Never tried Infeld. I'm not too keen on the medium dominants but the heavies work well for this purpose. Heavy Evah Pirazzi or Obbligato might do a good job too. I use the mediums on my normal fiddles. c
>-----Original Message----- >From: [email protected] >[mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Di Jevons >Sent: Wednesday, February 10, 2010 10:44 AM >To: [email protected]; [email protected]; BIRCH >Christopher (DGT) >Subject: [NSP] Re: NSP duet with other instruments > >Hi there > >I play fiddle regularly with NSP at Alnwick Pipers' Society >and find that my >fiddle (which is a Magini copy and has a deep bassy tone) >works well with >Thomastik Infeld strings (red packet). I know very little technical >gubbins, but do know that these particular strings enable me >to get a lot >more out of the tuned-down fiddle than the Dominant strings which I >generally use on my 'normal' fiddle. > >Di Jevons > > > >----- Original Message ----- >From: <[email protected]> >To: <[email protected]>; <[email protected]> >Sent: Wednesday, February 10, 2010 9:14 AM >Subject: [NSP] Re: NSP duet with other instruments > > >Stringing of "baroque" violins is another can of worms since >tension varied >widely according to local conventions and personal >preferences. There is >also the question of equal tension versus progressive tension >and whether >wound strings should be used for the G and/or D. It is, or at >least used to >be, widely believed that baroque string tension was lower than >modern. As >Philip points out, this is not true - even though playing was >"generally >less >high-tension than modern violin playing." > >A good starting point for anyone interested is here: > >http://www.nrinstruments.demon.co.uk/hstvnst.html (I have no vested >interests). > >It is interesting that "modern baroque" is an approximation of >common 19th >century practise. > >I have personally found that very slightly progressive tension >using rows >CDEF (all gut) for the ascending strings of a violin at A = >415 gives good >results (strictly equal tension gives a very thick G string >and a very thin >E, which may be historically correct (cf. Leopold Mozart's >treatise), but >feels uncomfortable to my modern fingers). Some argue that >"equal tension" >really means "equal feel" anyway. DEFG would give similar >results a semitone >lower. > >I have also tried tuning a modern violin fitted with Dominant >Heavy strings >down to concert F and the results were good. > >I think the heavy versions of a lot of strings on the market >today could >give satisfactory tensions at lower pitch (especially the >steel one, if you >like that sort of thing). > >c > > > > >>-----Original Message----- >>From: [email protected] >>[mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Philip Gruar >>Sent: Tuesday, February 09, 2010 1:37 PM >>To: [email protected] >>Subject: [NSP] NSP duet with other instruments >> >>Margaret's comment: >> >>> When I'm playing duets with Andy's nsp, I always tune down. >>For me, I've >>> spent a long time trying to find the right fiddle and strings so it >>> doesn't >>> sound like a kipper-box (or I hope it doesn't) when tuned lower. >> >>made me think, what about baroque violinists? Specialist >>baroque orchestras >>and soloists play at A=415 or a semitone lower than modern >>standard pitch >>and very occasionally even lower. This is getting on for low >>enough to play >>with standard-pitch Northumbrian pipes. Proper baroque violins >>have the neck >>set at a flatter angle than ordinary modern violins/fiddles >>(neck angle was >>increased in the 19th cent. among other things to enable higher string >>tension - louder tone). 18th century classical technique had a >>lot more in >>common with the playing styles of traditional music than >>modern classical >>technique does e.g. bow-hold, sometimes playing with fiddle >>held lower, >>using first position and open strings more etc. - and >>generally it was less >>high-tension than modern violin playing. This doesn't mean it >>lacks life, >>and good baroque violinists certainly don't sound as if >>they're playing on a >>kipper-box strung with knicker elastic. >>Would using specialist baroque-violin gut strings on a >>standard fiddle make >>for better results at the lower pitch? >>Just some thoughts from a non-string player, so excuse any >>ignorance shown! >>Philip >> >> >> >>To get on or off this list see list information at >>http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html >> > > > >
