REPLACING VIOLIN STRINGS

When a string breaks, do the following:

Check what kind of string end should go at the tail piece.  If you use a fine tuner then you need a string with a loop end, otherwise you need a string with a ball end.

Replace the string with one having the same kind of end. Mount the string at the tail piece first.  On a tuner, it's pretty easy.  But with a ball-end string, you feed the peg-end of the string (without the ball-end) up through the bottom of the hole in the tail piece, pull the string almost all the way through the tail piece, then slide the string into the narrow part of the hole.  Put a pencil in the large part of the hole to keep thestring from flying out of the hole while you tighten it later.

With the violin on its back and its top facing up on a table, push the peg end of the string through the hole in the peg for that string, far enough so about 3/8 inch of the string projects through the other end of the hole.  Then turn the peg  so its top surface moves towards the violin scroll.  Turn the peg one half turn and catch the free end of the string under the part of the string that is wrapping around the peg. Turn the peg another full turn and catch the free end of the string under the second winding.  Do this a thir again with a third winding.  For A and E strings, the windings should move cgradually closer to the E string side of the peg box  For D and G strings, the windings should move gradually closer to the G string side of the peg box.

Finally, tighten the string slowly.  Steel and synthetic strings won't take too long to stabilize, but gut and steel-wound gut strings wiill take several days to stabilize.

Violin Lessons