Installing the Bridge on a Stringed Instrument

Saturday, October 11, 2014

Careful installation of the bridge is necessary to achieve proper sound, tuning and maintenance of violins, violas or cellos. A poorly installed bridge will warp, break, and could result in damage to the strings or the stringed instrument itself. When instruments are shipped, the bridges are not placed on the instrument, because they can be damaged in shipment. Frequently, the bridge is hidden under the tailpiece for safekeeping, and the new owner will need to install the bridge him- or herself or take it to a local violin shop for proper installation.

To install the bridge, first, strings must be loosened by detuning them from the tuning pegs. Next, the bridge is placed beneath the strings. The strings should remain on the fingerboard close to their original placement. Next, the strings are re-tightened so that placing a finger between the string and the fingerboard can make about half an inch of slack. The straight side of the bridge should be placed towards the tailpiece, while the curved side is towards the fingerboard.

The feet of the bridge are then placed directly between the two notches on the F-holes. The top of the bridge is tilted upwards towards the strings. The bridge has four notches, one for each of the strings to fit in. Each string is moved to its corresponding notch in the bridge. Next, each string is tightened more, although not to its correct tuning yet. The purpose is to keep the bridge from receiving a lop-sided amount of tension.

As the strings are tightened, the bridge will tilt towards the fingerboard. Now the bridge needs to be readjusted so that the feet of the bridge lay flat against the surface of the stringed instrument. The bridge should form a 90-degree angle with the violin face towards the tailpiece. Now the strings can be tightened to their appropriate tunings.

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Careful installation of the bridge is necessary to achieve proper sound, tuning and maintenance of violins, violas or cellos. The new owner will need to install the bridge him- or herself or take it to a local violin shop for proper installation.

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Violins, Violas and Cellos: Straightening the Bridge

In time, as violins, violas and cellos are used, tuning the strings on the instrument eventually cause the bridge to become slightly angled, leaning upwards towards the top of the instrument and the fingerboard. It can affect the sound of the instrument, warp over time, and may eventually break.

This happens to almost all violins, violas and cellos as they are used, and it is the player’s responsibility to learn how to maintain their bridge by straightening it. Between once a week and once a month, depending on the frequency of tuning, the instrumentalist should check their bridge for proper positioning. A poorly-attended bridge can be ruined, turning crooked, in as short a time as several months. A well-attended bridge can last for decades.

The first step is to place the violin (or other instrument) on a cloth so that it doesn’t get scratches or other damage in the process. Next, the musician places two fingers of one hand against the fingerboard at the strings, then two fingers from the other hand against the tail piece at the strings, fingers pointing. The thumbs are then used for gradually moving the bridge. Slowly and carefully, the bridge is adjusted to stand in the most upright position.

The bridge should be at a right angle with the violin face on the tailpiece-side. An object with a 90-degree angle such as a business card can be placed to check for a perfect angle. The front of the bridge toward the fingerboard should be at a slightly obtuse angle going toward the tailpiece.

If a bridge is permanently bent, it can possibly be straightened. First it will need to be softened with warm steam. The bridge is placed on a clean metal screen over boiling water to absorb the steam. Next, the bridge is clamped between two blocks of wood, or put under several heavy books, until it dries over the course of a day or two.

If a bridge on a violin, cello or viola breaks or is damaged, it is best to take the instrument in to an experienced luthier or violinmaker at a local violin shop.

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In time, as violins, violas and cellos are used, tuning the strings on the instrument eventually cause the bridge to become slightly angled. If a bridge on a violin, cello or viola breaks or is damaged, it is best to take the instrument in to an experienced luthier or violinmaker at a local violin shop.

