How to Choose an E String for the Violin

Deciding which E string to use on the violin is a very individual choice. There are numerous E strings on the market and opinions will vary from player to player. This article will look at several popular brands and their characteristics.

There are many different types of E strings. They include plain steel, wound, gold plated, silvery steel, multilayer tin plated steel, chrome steel and plain gut.

Plain steel E strings are by far the most popular and preferred strings. They tend to give the truest sound with the most brilliant and clear overtones. A popular string currently is the Pirastro Wondertone Gold. It gives a clean and clear sound with even projection. The light or weich gauge Wondertone can also minimize wolf tones on the E string. If you are looking for a string with a little more color, the Jargar is an excellent choice. It adds more warmth to the sound and is popular amongst many violinists. Another great choices is the Westminster. The 27 1/2 gauge E is a high tension string and, on some instruments, it will open up the sound on all four strings. The Lenzner Goldbrokat has been used by violinists for many years. It is comparable to the Wondertone Gold E string and gives a clean and clear sound. However, Lenzners do not tend to last as long as Wondertones. Other good choices for a steel E include Corelli, Thomastik Dominant #129, Kaplan Golden Spiral, Prim, D'addario, Larsen and Hill, in addition to the many plain steel E strings by Pirastro.

The new generation steel E strings are plated with various alloys including silver, tin and chrome. Silvery steel strings are comparable to plain steel and can give a little more focus to the sound -- but at the cost of warmth. Pirastro manufactures these strings and they are sold as Evah Pirazzi, Wondertone Solo, and Passione. The tin plated E strings tend to have a more strident sound. Thomastik Vision uses tin plating. An excellent choice is the Pirastro No. 1 Universal E, which is chrome plated. This is a fantastic alternative to plain steel E strings, which can whistle. It retains the brilliance and clarity of plain steel -- with an easy response -- while eliminating the annoying whistle. This string is very good for violinists who suffer from hand perspiration.

Wound strings have been around for years. The two most popular wound strings are the Pirastro Eudoxa and the Thomastik Dominant #130. Both of these have a warm and rich sound, but lack the brilliance and clarity on harmonics and overtones. They tend to wear faster as the outer winding breaks down with use and perspiration -- thus leading to more frequent string changing. Hence, they are a poor choice for violinists with sweaty hands. Another popular wound E is the Kaplan Solutions, which is designed for violins that suffer from a whistling E. On many violins, they seem to make the sound seem somewhat dull.

Plain gut E strings are primarily used by baroque violin players. Since they lack an outer protective wrapping, they wear very quickly. They have a thin sound and generally sound nicer when the violin is tuned below A440. The Pirastro Chorda is the most popular of these. Gut strings are affected by temperature and humidity and require frequent tuning. As an organic product, they have a shelf life and require frequent changing.

Of the four strings on a violin, the E string is the least expensive. Thus, it is often possible to experiment with several options to find the one that best suits both your tastes and your instrument.

Embrace and Extend Suzuki - Simply Violin - The Sing, Play, Learn Songbook

Simply Violin: Sing. Play. Learn. Favorite Songs for Violin in First Position is a new book for beginning violin students. I have been teaching violin and viola for nearly 30 years and am always looking for new ways to inspire and teach my students. It can be difficult to keep today's children interested in learning violin -- especially when they are assigned unfamiliar songs and exercises. Although Suzuki has been considered the Gold Standard almost since Book One for violin first came out in 1978, I have always found the songs to be rather dull. I also think the level of difficulty rises far too quickly. In contrast, Sing. Play. Learn's songs are all intended to be played in first position, and every song can be played with or without using the fourth finger of the left hand.

After using the book for about 6 months, I have had good luck with it. I appreciate that there are 80 songs, more than contained in any other violin book that I can think of. And, yet, the children know most of the tunes and enjoy playing music that they recognize. The parents also are happy to hear recognizable tunes and are more able to help their children to learn them. Plus, the musical editing is very clear, the bowings and articulations well thought out, and there are no page turns within songs.

Another aspect of the book that I like is that it is divided logically into sections that feature fingerings such as first finger low, second finger high, etc., introduced separately. The book also has lyrics for each song. I have found that if a student is having trouble with pitch or rhythm, it can be helpful to sing the song first along with the student, so that he or she can make the connection to the notes and rhythms on the page. Because of its logical division of songs, fingerboard and note reading charts that Suzuki does not have, and arrangement in order of increasing difficulty, I do consider this to be a method book as well as a song book, and, thus, a possible competitor or at least supplement to Suzuki Book One. As an accompaniment book is also available, all of the songs can potentially be used in recitals, another strength.

I have found this to be a very well thought out book and am glad to have it in my teaching studio. However, to name just the few quibbles I do have with the book, I would like to see a page introducing beginning rhythms and possibly also some pictures showing correct bow hold, position for holding the violin, and proper positioning of the feet, as well as other instructional images, as are incorporated in the latest release of Suzuki Book One. However, because the book is unique in the market for beginning violin books, I think it is worth considering despite lacking these items.

I hope this book also comes out for viola, as there are even fewer good song books for viola than for violin.

Carl Flesch "Cliff Notes" - Simply Violin - Violin Scales & Arpeggios in One, Two, and Three Octaves

Many of us who have taught from the violin scale book by Carl Flesch have wished for a "Cliff Notes" version -- one that includes the familiar fingerings but without all the extra material, such as octaves, tenths, and parallel thirds. Of course, these have their place. But most students could benefit from a more simple (and portable) version.

Most violin scale books other than Flesch are lacking in several areas. First, they do not use the Flesch fingerings, which are widely considered to be standard in America as well as abroad. Most also lack arpeggios. Finally, they are often hard to read and/or densely spaced on the page. For these reasons, many (if not most) advanced students continue to study from the Flesch book, even though they may never use the majority of its pages.

I have also wished that a "progressive" book would come available -- one that included scales in one and two octaves rather than just three octaves. Even better would be a book including arpeggios with fingerings that are consistent not only within octaves, but between them as well.

Simply Violin: Violin Scales and Arpeggios in One, Two, and Octaves (based on Flesch) solves many of these problems. This book employs consistent fingerings. Plus, the notes are well spaced and there is ample room for the teacher to change fingerings if desired.

The two octave scales in this book are particularly nice for students who are auditioning for an intermediate youth orchestra. Further, all of them use the same fingering pattern, which allows the student to memorize them easily.

In this new book, I believe that I have found a viable alternative to Flesch that I can recommend in my shop to violin teachers who are looking for a more user-friendly version of Flesch. And, the book contains scales in one and two octaves, allowing for students of any level to begin scales and progress to Flesch fingerings in a logical and progressive way.