My New Violin String?

Question:Yesterday, I broke my A string on my violin.

I went to my teacher and he game me a new one and put it in. When I played it at home though, it seemed to sound different as far as tone than all the other strings.

when i played it, it had like a screeching and squeaky sound sometimes. it is more ragged than my other strings. I am wondering if it is a different type. on the package/paper thing they come in, you can get them in soft, medium, or orchestra. it was a medium

all of the strings that were on the violin, were the exact same and probably came out of a set. I rented the violin first, so I didn't put the strings on, so I don't know what kind they are.

My main question is, with new strings, do you have to like "break" them in?

thanks

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: Yesterday, I broke my A string on my violin.

I went to my teacher and he game me a new one and put it in. When I played it at home though, it seemed to sound different as far as tone than all the other strings.

when i played it, it had like a screeching and squeaky sound sometimes. it is more ragged than my other strings. I am wondering if it is a different type. on the package/paper thing they come in, you can get them in soft, medium, or orchestra. it was a medium

all of the strings that were on the violin, were the exact same and probably came out of a set. I rented the violin first, so I didn't put the strings on, so I don't know what kind they are.

My main question is, with new strings, do you have to like "break" them in?

thanks

Teachers will often replace a single string to encourage a student to keep practicing. They will often buy inexpensive strings to do this with (unless they are charging you for the string) and it is difficult to get really good strings in singles anyway. Your new A string has never been played before, has no rosin buildup on it, and has a bright sound because it has no metal fatigue. As strings get loosened and tightened, the metal starts to get tired and gives a duller sound. Eventually, the string will be hard to keep in tune and then it will suddenly "snap!" with no warning, or the core will give out and it will gradually unravel as you try to bring it up to tune.

Most professional musicians will change the entire set of strings at that point, so the overall sound of the strings will match. The fact that you noticed the difference in the sound is a good thing, since that means you are developing a discerning ear, but that doesn't make it any more pleasent for you. Your options are to buy an entire set of strings, accept the fact that the SA string is going to sound brighter, at least for awhile, or try cleaning the strings that have been on your instrument. Sometimes they sound dull because of rosin buildup and if you take care to wipe them down after every time you play them, it diminishes and the strings actually get brighter. In any case, give yourself a pat on the back for noticing and try not to let it get you down.

One silly thing you might try. Many strings have a little plastic sleeve attached that you can slide up to cushion the string against the bridge. If you pull that little sleeve slightly forward, it might mask a little bit of the brightness. IF you are not sure how to do it, ask your teacher to help. You should loosen the string first and then pick the string up away from the bridge with one finger and slide the sleeve a tiny bit forward with the other hand. I've done this for a couple of students who had strange noises we couldn't get rid of any other way. Hope this helps.

Maybe you need to Put more Rosin on your Bow...And when you get a new String it will sound different for a bit because it has not been played on...You may want to tighten the String up (not to much because you dont want o break the string) You just have to play with it for a bit and then it should start sounding like the A String

OK, if it has a different pitch, you need to tune.

The screechy tone probably means that yes, this is a different weight of string than your others.

Find out from your music teacher what this string is rated as (loud, soft, super-brilliant, etc.) and plan to buy a set that's not rated that way--

A good place to shop is http://www.musiciansfriend.com and my personal preference is D'Addario.