My understanding is that double, rather than single, stringing is likely to have an effect on how a course will vibrate. I say this having read, somewhere, I can't remember where, a description of the physics of the sound of the piano.
Here is the piano logic applied to the lute: When you pluck the two strings simultaneously, they start vibrating together in phase. However, they quickly adjust to vibrating together, more comfortably, with a phase separation of 180 degrees i.e. they vibrate in counter- motion. And, I suppose, that they would settle down vibrating parallel to the soundboard, even if they had been initially plucked to vibrate perpendicular to the soundboard. This phenomenon of a quick shifting from 0 to 180 degrees phase shift is used to explain (in the case of the piano, anyway ) the difference between the tone of the attack and the more fluty aftersound. Miles Dempster On Aug 26, 2006, at 10:54 AM, Alexander Batov wrote: > > On Saturday, August 26, 2006 2:29 PM "LGS-Europe" wrote: > > > >> What direction should the strings get their maximum vibration for an >> optimum >> tone? Parallel to the sound board, perpendicular (at a right angle >> with >> the >> sound board) or something in between? >> > > This doesn't matter. The stings stretch (points of max deviation) > and relax > (when they come through the point of 'no vibration' - straight > line) and > thus transmit the vibration energy to the bridge, so that it moves > in a > 'rocking' way of motion (not up and down) and sends the waives of > vibrations > along and across the soundboard. > > >> And do people feel there is a >> difference between instruments with single strings and double >> strings? >> > > From what point of view? > > >> And >> between instruments with a bridge on which the string rest (classical >> guitar) and instruments where the strings are only tied to the bridge >> (lute)? >> > > In the context of your question, again this doesn't matter (in both > cases, > strings are _tied_ to the bridge). What mainly matters here is the > distance > from the string(s) to the soundboard (i.e. the larger the distance > the more > energy from vibrating string is transmitted to the soundboard). > > >> David - not trying to start a war, just curious about people's >> believes >> and >> convictions >> > > Beliefs and convictions ...? Just down to earth physics. > > Alexander > > > > To get on or off this list see list information at > http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html >
