On Saturday 26 August 2006 15:29, you wrote: > I feel hesitant to bring this up, because on the one hand I thought it was > more or less evident and on the other hand I couldn't care less about how > you make your own beautiful tone as long as you're happy with it. But it > came up in a conversation, and it turned out opinions were not as united as > I would except. So here goes: > > What direction should the strings get their maximum vibration for an > optimum tone? Parallel to the sound board, perpendicular (at a right angle > with the sound board) or something in between?
My feeling is that every way of stringplucking will result in a combination of horizontal and vertical planes of vibration, but the way of plucking will give a different relation between these two. a downward pluck gives a better tone on a lute and this is correct with the physical explanation of the tone: the string vibration perpendicular to the soundboard (the downward movement) will directly move the entire soundboard. Of course the guitarpluck movement will also move the soundboard but will give a tone which is weaker and higher harmonics will also be less. The lute body works as sound cavity will amplify this coupling of string and soundboard in a certain way. Don't know exactly how this will help the downward movement compared with a guitar for example. The way how one should pluck is directly coupled with the body form of the instrument. Perhaps some lutemakers can tell something about this. taco > And do people feel there is > a difference between instruments with single strings and double strings? > And between instruments with a bridge on which the string rest (classical > guitar) and instruments where the strings are only tied to the bridge > (lute)? > > David - not trying to start a war, just curious about people's believes and > convictions > > > > > **************************** > David van Ooijen > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > www.davidvanooijen.nl > **************************** > > > > > To get on or off this list see list information at > http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
