Foundíng a famíly of fíddles

FEB 01, 1967

New measurement techniques combined with recent acoustics research enable us to make violin‐type instruments in all frequency ranges with the properties built into the violin itself by the masters of three centuries ago. Thus for the first time we have a whole family of instruments made according to a consistent acoustical theory. Beyond a doubt they are musically successful.

DOI: 10.1063/1.3034148

Carleen Maley Hutchins

FOR THREE OR FOUR centuries string quartets as well as orchestras both large and small, have used violins, violas, cellos and contrabasses of classical design. These wooden instruments were brought to near perfection by violin makers of the 17th and 18th centuries. Only recently, though, has testing equipment been good enough to find out just how they work, and only recently have scientific methods of manufacture been good enough to produce consistently instruments with the qualities one wants to design into them. Now, for the first time, we have eight instruments of the violin family constructed on principles of proper resonance for desired tone quality. They represent the first successful application of a consistent acoustical theory to a whole family of musical instruments.

References

1. F. A. Saunders, “The mechanical action of violins,” J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 9, 81 (1937).https://doi.org/JASMAN
2. C. M. Hutchins, A. S. Hopping, F. A. Saunders, “Subharmonics and plate tap tones in violin acoustics,” J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 32, 1443 (1960).https://doi.org/JASMAN
3. J. C. Schelleng, “The violin as a circuit,” J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 35, 326 (1963).https://doi.org/JASMAN
4. F. A. Saunders, “Recent work on violins,” J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 25, 491 (1953).https://doi.org/JASMAN
5. F. A. Saunders, “The mechanical action of instruments of the violin family,” J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 17, 169 (1946).https://doi.org/JASMAN
6. F. A. Saunders, unpublished notebooks.
7. H. Meinel, “Regarding the sound quality of violins and a scientific basis for violin construction,” J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 29, 817 (1957).https://doi.org/JASMAN
8. F. Eggers, “Untersuchung von Corpus‐Schwingungen am Violoncello,” Acustica 9, 453 (1959).https://doi.org/ACUSAY
9. W. Lottermoser, W. Linhart, “Beitrag zur akustichen Prufung von Geigen und Bratschen,” Acustica 7, 281 (1957).https://doi.org/ACUSAY
10. C. M. Hutchins, A. S. Hopping, F. A. Saunders, “A study of tap tones,” The Strand, August, September (1958).
11. C. M. Hutchins, “The physics of violins,” Scientific American 207, no. 5, 78 (1962).https://doi.org/SCAMAC
12. R. H. Scanlan, “Vibration modes of coupled plates,” J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 35, 1291 (1963).https://doi.org/JASMAN
13. F. A. Saunders, C. M. Hutchins, “On improving violins,” Violins and Violinists 13, nos. 7, 8 (1952).
14. F. L. Dautrich, H. Dautrich, “A chapter in the history of the violin family,” The Catgut Acoustical Society Newsletter No. 4 (1 Nov. 1965).
15. C. M. Hutchins, The Catgut Acoustical Society Newsletter No. 5 (1 May 1966)
and No. 6 (1 Nov. 1966).
16. M. Praetorius, Syntagma Musicum II: de Organographia (1619);
reprinted 1964 by Internationale Gesellschaft für Musikwissenschaft, Barenreiter Kassel, Basel, London, New York, page 26.
17. G. Grove, Grove’s Dictionary of Music and Musicians, 5th ed., St. Martins Press, New York (1954). vol. 8, page 809.
18. J. C. Schelleng, “Power relations in the violin family,” paper presented at 71st meeting, Acoustical Society of America, Boston (3 June 1966).
19. C. M. Hutchins, J. C. Schelleng, “A new concert violin,” paper presented to the Audio Engineering Society, 12 Oct. 1966 (to be published).
20. C. M. Hutchins, “Comparison of the acoustical and constructional parameters of the conventional 16 to 17‐in. viola and the new 20‐in. vertical viola,” J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 36, 1025 (1964) (abstract only).https://doi.org/JASMAN
21. C. M. Hutchins, “The new contrabass violin,” American String Teacher, Spring 1966.

More about the Authors

Carleen Maley Hutchins. Montclair, N.J..