Making The Violin(1.artistri of the maker)

1.ARTISTRY OF THE MAKER
2.LEARNING THE TRADE
3.THE MAKING


1.ARTISTRY OF THE MAKER

Violin making is an often forgotten or overlooked art, yet indispensable to the expression and preservation of great works of music. Since its earliest beginnings, the violin has been an embodiment of the highest ideals of art. Violin making is more than a craft, and entails much more than the mere construction of a violin. Many areas of expertise must be mastered. The maker performs the skills of:

WOOD SCULPTOR. Among wood craftsmen, violin making is looked upon with a certain amount of awe and mystery. It is envied for its delicate carving and direct ties to past traditions and methods. The amount of skill, knowledge and discipline one must first attain, gives rise to the myth of unknowable secrets.

ARCHITECT and ENGINEER. Instrument design and construction is dependent only on its curved lines and surfaces, which are carved and bent for optimum lightness, strength and flexibility. Knowledge of materials and an ability to sense the strengths and weaknesses of a given piece of wood, is essential. The design, architecture and choice of wood all determine the ultimate potential of the finished work.

TOOL MAKER. The violin maker makes and maintains the condition of many specialized tools. Knives, plane irons, chisels and gouges must be kept razor sharp. Other tools, such as scrapers, require sharpened edges rolled over with a burnisher.

ACOUSTICIAN. The maker relies on memory and instinct, searching to improve the sound of each new instrument through slight controlled variations in model, architecture or dimensions. When played upon, the diminutive violin (weighing less than a pound) can be capable of filling the farthest corner of a large concert hall with sound, and conveying music of fiery emotion or subtle nuance to every listener. Good acoustic properties of a violin relate to more than just volume. Loudness under a player's ear is not indicative of an instrument with good "carrying power". The complexity and richness of overtones or harmonics is what gives carrying power and sweetness to a good violin. Each instrument possesses a unique voice, different from any other, created by the predominance of its own particular spectrum and abundance of overtones.

MUSICIAN. The maker must develop an ear and a vocabulary for sound to better understand the musician's needs. It is necessary to play well enough to make and hear subtle tonal adjustments. One must have the player's perspective to achieve proper set up and adjustment of the neck, fingerboard, strings, pegs, bridge, etc---the parts of an instrument with which the player has closest involvement.

VARNISH MAKER. Preparation of varnish involves purifying, sun-bleaching and bodying oils; grinding, cooking and mixing resins and preparing color lakes.

ART RESTORER. Fine violin restoration not only employs many of the ethics and techniques of fine art restoration, but also requires the various skills of the maker and specialized techniques developed over the past 200 years. The opportunity of studying the works of the old masters first hand, allows one to analyze the successes (and shortcomings) of individual works, and to observe how each maker or school of makers from the past approached the various aspects of making.

MERCHANT. Peer recognition is gratifying, but the maker must also be a merchant of his/her own products. Makers have the opportunity to work directly with their clientele, often on a commission basis. A special, long term symbiotic relationship exists between a maker and player or collector. Working together they choose a design that will meet the specified needs of the player. After the work is purchased and in the hands of the musician, the maker remains available to periodically carry out necessary maintenance and adjustments.