On Wed, May 20, 2009 at 10:19:47AM -0600, Carl D. Sorensen wrote: > > On 5/20/09 9:20 AM, "Graham Percival" <[email protected]> wrote: > > > Oh, come on! There's no theoretical maximum frequency of a violin > > string[1]. Just start on the G string and slide up. ;)
In case anybody is wondering, the formula for an ideal string is: f = K / (L - x) where f is the frequency, K is a constant (depending on the length, tension, and speed of waves in the medium), L is the length, and x is the finger position. To calculate K, play a string with no fingers down (x=0) and listen to the frequency produced. > > [1] Assuming a perfectly elastic string, being excited by an > > infitesimally narrow bow, with perfectly-controlled bow speed, > > pressure, and position... > > Don't forget that the fingerboard also needs to reach all the way to the > bridge! Nonsense. You can push down a string without a fingerboard... ok, granted this *really* makes the "ideal string" calculations questionable, since you're changing the tension by quite a bit. But it can certainly be done; I've done it many times on the cello. Actually, one book on cello technique book (I think it was something like "how to play the cello without pain"; I read it soon after the first time I had tendonitus) actually recommends this style of playing for *all* notes. The claim was that pushing was less natural than pulling, and so you should pull the string to the left (towards your arm) instead of pushing down (exerting force perpendicular to the arm/hand plane). Cheers, - Graham _______________________________________________ lilypond-user mailing list [email protected] http://lists.gnu.org/mailman/listinfo/lilypond-user
