BAROQUE VIOLIN: How To Change A Gut String

[@jacc88888]

This was extremely thorough and helpful. Thank you.

[@PeriodinstrumentfaN]

Hello, Zachary !!! I'd like to share that i use Olive Oil (extra virgin if possible) to extend the life of the E string. I use cotton buds and make sure I only put some on the part of the strings that are touched when playing, keeping the oil well away from the varnish of the body. I leave it for half an hour at least, then I use Facial Tissue (the very soft type) to remove the oil. I live in the Philippines, and the weather is dry hot from late March to May, and humid hot from June to November. I think i'm one of the very few pioneers here (if not the only one) and have been recording string life for the brands Pure Corde, Gamut, Toro, Folia, and Aquila since September 2012 under Philippine climate. I should like to publish the data one day. ^_^ I prefer Gamut (ox or sheep) for the E, and A. The unwound sheep gut by Pure Corde for the G, and D. Nice video !!! ^_~d

[@howlingwolff1]

Very helpful. Are there videos on baroque bowing, technique? Thanks

[@BoulderBachFestival]

Check out Boulder Bach Festival’s YT Channel. We just added an Education Series playlist and Zachary’s first video examines historical bows-with some examples.

[@angelicamonjetorrez6392]

@@BoulderBachFestival❤

[@TnSn5]

Impressive

[@Scapesinner]

Mr. Zachary, You make great videos and are a fantastic player. I understand that you are also a violist, no? Would you mind making a video about different viola string brands? Just your opinions and personal favorites, perhaps. It seems there are plenty of violin ones, but none for viola. Cheers! Malcolm

[@MysterySonata]

Hard to believe it has taken me five years to respond. There aren't words... I'm getting back to the internet after a hiatus. I'll re-release an audio example of some viola strings. It's so personal, especially when it comes to viola sizes and distinctions. Early Bashmet concerts (now on KZbin) show him playing Prim steel strings on his 16" viola, with such color and expression. On the opposite end of response is Passione, with a gut core. Boulder Bach Festival's KZbin channel has some baroque and modern viola videos (in addition to cello da spalla), showing some aspects of tone and playability. For me, the strings are matched to the composer, the bow, and in some cases, the room. I've played Mozart on Spirocore steel in a large hall, and on Toro pure gut strings in a recital hall... Will see if I can find some viola string test videos-I did several back when I joined the internet world for about a month, five years ago :)

[@MysterySonata]

I'd love to read your published work in the future; please do keep me posted ! I've been extending E-string life by using pure cocoa butter with no fragrance- probably very similar to using olive oil. Indeed, there are many skilled gut string makers, from Dlugolecki and Larsen, to Toro, Aquila, Pure Corde, etc...We are fortunate. Do your violins sound better in the humid hot?

[@PeriodinstrumentfaN]

I shall !!! ^_^ When it's humid hot ? Not at all. I found out that the best months to play are from December to the first two weeks of March. I get more natural reverberation when it's cold/cool. Summer here starts in March. The hot weather makes my hand sweat a lot, and I only play the violin from 12 midnight til around 3 AM. Yes, i become a night owl in the summer just for the violin. I always have facial tissue ready when i play during the summer, but i never rub the tissue on the strings, I just touch it lightly on them. :3 My first guts were given to me by a good friend from the US in 2012, they were Olav Chris Henriksen with a "roped" D string. It's great that you mentioned in the video never to pull the frayed "hairs" on the strings. You never rush in this video and that's great !!! ^_^ P.S. I am always tuned to A=392 Hz, another way to extend the life of the strings, and I believe that it's an "acquired taste". I only tune to A=415 or 440 Hz when playing with friends. They all play on modern instruments.

[@MysterySonata]

@Jarrett Burnette Where to buy a real baroque violin? That's a rather complex and long answer. Please email [e-mail] with a more specific question: are you interested in an actual 17th century violin, or a newly made/retrofitted violin? I'll try to answer as best as I can - thanks

[@MysterySonata]

Comparing synthetic viola strings with steel core: kzbin.info/www/bejne/innJgqCHgKyrb6s