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Wolf notes are an unfortunate fact of life for cellists, but every year more products are released and new solutions are developed by cellists worldwide. In this article we interview players about their wolf note experiences and publish the results of an experiment with a range of suppressors, followed by a ‘how to’ section on the best way to fit and tune suppressors and how to create a free string resonator.
Just as
each open string on the cello has its own basic mode of vibration when
it is played, so too does the body of the cello. This fundamental mode
of vibration in the cello’s body is responsible for the existence of the
wolf note, and so the wolf note is an undesirable fact of life for every
cellist. To gain an insight into the way different players cope with
this problem, we asked some experienced players to share their wolf
histories with us. (See
below for photographs of the
suppressors described in the text.) Hannah Roberts also prefers to work around wolf notes. She writes: ‘I have a monstrous wolf note on F, which at its worst resembles a pneumatic drill but at other times is much less potent. I find the unpredictability of it challenging to work with, especially when recording. However, I do not like suppressors as I find they diminish the resonance and sympathetic overtones and I prefer to ‘work round’ the wolf, for example by channelling the balance of weight through the left hand through the centre of the pitch. Although it is often said that the best instruments have healthy wolf notes, I have definitely found that the wolf is worst on my cello when it is out of adjustment or open.’
‘I hate
losing all that expensive quality,’ says Raphael Wallfisch on the
subject of wolf note suppression and cello sound. Until recently he was
using the Güth Wolftöter on his Gagliano cello but has just discovered
the new ‘Wolf Tuner’ made by André Theunis. This light-weight (2.8g)
solid silver suppressor slips over the string below the bridge like the
New Harmony but has a centre of gravity very eccentric to the string and
works very well for Raphael. After much experimentation, Sue Monks has found that combining a traditional brass/rubber suppressor with a lighter gauge of strings has solved virtually all her wolf note problems, except for the F# on the G string.
Wolf
note Theory Suppressor Trial John Heley kindly dedicated several hours over two days to help us chase and tame the moderate wolf note ranging between E and F# on his Rubio cello. Our aim was to test a range of devices for their effectiveness as wolf suppressors, while also noting the effect each had on the sound and response of John’s cello. Since each cello is unique, this report does not assess the relative merits of each suppressor, but simply reveals the way John’s cello responded to each device. The results were surprising and very rewarding, which proves the value of patient experimentation! Status quo When he arrived, John was using a traditional rubber/brass suppressor on his C string which he would regularly adjust to move the wolf note, depending on the key of the piece played and the atmospheric conditions. John uses a very sculptural bow stroke, so the effect of his wolf was minimal using a legato bow. However, the wolf was difficult to control using short, off the string bow strokes which proved problematic, particularly in continuo playing.
Rezx
This magnetic suppressor was very effective in quelling the wolf note
when fitted at approximately 5 o’clock below the bass f hole but it also
subdued the tonal response of John’s A string considerably – this was
noticeable as soon as it was removed. The Rezx was admirably easy to
fit and adjust which was very helpful in assessing its effectiveness. Güth Wolftöter This was not as effective as the traditional suppressor and also subdued the cello’s sound to an even greater degree than the Rezx. New Harmony (7g) When tuned to a slightly sharp G on the C string the result was dramatic. Instead of quelling the cello’s tone, this 7g device added power and response to the whole instrument, especially from E to F on the C string (almost to excess). John found that the overall response of the cello had improved, especially on the D string. When we tuned the device to F# on the C string, it encouraged an even silkier response on the D string. New Harmony (11g) When fitted to the C string and tuned to G# this was less effective in suppressing the wolf than the 7g and had no beneficial effect on response. When tuned to F it suppressed the wolf better and also improved the D string response, but not as well as the 7g. Tuned to F# the 11g was not very effective on the wolf and created a good response on the A string but not on the C string. New Harmony (5g) When fitted on the C string and tuned to E there was an excellent response on the C string (not as over-powerful as using the 7g) and the wolf was well suppressed. When tuned to F, the wolf was completely tamed and John was delighted with the response and tone of the cello in all registers. He described the sound as clearer and more even and the cello also responded well to a very light bow. John decided that he would like to keep the 5g New Harmony fitted to his cello, so the trial ended here. A few days later, John phoned to report that he was still very pleased with the result of our experiment. *The free string resonator is a very effective - if technically demanding - way to control a wolf note. When you stop the same note as the wolf on a free adjacent string, either one octave above or below the wolf note, the wolf is very successfully tamed. Josephine Horder uses this technique often on her Panormo cello. In one extreme instance, having no finger available to stop the F on the C string to create a free string resonator, Josephine resorted to stopping it with her chin! Tune suppressors between the bridge and tailpiece (Traditional, New Harmony, Lup-x and Wolf Tuner) We normally find that suppressors are more effective when fitted to the C string than to the G string. To find the optimal position for the suppressor, first try to identify the central note of your wolf. Experiment with different bow strokes and dynamics to identify the worst note and make a mental note of it. Then fit the suppressor onto the G or C string approximately 4cm below the bridge and bow the short length of string between the bridge and suppressor very close to the bridge, using a light bow pressure. When you have identified the note this produces, move the suppressor until the bowed string note below the bridge matches the original wolf note (it will be several octaves above the actual wolf note in fact). If the bowed note is too low, move the device towards the bridge; if too high, slide it towards the tailpiece until you have matched the worst wolf note. Finally, test the wolf note on your cello, also noting the tone and response of your cello across all four strings. A successful tuning will minimise the wolf note while also maintaining the quality of your cello’s sound.
