enhanced application for colleges (in a competitive world, the musician has a leg up over the non-musician), better emotional health (music lowers levels of depression and anxiety), and a strong development of social skills (a music student is more likely to form friends when in a group than not in a group).

But consider the posture of the violinist relative to the kid hunched over a computer or in the permanent couch-potato slump of watching television. Indeed, the violinist learns to both sit and stand for practicing and performing, a physical advantage not typically associated with music study. Every instrument requires a certain posture for proper playing, but the violinist is very often the star of the show - and needs to look like it.