Snapped a cello string!?

Question:crap today i was tuneing my cello and my c string snapped right off how the heck do i put it back on!? do i have to buy another string!?

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: crap today i was tuneing my cello and my c string snapped right off how the heck do i put it back on!? do i have to buy another string!?

There are three places that a string will lose tension. The first is the tuning peg. Sometimes the string will slip loose from the peg if it is not anchored properly. You anchor the string by deliberately crimping it after you stick it through the tiny hole. Then as you wind the string around the peg, you guide the string so that it falls over the crimped portion of the string. The pressure from the tightened string will lock the string in place. If the string came loose from that end, you can easily put the string back, or if you are nervous about it bring it to your teacher to do it for you.

The second area is the Tailpiece. The loop or ball end of the string can wear after several months of playing. With a Cello, this can often be extended out to a year or more, but if you are leaving your strings on for long periods of time you will have other issues. If that is broken, the string should be discarded immediately. I have tied a string to a bead and used it in an emergency situation, but I changed it as soon as I got a new one. The tension of a cello string is such that you don't want to mess around with it. You can get a minor injury if it snaps just right, and you can damage your cello if it is not set up properly.

The third area is anywhere in the middle of the string. Over time, the windings may wear down to where they lose their cohesiveness. This usually happens close to the neck nut, somewhere along the area where the cello is most often played with force (usually in the first or third position) or in the area where the cello is bowed. If the bridge is not seated correctly, the winding may be compromised there as well. When the bridge moves back and forth, or is adjusted frequently, the winding may be torn when the bridge is reseated, especially if the strings are not loosened first. Teachers are nervous about loosening all of the strings because the soundpost may fall down, but it is necessary to loosen them enough to re-seat the bridge properly. In all of the cases, the string is now fit only for model railroad enthusiasts.

Of course, the knowledgeable Cellist always keeps a spare set of strings in that little pouch that should be built into your case. That is part of what it is there for. What if this had happened during a concert? Would you forgo the reward for all of your hard work and dedication simply because you did not think to pack a string? The situation where I retied a string with a bead actually happened during an Honors Orchestra concert and it was not one of my students. The repair got the student through the concert but the teacher (who should have been there) called me the next day asking me why I told his student to replace a string that was obviously not even worn. When I described the situation, the teacher got very quiet and simply said, "I will take care of it immediately!"

If you have to buy a C string it is usually best just to buy a complete set. A and D strings are "Relatively" inexpensive and break four to five times as much as C strings. If the C string breaks, it is usually due to trauma to the instrument (it got bumped or banged) or a clear indication that the strings should all be replaced anyway (unless you just replaced an A or D string) You are also going to find that new strings are brighter and speak better than old strings. Having mismatched strings on your instrument can be problematic for students when it comes to overall balance. Consider buying two sets of strings and putting one in the case for the next emergency. I know this is not the answer you want to hear, but this is a genuine case where it is better to be honest with you than try to butter you up for ten points.

if it has simply unwound itself, you can wind it back using the peg, but if it has snapped (as in, broken off entirely), you definitely need to buy a new string.

same as the person before me but if u do not know how to put it back on ask the people in the store for help