© Robin Aitchison and Sarah
Mnatzaganian 2011 product details and extended interviews:
Standard suppressor
(brass or plated steel/rubber)
New Harmony suppressor
(sold brass)
Lup-x suppressor (solid
brass)
Wolf Tuner by
André Theunis (Solid silver, 2.8g)
Güth
Wolftöter
Rezx
Round Tourte mute as adapted by Ben Davies
Shaped Tourte mute as adapted by Nicholas Jones
Product descriptions Standard suppressor: This suppressor has a rubber core, surrounded by a thin metal tube which is held in place by a screw thread fitting and can be fitted to the string below the bridge and adjusted without loosening the string. Some are solid brass, others plated steel. Gewa produce a chrome/gold plated steel version. Supersensitive also produce their own model. In widest circulation are unbranded versions of this model in chrome plated steel or brass, which can vary a little in weight and size but tend to have thicker metal tubes and thinner rubber cores than the Gewa. The Gewa model also has a larger string hole, so that it fits more loosely on the C and particularly the G string than the unbranded model. Weights vary. Average price: £6 Lup-x A circular, solid brass weight in two halves which screw together around the string below the bridge. No rubber core, therefore no damping effect on the string. Standard model is 8g. Violorama will supply adapted versions of the Lup-x at 6g and 10g for a small added labour charge. Average price: £15 New Harmony A range of solid brass cylinders with curved string grooves available in 3, 5, 7, 9, 11 and 13g. Available from J & A Beare; contact Louise Smith on 020 7307 9650. Average price: £15 each. Güth Wolftöter A sprung, weighted device hung from the A and C strings below the bridge with the colour-indicator facing towards the A string. Available in different weights to match wolf note range: yellow (D-E) green (Eb to F) and blue (E to F#). Average price: £55 Wolf Tuner (2.8g) A curved solid silver U-section device which fits below the bridge. For a wolf on F or F# fit tuner on G string about 2cm below bridge and adjust as necessary. For a wolf on E, fit tuner on C string about 4cm below the bridge and adjust. Price: €104 Contact André Theunis Rezx Magnet and steel device fitted via the f-hole, allowing easy positioning of extra mass in the area of greatest resonance on the plate during a wolf note. Very quick and easy to fit. Available from the manufacturer in Canada. Approximate price: £50 Full length interviews:
Nicholas Trygstad, section
principal, Hallé Orchestra. The weather does seem to have a huge impact on both my cellos. Damp weather really favours the wolf and dry concert halls favour a more bright, ringing sound. If there is absolutely no way of reasoning the with the wolf I will try to play on a higher string. My wolf (usually on the F, although it does occasionally roam, often asserting itself most violently on an E when I have my mute on) is always at its worst when on the G, rather than the D string. I have had mild success with squeezing the cello between my knees, and if I have to hold a long, sustained note that has a wolf it I will occasionally resort to stopping the octave above or below with my left hand. This kills the overtones but at least spares us the sound of machine gun fire in a magical pianissimo. I also agree with Hannah that the wolf is usually kept at bay by maintaining the instrument. My Testore had a terrible wolf before I had it restored, but there is almost no wolf now that it is no longer full of open cracks and the arching has been restored.'
James Barralet James Barralet 2011
Hannah Roberts: 'I
have a monstrous wolf note on F, particularly impressive in fourth
position on the G string! It varies in it's intensity, partly depending
on factors such as the state of the set-up/adjustment of the 'cello,
whether it is open (in need of gluing), and the type of approach I'm
using with the bow and left hand weight. It could be described when at
its worst as resembling a pneumatic drill and has been experienced
through the ceiling by my husband when he was working in the room below
my practice room! At other times it is much less potent, but I find the
unpredictability of it awkward and challenging to work with, especially
when recording. Ben Davies used traditional brass/rubber eliminators for some years, but found them awkward to adjust when he wanted to change the position of the wolf. He adapted a Tourte mute as a suppressor by wrapping rubber bands around the waist of the mute to widen it until it is slightly broader than the gap between the G and C strings; he then wedged it in place, tuned to the wolf note, and he found it an effective and easily adjustable eliminator, easier to use than the traditional screw or New Harmony suppressors. Both the weight of the mute on the strings and the slight stretching of the strings by the tightly wedged mute seem to act to suppress the wolf. The disadvantage of this method was that the mute could not be used conventionally and if he did use a separate mute, the wolf became a lot worse. On his 17th century Dutch cello by Cornelius Kleynman, Ben avoids suppressors completely, finding that a fast, narrow vibrato helps to combat the wolf note, as does playing closer to the bridge and bowing in a more focussed way with the bow, using tension in the bow to push the wolf back into the cello.
Corinne Frost describes
the wolf note on her cello as ‘appallingly bad’. She would prefer not to
have to use any wolf suppression but finds it necessary to moderate her
wolf just enough so that she can play around it. She found that a
resonator dampened the response of the whole cello and she has also
experimented with wedging a wine cork under the tailpiece, trying
different positions until the wolf was suppressed. She has also used a
traditional eliminator, finding that on some days it was advantageous to
fit it with the screw facing downwards.
Wolf
Notes and How to Tame Them (2005 article) © Robin Aitchison and Sarah Mnatzaganian 2005. Published in News for Cellists Spring 2005 If you would like to receive our regular newsletter News for Cellists by post or email, please contact us. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into any form of retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any electronic, mechanical or other means, including photocopying and recording now known or devised hereafter, without the prior permission of Robin Aitchison |
