https://doi.org/10.1140/epjst/e2007-00149-0
The violin: Chladni patterns, plates, shells and sounds
School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK
Corresponding author: c.gough@bham.ac.uk
In this article we consider the vibrations and radiated sound of the bowed violin. The vibrations are discussed in terms of the normal modes of the instrument involving the coupled vibrations of the bowed string, the supporting bridge, the hollow shell comprising the body of the instrument and, ultimately, the acoustic modes of the performance space in which the instrument is played. We show that damping plays an important role in characterizing the normal modes in what can be distinguished as weak and strong coupling limits. The historic and modern application of Chladni pattern measurements to enhance our understanding of the acoustics and as an aid to the making of violins is highlighted, alongside the modern equivalents of experimental modal and computational finite-element analysis. The symmetry-breaking properties of the internal soundpost is shown to have a profound affect on the intensity and quality of sound radiated by the bowed instrument.
© EDP Sciences, Springer-Verlag, 2007
