Members johanneswiberg Posted March 9, 2010 Members Share Posted March 9, 2010 ... I'll just see if this deep well of music-related knowledge can come up with an answer to my question: My students are playing a song that was originally in D minor but we've changed it to E minor so that it fits the singer. The problem is, the violin part is played on two, even three strings so it only fits a certain key. Can a violin be tuned up a full step without risking string, or worse, neck breakage? This is really important so I'd love your input guys. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members thick_mike Posted March 9, 2010 Members Share Posted March 9, 2010 Can't you just transpose it, or does it make the fingering tricky? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members whitegreyblack Posted March 9, 2010 Members Share Posted March 9, 2010 My wife seems to break a lot of strings just tuning to normal pitch, so I think you proceed at your own risk :| Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members mrbrown49 Posted March 9, 2010 Members Share Posted March 9, 2010 Capo? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members milosch Posted March 9, 2010 Members Share Posted March 9, 2010 Just curious, do you suffer from occasional VAS? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members johanneswiberg Posted March 9, 2010 Author Members Share Posted March 9, 2010 Capo? Would be excellent, if there is such a thing... sounds more difficult with a violin since it's fretless. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members johanneswiberg Posted March 9, 2010 Author Members Share Posted March 9, 2010 Just curious, do you suffer from occasional VAS? Rather CAS, as in cello, since my wife would like to learn how to play one, and I'd like to watch my wife do it... yeah that's right, female cellists are sexy as sex. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members thick_mike Posted March 9, 2010 Members Share Posted March 9, 2010 Why not string it up with heavy gauge strings and tune it down 7 steps for that Nordic folk/death metal fusion sound? You might have guessed that I have nothing useful to say! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Undertaker4 Posted March 9, 2010 Members Share Posted March 9, 2010 Hmm, well Cross Tuning is where the bottom 2 strings are tuned up two steps (AEAE), to play in the key of A major. EDAE is also a tuning in fiddle music. Could you work with either of those? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Into Nation Posted March 9, 2010 Members Share Posted March 9, 2010 Looks like it is done sometimes at least on one string. The tuning G-D-A-E is used for the great majority of all violin music. However, other tunings are occasionally employed (for example, tuning the G string up to A), both in classical music (where the technique is known as scordatura) and in some folk styles.http://www.theviolinsite.com/history.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members johanneswiberg Posted March 9, 2010 Author Members Share Posted March 9, 2010 Hmm, well Cross Tuning is where the bottom 2 strings are tuned up two steps (AEAE), to play in the key of A major. EDAE is also a tuning in fiddle music. Could you work with either of those? Thanks for the input, but no, not the way the part is played, it's really dependant on the E-B-F# strings being tuned that way (originally the D-A-E strings, that is). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members diceman1000 Posted March 9, 2010 Members Share Posted March 9, 2010 http://www.violinist.com/discussion/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members thick_mike Posted March 9, 2010 Members Share Posted March 9, 2010 Thanks for the input, but no, not the way the part is played, it's really dependant on the E-B-F# strings being tuned that way (originally the D-A-E strings, that is). Is it played only on the E B F# strings? If so, you could tune those strings up and tune the G string down to balance the over all tension. You could also use an on-line string tension calculator to check that the total tension isn't greater than the standard tuning. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members pjackson92 Posted March 9, 2010 Members Share Posted March 9, 2010 you could transpose it and have one violin play the fretted notes and another play the open strings Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members johanneswiberg Posted March 9, 2010 Author Members Share Posted March 9, 2010 Is it played only on the E B F# strings? If so, you could tune those strings up and tune the G string down to balance the over all tension. You could also use an on-line string tension calculator to check that the total tension isn't greater than the standard tuning. Good idea, although I'm not sure it will help against string breakage, although that is much preferable that being the cause of my student's broken violin neck...I found a tension calculator for mandolin and tried it with the a EEBF# (low E instead of A) compared to regular GDAE.EEBF# (84) was much better than AEBF# (94) although more tension than regular GDAE (78). Thanks for your input. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members prolog Posted March 9, 2010 Members Share Posted March 9, 2010 Rather CAS, as in cello, since my wife would like to learn how to play one, and I'd like to watch my wife do it... yeah that's right, female cellists are sexy as sex. It's true. Lady cellists are the classical equivalent of a woman stepping forward and ripping out a solo on an SG. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members thick_mike Posted March 9, 2010 Members Share Posted March 9, 2010 Good idea, although I'm not sure it will help against string breakage, although that is much preferable that being the cause of my student's broken violin neck... I found a tension calculator for mandolin and tried it with the a EEBF# (low E instead of A) compared to regular GDAE. EEBF# (84) was much better than AEBF# (94) although more tension than regular GDAE (78). Thanks for your input. Cool. Never said anything useful before! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members johanneswiberg Posted March 9, 2010 Author Members Share Posted March 9, 2010 It's true. Lady cellists are the classical equivalent of a woman stepping forward and ripping out a solo on an SG. Exactly. Now where's that ice bucket? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members johanneswiberg Posted March 10, 2010 Author Members Share Posted March 10, 2010 Bumpish. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Jkater Posted March 10, 2010 Members Share Posted March 10, 2010 I wouldn't do it. A whole step up on all strings is gonna throw off her violin big time. The neck is going to flex quite a bit and to keep it there long enough for the student to practice that piece is dangerous at best and fatal (for the violin) at worst. Not good. Besides a flexed neck means a higher action and that won't be nice for her to play on anyway. Can't the singer sing a step lower?!? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members johanneswiberg Posted March 10, 2010 Author Members Share Posted March 10, 2010 Okay thanks for that, we won't try it then. It's already extremely low for the singer and all the other musicians have rehearsed the song in this key... thing is, it's the intro that's the hard violin part. We might play that in the original key and then change the key for the rest of the song... but it's gonna suck ass.Better than a broken violin perhaps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Oosell Posted March 10, 2010 Members Share Posted March 10, 2010 I think it might work if you use light gauge strings. Yes you can buy light gauge strings for violin. However I wouldn't try it on a valued violin. Too much stress. Maybe a Chinese fiddle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.