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A R T I C L E S
Set-up - an introduction
Guide to cello measurements
Review of A and D strings
Review of G and C strings
Survey
of string design
Bridge design
Taming wolf notes
Tailpieces and tailcords
The challenge of trying cellos
Left hand comfort for cellists
Right hand comfort for cellists
What is a full-sized cello?
G.B. Guadagnini's cellos
Study of 1729 Guarneri cello
Bow testing techniques
The appeal of
bows
Players test bows
Saving the Pernambuco
C E L L O S
Cellos for sale
Bows for sale
Cellos by Robin Aitchison
Cello set-up
B O W E X H I B I T I O N
Take a Bow 2008
C E L L O E X C H A N G E
Cello exchange
S T R I N G T R I A L S
String Trials
A B O U T U S
Cello specialists
Biographies
Travelling to Ely
Contact us
C E L L O C A R E G U I D E
Cello Care Guide
Order free copies
A R T I C L E S & N E W S
Articles and Newsletters
L I N K S
Links
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Review of A
and D strings
Jargar:
Until the introduction of Larsen
strings in 1991 these were the most popular upper cello strings.
Jargars are still widely valued for their smooth and dependable sound
which gives a solid, neutral foundation on which players can build their
own tone colour. They are good value and are quick to play in. (Beware
- A strings break easily if they are over-tuned.)
Larsen Standard and Soloist:
Larsens are probably now the most popular
cello upper strings. The sound of Larsen Standard strings is more
colourful than Jargar and they blend better with gut lower strings.
Larsen Soloist strings have a smoother sound and a more solid core than
the Standard range; the Soloist sound is halfway between a Larsen
Standard and a Jargar.
On
some cellos it is useful to mix Standard and Soloist Larsens in order to
balance up tone colours. Larsens need virtually no playing in, but some
players say they are rather quick to play out. For their survival they
also need correctly filed string grooves.
Thomastik Dominant:
The Dominant D is useful when a
very flexible string is needed as a transition between A and G. The A
has a very fragile winding and is difficult to tune up to pitch without
damage. Allow plenty of time to play in.
Pirastro Permanent:
Permanent A and D are very bright and have a lot of texture in their
sound. The Permanent A can be an excellent solution on dark sounding
instruments but can sound tinny on some brighter cellos. The D string
has tremendous definition and brightness and can be a useful solution
for cellos with an over-soft second string. Permanents are long lasting
and take time to play in. They are more pliant under the fingers than a
Jargar or Larsen.
Pirastro
Evah Pirazzi Standard and Soloist:
These are pliable but not as bright as Permanents. The Standard strings
blend well with gut lower strings while the ‘Stark’ tension Standard
strings give more core sound. The Soloist A and D have a nice balance
of tone colour as well as a good core sound and are a good alternative
to Larsen. Allow 2 weeks to play in.
D’Addario Kaplan Solutions:
These
strings have just replaced the D’Addario Unicore A and D. They are
fairly bright strings which have been developed as an alternative to
Jargar and Larsen. More on these strings as soon as we have reviewed
them thoroughly!
Sound
qualities:
We find it useful to analyse the sound of
strings using three factors: brightness, colour (resonance) and core.
Brightness is caused by the highest frequency overtones; colour is
created by the resonant qualities of the string while the core is the
fundamental sound quality of the bowed string.
Playing style:
There are two main groups of A and
D strings. One group (most typically Jargar and Larsen Soloist) are
designed for players who use heavy bow pressure and want a powerful core
sound. The other group (Permanent, Evah Pirazzi and Dominant) are more
related in style to traditional gut strings. They are more pliant and
lend themselves to faster bow strokes and are also brighter and more
resonant than the first group, but they have a less palpable core sound.
Core
construction
is an important feature of a
string as it determines playing tension, flexibility, longevity, speed
of response and tonal characteristics. Windings also affect the
sound quality. The elasticity of a string determines its feel
under the left hand (how easy or difficult it is to press the string
down onto the fingerboard) and the bowing style. The tension of
a string affects the balance of the cello’s set up. Paradoxically,
higher tension strings can either choke or free a cello’s response and
generally exacerbate wolf notes. |
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