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Loss of pitch when picking the bow up off the strings.

 
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Dave Chandler
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Joined: 31 Oct 2007
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Location: Mt Mitchell in North Carolina

PostPosted: Wed Jan 23, 2008 11:11 am    Post subject: Loss of pitch when picking the bow up off the strings. Reply with quote

A viola player in the local chamber ensemble I play in, is complaining that when she lifts the bow from the string, any string, the pitch drops perceptively. I'm trying to think of a cause that might be related to the bridge, but have not read anything or heard of this before. Any thoughts?
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Dave in the Blue Ridge
Southern Violin Association

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Michael Darnton
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PostPosted: Wed Jan 23, 2008 11:29 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I'll place two bets on this, not with 100% certainty; more like 60%:
1/ it only happens on the open A
2/ it's an adjustment problem, but she won't be able to find anyone who can adjust it.

If it's on all strings, what brand is she using (some off-track brand because it's cheap, I suspect--this is a characteristic of soft, cheap strings designed for beginners--Piranitos for cello, do this, for instance)?
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Dave Chandler
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PostPosted: Wed Jan 23, 2008 5:24 pm    Post subject: Pitch loss Reply with quote

Thanks, strings crossed my mind.

Checking....
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Dave in the Blue Ridge
Southern Violin Association

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"I took the road less travelled, and now I don't know where I am." Marco Polo
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mapleleaf_gal
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Joined: 24 Mar 2007
Posts: 73
Location: tucson, az

PostPosted: Mon Jan 28, 2008 7:45 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

sounds like a string tension issue. which be a deeper issue of having the correct stringth length ratio. so, maybe not fixable. trying different guage (thinner) might help the problem....
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jessupe goldastini
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Joined: 25 Apr 2007
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Location: sana' rafaela'

PostPosted: Mon Jan 28, 2008 11:19 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

wow....i'm impressed with your everything.....
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Jack H.
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Joined: 24 Mar 2007
Posts: 346
Location: Israel

PostPosted: Wed Jan 30, 2008 4:17 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I recently set up a cheap violin and for the heck of it used the el cheapo strings that came with it just to see what was up with them.
THey were horrible and I noticed a distinct change in pitch when playiing th estrings. Switched to dominants and the problem was gone.
I would first look at the strings as the culprit!

J
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Dave Chandler
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PostPosted: Wed Jan 30, 2008 10:24 am    Post subject: Strings Reply with quote

I've asked the young lady to get all new strings before we tackle any other issues. She'll probably get Dominants or Obligatos (which seems popular in our string section). Thanks for all your input on this. It was something I just had not heard of before, and could not think of what might be the source of the problem. So, we'll get the new strings on and see if that solved the problem.
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Dave in the Blue Ridge
Southern Violin Association

"Success is the ability to go from one failure to the next with no loss of enthusiasm" Winston Churchill

"I took the road less travelled, and now I don't know where I am." Marco Polo
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mapleleaf_gal
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Location: tucson, az

PostPosted: Wed Jan 30, 2008 8:59 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

i forgot to mention that strings that are on the verge of going bad (false) can lose pitch quite easily.
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Dave Chandler
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PostPosted: Fri Feb 01, 2008 3:38 pm    Post subject: New Strings Reply with quote

Maple-Leaf gal:

If the new strings don't cure this, we'll take a look at string length ratio.

By the way, enjoyed the photos of your shop setup and stuff you're working on. I'm finally getting around to rewiring my shop, instead of 2 outlets with forth-thousand lead cords going hither and thither. Meanwhile, I call it "the dungeon."
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Dave in the Blue Ridge
Southern Violin Association

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"I took the road less travelled, and now I don't know where I am." Marco Polo
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mapleleaf_gal
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Joined: 24 Mar 2007
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Location: tucson, az

PostPosted: Sat Feb 02, 2008 4:00 am    Post subject: Re: New Strings Reply with quote

Dave Chandler wrote:
Maple-Leaf gal:

If the new strings don't cure this, we'll take a look at string length ratio.

By the way, enjoyed the photos of your shop setup and stuff you're working on. I'm finally getting around to rewiring my shop, instead of 2 outlets with forth-thousand lead cords going hither and thither. Meanwhile, I call it "the dungeon."


hi dave,

thanks for the nice compliment!

hope the strings cure the issue and it is not a string length ratio issue. as that is not really curable. or easily curable, that is.....
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