It is well known in musical circles that a stringed instrument sounds better if it is played regularly. Why is this?
鈥� I don鈥檛 think that the instrument itself undergoes much modification, but the player gets used to the instrument and is more able to get the best out of it. No matter how mass-produced musical instruments are, they all have slight differences.
Generating the optimum tone (which will vary with the music and the passage of music being played) is a complex matter. It can rely on a number of factors such as how tight the bow is, how much rosin is applied to the bow, at what angle and pressure it attacks the strings, how fast it is moved and how close to the bridge it is played. And of course there is more to the equation. The bow is of horsehair, the violin of wood and the strings may have gut cores, all of which react to the atmosphere. It obviously takes the musician some time to work out how to get the best out of any particular instrument 鈥� remembering that no two instruments are identical.
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The instrument itself may be improved by altering the fit of the bridge and sound post where they meet the belly. The better the fit, the more the vibrations of the strings are transmitted to the amplifier 鈥� the body of the instrument 鈥� and it may be that with use this fit improves. However, I am certain the major reason is that the musician needs time to become familiar with the instrument.
Richard Brice, Ndola, Zambia
鈥� With many wooden instruments, the wood has a tendency to dry out over time. This can be combated by oiling the instrument, both with purchased oils and with the natural oils produced by your skin. So if an instrument is not played for a long time, it will dry out, producing a poorer sound quality, and possibly resulting in the instrument cracking.
Tim Yarham, Palmwoods, Queensland, Australia
鈥� What is 鈥渨ell known鈥� may sometimes be widely believed rather than actually convincingly demonstrated. Careful scientific studies, such as those by Carleen Hutchins (Catgut Acoustical Society Journal, vol 3, no 5) or Erik Jansson (Acustica, vol 83, p 337), have not given strong support for the proposition noted by your questioner. However, it is difficult to design experiments and interpret the results, because the performer-instrument-listener system is complex, and it is notoriously difficult to control time independently of other parameters. An instrument鈥檚 age, the owner鈥檚 familiarity with its strengths and weaknesses, the amount it has been played and the number of adjustments it has undergone can all play a major role.
The lack of scientific validation has not prevented some manufacturers exploiting this belief, and some musical entrepreneurs will treat your new guitar by exposing it to high-intensity vibration for an extended period, or season your violin by exposing it to ultraviolet light or constantly changing humidity.
Beneficial mechanical changes could arguably result from ageing or playing. For example, the glue may weaken or there may be internal relaxation of the wood. However, the strains involved in performance are small. The changes in listeners and the adaptation of owners over time may be larger. An interesting experiment would be to compare performances and recordings made over time on two very similar instruments, of which only one was played regularly.
Ra Inta, Music Acoustics Laboratory, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia