Laser vibrometry measurements of vibration and sound fields of a bowed violin

• Published in: Measurement science & technology Vol. 17; no. 4; pp. 635 - 644
• Main Authors: Gren, Per, Tatar, Kourosh, Granström, Jan, Molin, N-E, Jansson, Erik V
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: IOP Publishing 01.04.2006
• Subjects: Aesthetic subjects; Estetiska ämnen; Experimental Mechanics; Experimentell mekanik; HUMANIORA och RELIGIONSVETENSKAP; HUMANITIES and RELIGION; laser vibrometry; Music; Musikvetenskap; sound fields; violin
• ISSN: 0957-0233; 1361-6501; 1361-6501
• DOI: 10.1088/0957-0233/17/4/005

Laser vibrometry measurements on a bowed violin are performed. A rotating disc apparatus, acting as a violin bow, is developed. It produces a continuous, long, repeatable, multi-frequency sound from the instrument that imitates the real bow-string interaction for a 'very long bow'. What mainly differs is that the back and forward motion of the real bow is replaced by the rotating motion with constant velocity of the disc and constant bowing force (bowing pressure). This procedure is repeatable. It is long lasting and allows laser vibrometry techniques to be used, which measure forced vibrations by bowing at all excited frequencies simultaneously. A chain of interacting parts of the played violin is studied: the string, the bridge and the plates as well as the emitted sound field. A description of the mechanics and the sound production of the bowed violin is given, i.e. the production chain from the bowed string to the produced tone.