A String

What it is

The A string is the second highest of the violin's four strings, tuned to the A above middle C, conventionally at 440 Hz. The acoustics section covers the rest of this group.

It is the second string, counting from the top.

Why orchestras tune to it

The A is the reference pitch for the entire Western orchestra. A chromatic tuner makes this easier to work on alone.

The oboe sounds an A, and every player tunes to it. The convention comes from the oboe's stable pitch and penetrating tone, which carries through an ensemble.

For string players, the A is then used to tune the other three strings in fifths.

The frequency has not always been 440. Baroque pitch was lower, commonly around 415, and pitch standards varied by city and era. Some modern orchestras tune to 442 or 443 for a brighter sound. Period performance uses historical pitches deliberately.

Its sound

Clear and singing, with a directness the lower strings lack and without the E string's brilliance.

Many players consider it the most immediately attractive of the four. It has enough brightness to project and enough body to sound warm.

The upper register of the A string, in fourth position and above, is one of the violin's most expressive areas and carries a great deal of lyrical writing.

Construction

The A may be wound or plain depending on the string type.

Synthetic core with aluminium winding is the most common modern classical setup.

Plain gut was historical and is used in period performance.

Steel is used in some setups, particularly for students and in folk and jazz contexts, offering stability and a bright direct sound.

The A is thinner than the D and G and correspondingly needs less bow weight.

Playing it

Moderate bow weight, moderate speed. Less than the D, more than the E.

The A is responsive and speaks quickly. It is unforgiving of excessive pressure, which produces a pressed, choked sound more readily than the lower strings do.

Its contact point tolerance is narrower than the G's. Bowing too close to the fingerboard produces a thin sound quickly.

Its role in the repertoire

An enormous amount of melodic writing sits on the A string.

The range covers the upper middle of the violin's compass, which is where a great deal of lyrical melody naturally falls.

In orchestral first violin parts, much of the singing material is here. In solo repertoire, a large share of expressive slow movements sit on the A.

For students, the A and D together carry nearly all early repertoire.

Practical issues

Winding wear in first position.

Whistling, which can occur on the A though less often than on the E.

Sensitivity to pressure. The A shows a heavy bow arm more clearly than the D does.

Tuning stability. Synthetic core A strings take time to settle after being fitted and will drift for a day or two.

Tuning by fifths from the A

The standard method. Tune the A to a reference, then tune the D to the A, the G to the D, and the E to the A, each by listening for a pure fifth.

Two adjacent strings played together produce beating when the fifth is impure. Adjusting until the beating disappears gives a pure interval.

Students are taught this early and it is one of the more valuable ear-training exercises available, because it trains the ear to hear a specific interval quality rather than just approximate pitch.

Where it comes up

Everywhere. The A is arguably the most used string on the violin, carrying more melodic material than any other.

It is also the reference for tuning every time the instrument comes out.

How it is taught

Alongside the D as one of the two strings beginners spend most time on.

The teaching points: it responds quickly and does not want a heavy bow, it is the tuning reference, and its upper register is where a great deal of expressive playing lives once positions are learned.

Tuning by fifths in practice

The method every violinist uses and the one that trains the ear most.

Play two adjacent strings together. Listen not for whether they sound nice but for beating: a slow pulsing in the sound where the two frequencies interfere.

Adjust one string until the beating slows and disappears. When it is gone, the fifth is pure.

Students often try to tune each string separately against a tuner. That works but teaches nothing. Tuning by fifths trains the ear to hear interval quality, which is the same skill used for double stops and for intonation generally.

The upper register

The A string above fourth position is where a great deal of expressive solo writing sits.

It has the clarity to project without the E string's edge, and the range covers the part of the violin's compass where lyrical melody most often lives.

Students working into higher positions usually do it first on the A, and it rewards the effort more directly than the same work on other strings.

Reading about tone and sound production is a start, and playing it with someone watching your hands is faster. We teach private and group violin lessons in Suwanee, Johns Creek and Sandy Springs. Call 470-789-2422 or book a no-commitment evaluation lesson.