DAY 6 : Sound

Our violin is taking shape. Look how far we have come since day 1:

Of course the body of the violin is one of the most important components contributing to make the sound of the instrument. How can we make a violin sound good?

The construction can help us predict if it will be a dark or a not-so-dark sounding instrument and this is mainly influenced by the wood used, by the arching and by the thickness of the plate. But that doesn’t mean that we will know the quality of the instrument since the quality itself depends on the division of the overtones: a good sounding instrument has the maximum overtones between 2000 – 4000 Hz. We can’t influence the division of the overtones in the construction of the instrument but only later, during adjustments.

On a break from their rehearsals, Steven Isserlis and his sister Annette both found themselves drawn to the workshop.