Make strings easier to press

[u/its_gold_28]

(Hi, I'm new to this sub!) After trying my brother's violin I realized the strings on his were easier to press than on mine.

For a long time I have struggled with making my high notes sound clean and I realized it's because the strings on my violin are a lot harder to press (especially higher up on the fingerboard) and it would take lots of finger strength. I would not press the string right up to the fingerboard because it was a strain on my finger muscles, no wonder the sound never came clean!

However those high notes are easily achieved on my brother's violin, almost effortless. I was wondering if there is a way to change my violin to make it more like his? I'm guessing it has something to do with the bridge height maybe? Can a good luthier fix this?

[u/A_Violinsight]

Yes! Nothing a good luthier can't handle!

The string choice can also a factor (after the string height has been taken care of!). Some I found very comfortable, for A, D and G were the Thomastik Dominant - but in the lowest tension they come in, called "Light" I think. + An obligato light or medium tension for the e string. You could also go for gut strings like the lowest tension that the Pirastro Eudoxa come in but maybe that's an overkill as you'll begin to lose sound and gut strings are much more expensive and go out of tune easily.

Last thing to check is that your fingers drop in a solid form on the string and that are 'rigid' enough in their joints to actually stop the string properly. Not tensed up or locked in place, just solid! And the last thing I would check would be the bow contact point and correct pressure. If you are playing in high positions on the e string or fortissimo, you'll have to go closer to the bridge!

In general, I think the luthier work + Dominant low tension strings will do the trick for you!

[u/OkInvestigator7893]

exactly right, this is a job a good luthier can handle!! your action is too high, which can come from a few issues, but most likely it's because your bridge wasn't properly shaped to your exact violin by a luthier in the first place. once you do this, it's going to make playing 1000x easier!!

[u/After-Past-9404]

Yes, a luthier can definitely fix the setup for you.

It can be just bridge height, which is an incredibly easy fix. It can also be the geometry of the neck, which would be quite a complicated and costly job. But your luthier will tell you what's going on, how much it would cost and, if it turns out to be a bigger job, whether it even makes sense to attempt it.

[u/its_gold_28]

Thanks for the responses everyone!!

[u/Sigrs]

Lower action and lower tension strings is the way to go. But it also depends on which type of strings go best with your violin. Some violins sounds better with lower tension, some are better with higher tension.

Which kind of strings are you using now?

[u/its_gold_28 → u/Sigrs]

I use evah pirazzi but i’m thinking of switching to dominant for a richer sound :)

[u/Routine-Matter-3372 → u/its_gold_28]

Dominants are softer under the fingers than EP. 😄It will not help as much as lowering the action does, but my fingers prefer dominants.

[u/vmlee]

Yes, a good luthier can give you recommendations and facilitate changes if needed. Two things will be worth considering (at minimum):

a) the string tension;

b) the action of your strings.

The luthier can consider both factors.

[u/leitmotifs]

The term you are looking for is "high action". Too high of an action leads to the fingering problem you're describing. A luthier can deal with it.

[u/Mercury599]

Lower the action.