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Hourglass Shapes of Violins, Violas and Cellos

The shape of stringed instruments such as violins, violas and cellos consists of an upper bout, lower bout, and two C-shape bouts on either side. Looking from the front or back of the instrument, these features create an "hourglass" figure to the instrument. The shape is more than just attractive to the eye; it is the result of centuries of optimizing the design of a richly resonating bowed multi-string instrument. For over 300 years, viola-, cello- and violinmakers have continued the "hourglass" tradition with very few alterations to the shape.

One purpose of the shape is that its "waist" comes inward to give the bow easier access to the strings. Like many bowed string instruments, the middle of the instrument is convex, and the sides have C-shaped bouts so that the bow can easily play each string with a long sustain and no conflict with the instrument shape. For similar reasons, the bridge has a rounded top so the strings can be played individually as well as two at a time.

What makes the instrument tall is the larger body box which provides for greater resonance. As expanding width-wise would not be possible, violinmakers recognized that a longer shape would allow for more resonance while still being playable. Greater resonance adds to the harmonic richness and warmth of the instrument’s sound.

The shape and construction of the body of violins starts with a template. It is made of metal in a "half violin" shape and is used to construct a mould made of wood, fiberboard or plywood. Ribs are built around the sides of the mould from pieces of wood that are heated and curved. The sides are formed and connected into a "garland" around the template, which is then removed. The luthier is then ready to add on the top and bottom of the body.

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The shape of stringed instruments such as violins, violas and cellos consists of an upper bout, lower bout, and two C-shape bouts on either side. The shape and construction of the body of violins starts with a template.

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Album Review: 24 Karat Gold: Songs from the Vault by Stevie Nicks

Wednesday, October 8, 2014

24 Karat Gold: Songs from the Vault by Stevie Nicks

I may be a self-help writer and motivational speaker, and of course I always love to encourage and inspire other women, but part of my inspiration comes from the words and music of Stevie Nicks, one of the driving forces behind the legendary band Fleetwood Mac! She made many awesome contributions to the band's biggest selling albums, back in the day, but this amazing woman is still going strong, and being 66 years old does not seem to slow her down!

It seems that this great new album, or should I say "masterpiece," contains mostly material that Stevie wrote between 1969 and 1987. There are two songs, one from 1994 and the other from 1995, but the album starts off in high gear, and sounds like a Fleetwood Mac album from the 1970s, that we never heard before!

Rather than give a blow-by-blow critique, I say, go to your local music store, or visit Amazon, and just order this beauty right away! Do not pass go, do not collect $200! You won't regret it, because her voice, lyrics, and music, are all magically and exquisitely combined to give you a compilation that's "worth it's weight in gold!"

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This is the eighth solo album, from Stevie Nicks, and it just might be her best, yet! If YOU are a Fleetwood Mac Fan, and/or a Stevie Nicks Fan, you will most definitely want to get this awesome album! PopularArticles.com sure does have great articles, information, and entertainment!

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24 Karat Gold: Songs from the Vault by Stevie Nicks is AMAZING!

Listening to good music is something I enjoy while working diligently to prepare and create serious good luck charms and amulets that really work, and you can find my awesome creations of Good Luck Amulets and Magical Oils at www.FatherTimePublishing.com where we have something for everyone.

Listening to Stevie Nicks & Fleetwood Mac always brings back great memories, and also inspires me to more creativity, and it will probably do the same for you! After all, in this life, it is often the simple, beautiful moments that matter the most, and there's more to life than earning money, or finding love.

Good, happy, uplifting music is one of the things that makes life worth living, and if you need some reminders about other things to make your life better, or to make the world a better place, my Jennifer's Tidbits Of Good Advice just might do the trick for you!

Bravo, Stevie, for another job well-done, and an amazing album for us all to enjoy, and Many Blessings to You, My Dear, My 24 Karat Gold!

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Jennifer Juniper is a self-help writer, best known for her awesome Jennifer's Tidbits of Good Advice, and is also a purveyor of Good Luck Charms and Amulets that really work, such as those found on the delightful www.FatherTimePublishing.com where they have something for everyone!

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