Bow & Bridge Violin and bow makers, as the old books printed them

Books › The Violin: A concise exposition of the general principles of construction.., 1871 › scan 56

Scan 56

The Violin: A concise exposition of the general principles of construction.., 1871

2 lines. Read by computer on 28 September 2026. No printed page number was found. See the scan on archive.org.

1we place the flat end upon one edge of one of the lateral openings, so as to blow upon the other edge, and, after a few trials, we shall soon obtain the required sound. Then we remark a very important fact, viz., that the sound of the contained air is exactly the same as that rendered by the instrument when we vibrate either one or the other of the tables. If we reduce the thickness of one of the tables, the sound given by the air will be changed, as well as the sound rendered by the tables, but the two sounds will still be the same. The air and the two tables then form a vibrating system, and vibrate as a whole. This is true, however, within certain limits; for if we reduce the thickness of one of the tables, so as to make it render a sound an octave below the other, the two will no longer vibrate in unison, nor will the air any longer give the same sound as either of the tables. If we close one of the lateral openings, the sound of the air will be lowered at the same time, and the sounds will still be in unison. This reaction of the air upon the tables is a very curious and instructive phenomenon—a reaction which determines the number of vibrations in both. The two tables of a violin give the same results, that is to say, the sound given by them is exactly that of the mass of air contained by the instrument, as one can prove by means of the brass tube described above. To prove this phenomenon, and vibrate the tables in a direct manner, we attach perpendicularly to the back and belly with a little sealing-wax, rods of glass, which we cause to vibrate longitudinally, the tables will enter into vibration, and will give the same sound as that

The computer misreads some letters and numbers. Where a name matters to you, read the scan.