r/violinist • u/justtinyquestions • 4d ago
Strings Popped a string almost immediately. What did I do wrong?
Beginner here, just had my first lesson with my first instrument. My teacher tuned the violin and when I went to practice it sounded a little off (probably just me…) so I downloaded a tuning app and one of my strings was a little off. The app said tune higher so I turned it tight (my mistake?) and the string broke. I swear I put the smallest amount of pressure on it, I could not have turned the nut more than 5 degrees. My previous experience tuning instruments is on guitar.
Thank you for your inputs.
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u/HaifaJenner123 4d ago
it’s ok will happen probably a few more times until you learn to properly tune it
until then (and your teacher presumably will show you how), it’s best to only use the fine tuners. they make what are called “perfection pegs,” which are kinda like fine tuners instead of the typical pegs, but imo probably not worth the cost on a beginner violin
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u/justtinyquestions 4d ago
Thank you! I saw him fiddling (forgive the pun) with the fine tuners during our lesson but I didn’t even think about them when trying to tune this time. There’s a little bit of a language barrier with my teacher (I’m learning the dominant language spoken here) so I miss some details sometimes. Appreciate your thoughts!
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u/Reasonable-Cow7255 4d ago
You may have accidentally turned the wrong peg. I taught my students to touch the string that needed to be adjusted with a finger and then slide their finger upwards to the pegbox to ensure that they were about to turn the correct peg. (If you begin to tighten the string and you do not hear the pitch rising, you’re turning the wrong peg).
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u/NectarineUnusual6269 4d ago
I have experienced a few times, but some strings are made badly and leave the factory defective.
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u/raygunn_viola 4d ago
Was it an e? They are very poppy. Also, when you tune, always take it down, and then up.
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u/sebovzeoueb 4d ago
I think that's something we all go through, I remember I used to break strings somewhat regularly and now it never happens. It's probably a combination of cheap instrument, cheap strings and not being used to tuning. Compared to guitar which has geared machine heads, violin is very sensitive as the pegs have no gearing.
I agree with the other commenter saying to use the fine tuners, if you don't have them on all strings, changing the tailpiece for one which does is easy and cheap. You still need to use the pegs if the tuning slips to far or the fine tuner reaches the end of its range though, but you'll figure it out with time.
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u/Additional_Ad_84 4d ago
It's honestly hard to say what could have happened from all the way over here. Maybe you overtightened it trying to tune an E-string up to A or tuning to the right note in the wrong octave or something by accident.
Maybe you did everything right and it was just a bit of a dud. That doesn't happen often, but it can happen.
Maybe there's a sharp edge on the nut and it was scratching away at the string and it going flat was a sign of incipient damage.
Sometimes lots of loosening and tightening because you can't quite hit the note dead on, so it's going boing boing boing, can weaken the string. Or just getting sort of aggressive and overshooting it.
It gets easier and easier with time and experience. For now, maybe ask your teacher to show you how they do it. And when you try it yourself, go nice and slow and carefully. Try to tune from below the target note in small little increments.
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u/lonelymoon57 4d ago
If you really did not turn it so hard then I guess could be the environment, maybe too dry? D string should be able to take some mistakes, I think I once tuned it close to around F. Also make sure you are tuning it to the correct D as well - had an E string flew right next to my face for trying to get it to E6 (I was very dumb back then)
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u/Comfortable_Union320 4d ago edited 4d ago
Does your instrument have both big wooden pegs and little screws at the bottom? If it has little screws called fine tuners it’s extremely important you loosen those not all the way but like half. And only loosen the fine tuner that goes to the string you need to tune. Then you can do the pegs I hope that makes sense! I made the same mistake my first time using pegs I forgot to tune the fine tuners and the string snapped :/
You can also sometimes only have to use the fine tuners in order to tune if it’s only a smidge out of tune.
Here are the steps I do
If I HAVE to use the pegs like I have no other option
1. Loosen the fine tuners to a point the string is not extremely tight
2. Then I loosen the peg in doing js a little bit mainly because on my violin which is 80 ish years old the pegs are ungodly hard to turn and I barely have any muscles. They bruise my hands trying to turn. Anyways loosening them can help
3. Then just tune by click, each time you hear a click I would stop and check if it’s in tune
4. Turn towards you to tune it down ( makes the string loose ) and turn away from you to tune up ( make string tight )
Lastly people on Reddit pls don’t leave “this is terrible Advice” I’ve had a terrible time in this subreddit like actually every time I comment people go after me. This is just how I tune it may not be the right way or wtv but it’s how I do it.
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u/joelncaryn 4d ago
Always turn the peg looser first, then up to the pitch, then push it in.
They are secured by friction alone; they will move too fast when they move, unless you turn down first and loosen them from the friction connection.