What is the bridge on a violin?

The bridge is the narrow piece of wood that supports the strings and is held up by the tension of the strings. When vibrations are created either through plucking or bowing the violin, those vibrations are actually transmitted through the bridge into the body of the violin and create sound.

How do you measure a bridge on a violin?

Bridge Placement

1. Measurement 1: Measure the distance from the end of the nut (closest to the fingerboard) to the edge of the violin top next to the neck.
2. Divide the total of Measurement 1 by two. (
3. Multiply that number by three. (

How important is the violin bridge?

The bridge is an integral part of the violin because of the fact that it transmits the vibration of the strings to the body of the violin, allowing the sound to transform from vibrations to notes. Without a bridge, a violin would not work.

Why do violin bridges have holes?

They are there for several reasons. One is that they make the bridge lighter and how you make those holes (as well has how you make the overall shape of the bridge) can have a significant effect on the sound.

What is arco in violin?

Definition of arco : with the bow —usually used as a direction in music for players of stringed instruments — compare pizzicato.

Where is bridge on violin?

The bridge on a violin should be always located between the fingerboard and tailpiece of the violin, equidistant between the centers of the two f-holes. The bridge runs perpendicular to the strings.

Should a violin bridge have notches?

In order to best transfer sound from the strings to the body of a violin, a bridge should be fitted with notches. These notches are cut into a violin’s bridge so that there is one notch for each string on the violin. The primary reason for cutting notches in the bridge is to set the string heights correctly.

What is the height of a violin bridge?

The standard full-size violin bridge is 33 mm high (1.3 in), corresponding with the fingerboard height of 18-20 mm (0.71-0.79 in). The perfect height of the bridge allows the strings to vibrate at the best rate to create a beautiful violin sound.

Why are violin bridges shaped?

First of all, the violin bridge suspends the strings above the instrument in their proper playing position. The height and shape of the bridge are thereby very important for the setup of the instrument. Secondly, the violin bridge conveys the vibrations from the strings into the body of the instrument.

Why is it called F hole?

The f-hole used to be a C-hole or S-hole. The openings on both sides of the body of the violin that are shaped like a lowercase “f” are appropriately called f-holes, and these serve to transmit to the outside air the vibrations within the body caused by the body’s resonance, ringing out with a rich tone.

Why is it called the nut on the violin?

Etymology. The word may have come from the German Nut (pronounced “noot”), meaning groove or slot.

Why is vibrato so hard?

Perhaps the reason that it is seen as one of the harder skills to master is because it is focused on the left arm and hand – the arm that is already “backwards” for violinists. The position can feel very foreign and tense anyway without adding the “shake” of vibrato.

What does LH mean in violin music?

These terms are sometimes used to indicate what part of the bow should be used: WB = Whole Bow; LH = Lower Half; UH = Upper Half; MB = Middle of the Bow.

Should a violin bridge be symmetrical?

Should a violin bridge be symmetrical? No, the violin bridge isn’t symmetrical. The top of the bridge is shaped like an arch, with one end a little higher than the other. The higher end goes on the G string side of the instrument, and the lower end goes on the E string side.

What makes a good violin bridge?

A good quality bridge should have a longer grain of wood on the front, or the side that faces the fingerboard. On the back, it should have a shorter grain. A trained luthier may be necessary when dealing with violin bridges, as the bridge is a very sensitive part of the violin.

What is a bridge on a violin?

What is a bridge? A violin’s bridge is a simple piece of maple wood with feet that sits on top of the violin. It’s positioned several centimeters after the fingerboard ends, holding the strings above the fingerboard and guiding the strings to the tailpiece.

How do you set up a violin bridge?

When your violin arrives, take it to a good violin shop or luthier to set the bridge up. Violin bridge fitting involves a certain amount of refining and shaping as well as knowing where to place the bridge.

Should the feet of a violin bridge be flat or curved?

When the bridge blank arrives, the feet will be flat, but the belly of the violin is curved. Some violins have a higher belly arch than others and no two are the same. The feet of the bridge must be sanded so that they sit firmly on the belly.

How do you fix a broken bridge on a violin?

Put the paper strip on the violin top where the bridge should be, put the bridge on top of it, in its proper position and move half a millimeter from side to side to rub off some of the graphite on the bridge feet. Use only moderate force to avoid bending and inaccurate imprinting. Remove wood where the graphite got rubbed on. Take your time.