Books › The Violin: A concise exposition of the general principles of construction.., 1871 › scan 128
Scan 128
The Violin: A concise exposition of the general principles of construction.., 1871
6 lines. Read by computer on 28 September 2026. No printed page number was found. See the scan on archive.org.
1of the bridge that the body of the violin is put into vibration when its strings are played upon, and are thus vibrating.
3Now we also know that the back or under surface of the violin vibrates along with breast, and that this vibration is communicated from the breast, by the sides and partly by the sound-post. All violinists are well aware that this small wooden peg or post, which is placed within the body of the violin, and which partly helps to meet the increased pressure (on the breast where the right side of the bridge rests) arising from the smaller strings, has a material influence on the tone of the instrument. If we take a rod of pinewood and place one end upon the lid of a vessel in which water is boiling, whilst we apply the other end closely to the ear or insert it between the teeth, we hear the boiling with great distinctness, owing to the sound being conveyed more rapidly through the pine than the atmosphere, and it is precisely similar with the violin, the sound-post, and in a greater degree the sides, conveying to the back with immense rapidity the vibrations which have been excited in the breast from the strings.
5It is essential that we choose the best place for the sound-post, for we have seen that certain portions vibrate stronger than others, whilst others appear almost to remain stationary; thus we are led to suppose the proper place for the sound-post would be the former, viz., where the vibrations are the most intense coming directly from the bridge, but another important use of the sound-post is in rendering the vibrations of the upper and under plates normal.
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