HAT Journal 1

Summary:
The first chapter of the Hamann and Gillespie book is a general overview of the string family of
instruments. This family includes bowed, plucked, and hammered string instruments but the focus of the book
is on the bowed instruments. The origins of the violin are thought to be from the rebec, the viola da braccio
and the lira da braccio and one of the earliest descriptions of the modern violin was published in 1556. The
instrument has undergone minor changes since its creation but has overall stayed very similar over the last 5
centuries. The viola was created around or before 1530 and two men, Andrea Amati and Gasparo da Salo,
were some of the first to produce the instrument as well as being the first to make the violin. Like the violin,
the viola has been improved and changed slightly over time but remains virtually the same. The violoncello, or
cello, has a harder history to trace but most likely comes from the bass violin, or violone. Cellos made after
1700 were slightly smaller with the “forma B” violoncello pattern from Stradivari but both sizes continued to
be used. The endpin wasn’t developed until much later, around 1880. The double bass looks like it is related to
the viola da gamba family, but its internals are that of the violin family, causing it to be included in the latter.
The size, shape, number of strings, and other aspects of the instrument were changed and experimented with
over time much more than the other members of the violin family. The bow is much older than all these
instruments and can be traced to China in 800 AD but has changed significantly.
String instruments have a possible playing range and a practical playing range as the latter is the range
a musician would actually need to use. This range is three to four octaves on any of the instruments. This
range can be extended upwards, however, even when a musician can play in the upper range well alone, they
often find it difficult to play in the upper range with a group. These instruments all also come in different sizes
for players of various sizes and ages to be able to play comfortably and correctly.
Bows are very important in order to produce a good sound and execute bowings correctly. All bows are
designed the same, in various sizes, but the bass has a second design, the German bow. This differs from the
regular, French bow and many believe the German is easier for beginning players and for legato passages
while the French is better for string crossings and short articulation.
Some other accessories can be used, or are needed to use, these instruments. Mutes can slide on the
strings and allow for quiet practice. Rosin is used on the bow to increase friction on the strings. Chin rests are
used with violins and violas to give the player a place to hold the instrument. Shoulder rests are also used with
violin and violas in conjunction with chin rests to hold the instrument between the shoulder and jaw.
In terms of instrument purchase, look at many places to get the best instruments for the best price.
Also plan conversations or information for parents and convince them not to simply buy the cheapest (and
usually worst) instrument for their child. There are also rental programs for students that often lead into step-
up programs. In caring for the instrument, it is hard to explain to a young student the value of an instrument,
but we are tasked with teaching them how best to maintain it. One of the biggest things is only letting
themselves and the teacher touch the instrument to avoid accidents. There are also maintenance and repair
procedures such as cleaning, string replacement, fine tuner and peg maintenance, chin rest adjustment, and
straightening the bridge that the teacher should know how to do and can teach students as they become
more responsible. Other things like replacement of the tail gut/tail cord, setting a sound post, fingerboard
repair, and seams/cracks should be fixed by someone that knows how to address these and not the student.

H
 One question I have is why they settled on four strings being standard and why all four of them have
four strings? As for the first part, what made four strings better than three or six like many of the
predecessors to the violin family which contained much more variation? That leads to the second part
which is why four strings is so much better that it is the best option for all four instruments in the
family? Someone uneducated on this could guess the violin may be more versatile with five strings or
the bass may only need three because of its parts being much simpler than the upper strings.
  While the book outlines the experimentation with shape and tension of the bow, it doesn’t seem to
ever mention anyone experimenting with the hair. Why has horsehair remained the material of choice
for bows? Modern bows are starting to be made of carbon-fiber, but it is a little weird that this
futuristic material is still connected to horsehair rubbed with rosin. What makes horsehair the best
material and did they ever attempt to see if anything worked better?
 What is the best way to learn the maintenance and repair techniques that teachers should know if
your primary is not a string instrument? I know a plethora of techniques for maintenance and repair
for brass instruments due to personal experience, but what is the best and most reliable way to learn
these for other families? Especially with younger students, the teacher is tasked with fixing instrument
problems often and quickly.

A
 I had never heard of purfling. It is an inlay that can be decorative but also serves the purpose of
preventing cracks in the wood of the instrument body. This is one of the many aspects of string
instruments I had seen but was unaware of the use for it. Virtually all of the essential parts of the violin
family were designed to not only do their job, but also look well made and fancy. For instance, the f
holes in these instruments look intricate and decorative, but allow the sound out of the body and are
much more interesting to see than for instance the sound hole on an acoustic guitar or ukulele.
 It made sense to me that the material of the instrument body mattered in terms of different types of
woods resonating differently, but I was unaware that there was a best type of wood for the bow.
Pernambuco wood, which I had to look up, is a rare wood used for bows and for red dye, but new,
carbon-fiber bows have performed similarly. I had assumed the instrument mattered the most but
underestimated the importance of the bow. Thinking about the experiences I have had playing; I can
see how a bad bow or bow without rosin makes the instrument sound bad no matter how well made it
is. The instrument is like a lock and the bow a key, the lock is useless if the correct key isn’t present.
 I never knew the playing differences between the French and German bass bow. It’s interesting to
know that the French is better for string crossing and short articulation and the German is better for
legato passages and can be easier for beginners. It is helpful to know for the future if a student asks or
in deciding which bow I should have my students learn on.

T
 Teaching students music history is typically very boring but relating it to their instrument is one of the
few opportunities to increase engagement. Having students learn about the history and design of their
instrument is a valuable learning experience that deviates from just rehearsing or talking about the
pieces they are playing. This also has the secondary effect of helping students understand their
instrument better and can get them to think critically about why their instrument is designed a certain
way and what effects these designs have on the sounds they can make. This also gives them a
reference to why their instrument was made and what it was used for so they can see its historical
value and see it less as something they only ever see while they are in school.
 Educating parents about instruments is both difficult and extremely necessary. They often buy very
inexpensive instruments for their child and don’t research the quality of the instrument they are
purchasing. This has multiple negative side effects including decreasing the overall sound of the
ensemble, forcing the student to try much harder to produce the same tone quality, more time and
money spent fixing the instrument, and even increasing the potential for a student to quit as is it more
difficult and frustrating to play on a bad instrument. To counteract this, it is our job to give parents as
much information as possible and not assume they will do their own research.
 There are many aspects of maintenance and repair that students are able to learn and perform given
the correct guidance. Cleaning, string replacement, fine tuner and peg maintenance, chin rest
adjustment, and straightening the bridge are all things that the student should be helped with and
shown at the beginning, but over time it should become an expectation that they do it themselves. This
is the same for brass instruments as we are shown how to clean, oil, and lube instruments to keep
them working and eventually it becomes the players responsibility. This is also essential in limiting the
time spent fixing instruments students bring to you before or during class that will be prevented with
proper care in place.