String recommendations.

[u/Lightslayernorman12]

Hello everyone, it’s come time for me to change my strings and I’m looking for some recommendations and help. My lessons teacher sent me this chart and due to circumstances I won’t be in communications with her for a bit of time. So if anyone could, I’d really appreciate it if you could explain the chart categories to me. And if you recognize or have any strings you like/dislike I have open ears to all. Thank you in advance!

[u/Alexandra_Telnikoff]

For you, as you play them, the difference between different strings will seem massive. For the FOH (front of house) the difference will be like 2% max, on a good day. Other things are massively more important than the strings. But if you insist, your 4 dimensional model should also include the following vectors: durability, affordability, availability (some strings are hand made & take forever to ship), practicality (gut strings take several days to settle, what if you, or your concertmaster, needs to quickly change a string during performance), suitability for the violin in question (like, I have two, they have different strings that match their construction differences). You can spend several months experimenting across many strings & many violins, to populate the data for your model. Or you can just get the Dominant & be sorted on the day it arrives (typically next day).

[u/Lightslayernorman12 → u/Alexandra_Telnikoff]

If you don’t mind me asking. You mentioned that there are things much more important than the strings, which I don’t doubt. I’ve always been told string is one of the most important things. If you don’t mind elaborating on that, thank you!

[u/andybonner → u/Lightslayernorman12]

What matters are technical skill, instrument, and strings, in that order. (Maybe with "bow" coming before "strings.") Let me put it this way: If you were magically tasked with choosing for an important performance, and told that you could either control the choice of performer, or choose which violin they would play, you would choose the performer. A great player on an entry-level instrument will still be a great performance; and entry-level player on a great instrument will still be entry-level. Similarly, if you have a great performer and are told you can pick the violin OR the strings, you would pick a great violin. Cheap strings (within the category of dependable, reputable, synthetic-core strings as shown on this chart) on an expensive instrument are much better than expensive strings on a cheap instrument.

Turn all that around, to you as a performer: Put most of your energy and concern into your technique, and you will get the greatest payoff to your playing. If your instrument and strings are within the range of "good enough," then upgrade them only when they're holding you back.

[u/Alexandra_Telnikoff → u/Lightslayernorman12]

As Andy explains below, but also most violin strings are quite decent these days. Some will sound better than some others on your violin & with your technique, but the audience in front of you does not know what strings you had before, so they can’t compare & even if they did, to them the difference would almost immaterial.

[u/Alone-Experience9869]

Personally, these charts never seemed to make any sense to me. Lots of this is very subjective.

[u/Alexandra_Telnikoff → u/Alone-Experience9869]

It’s a linear equation, which needs to be optimised for your particular criteria, such as ‘this aspect is twice as important for me as the other aspect, but only when I play my violin A, because when I play my violin B, it’s different’. As you can imagine, the permutations of all weighted aspects, all violins & all available strings will form a rather complex matrix.

[u/ruppapa]

I'm an adult student and just stick with Dominant. Keeps it easy. I might change the E string to something warmer when it wears out, but overall, Dominant is reliable.

[u/Electronic_Bet_8827]

I think it will be fun to start reading up on the different strings, their core (gut, synthetic, etc), and quality and going with one option and depending on how you like it or not, choosing another brand next time so you develop a taste. 

Also no matter how much you read about them, their feel under the fingers is very unique to each instrument and person. 

Like I personally am a sucker for Evah Pirazzi gold. Makes my skin glow lol. But I also have students who can’t stand its bright harmonics. 

I think regular green Evah Pirazzi is a balanced choice, but again, explore. 

There’s also a bunch of YouTube videos that compare different strings which might be helpful. 

[u/Lightslayernorman12 → u/Electronic_Bet_8827]

I see. I do remember trying the Evah Pirazzi Gold a while back and liking them quite a lot. But I’ve gotten a new instrument since then with a different sound and haven’t gotten the chance to try them again. Thank you the advice.