#5 Caroline D'Angelo: The history and physics of stringed instruments

The violin family (violin, viola, cello and contrabass) of musical instruments are the result of an impressive amount of precise engineering and artistry that gives them a range of volume, pitch, and tone unmatched by any other instrument. In this talk I will discuss the evolution of the violin, from the murky origins of bowed instruments (which exist in many different cultures) all the way up to the present day. I will then focus on the physics of sound production in the modern violin, starting with the mechanics of producing a sound with a bow (a driven harmonic oscillator, with complications), and exploring how the normal modes of resonance (which produce "Chladni patterns") produce the characteristic "violin" sound. I will round out my talk with a discussion (with a live demonstration) of some of the different techniques used in playing a stringed instrument, and discuss how they affect the quality (pitch, timbre and volume) of the sound. Depending on interest and time, some audience members will get a chance to try out some of what they have learned on a real instrument ...