E String

What it is

The E string is the highest and thinnest of the violin's four strings, tuned to the E above the A. See the acoustics section for everything related.

It is the first string, counting from the top.

Its sound

Brilliant, penetrating and bright. The E carries further than any other string and cuts through an orchestra.

Its top register, in high positions, reaches the highest notes the violin plays and has a piercing, almost glassy quality.

That brilliance is a resource and a liability. A well-played E sings above everything. A poorly played E is harsh and shrill, and the string is less forgiving of bow problems than any other.

Why it is usually steel

Almost every modern violin uses a steel E, even in sets whose other strings are synthetic or gut.

Steel provides the tension needed at that pitch and thickness with a stability that gut cannot match. A gut E is very thin, breaks readily, and goes out of tune constantly. Practising this is easier with the free chromatic tuner.

The consequence is that the E behaves differently from the other three. Steel does not stretch, so pitch changes sharply for small tension changes, which is why the E almost always has a fine tuner even in setups where the others do not.

Plain steel, gold-plated, and wound E strings all exist and sound noticeably different from each other. This is the string where changing brand or type produces the most obvious change.

Whistling

The E string's characteristic problem, and one that frustrates every student who encounters it.

When crossing to the open E, or starting a note on it, the string sometimes produces a high whistling squeak instead of the note.

The cause is the string vibrating in an unwanted mode. The bow catches it in a way that excites a high partial rather than the fundamental.

Contributing factors:

Bow speed too fast at the start. The most common cause.

Contact point too far from the bridge.

Crossing to the string with too little weight.

Skin oil on the string, which changes how the bow grips.

The string itself. Some E strings whistle more than others, and a player plagued by it should try a different type. Wound E strings whistle considerably less than plain steel.

The remedies are technical and equipment-based in roughly equal measure, and a student struggling with it should try both.

Playing it

The E needs the lightest touch of the four strings.

Less weight. The string is thin and excessive pressure chokes it immediately.

Faster bow. Combined with less weight, this produces a clear tone rather than a pressed one.

Careful contact point. The E is less tolerant than the lower strings of bowing too far from the bridge.

Students transitioning from the A to the E without adjusting produce a harsh sound and often conclude the string is the problem.

Practical issues

Breakage. The E breaks more than any other string, being thinnest and under high tension. It usually breaks at the bridge or at the tailpiece end.

Cutting into the bridge. A thin steel string under tension cuts into maple. A protective parchment sleeve or metal sleeve under the E at the bridge is standard and should be checked if missing.

Rust. Steel corrodes. Wiping the string after playing extends its life considerably.

Fine tuner dependence. Almost universal, for the reasons above.

Tuning sensitivity. A small peg movement produces a large pitch change.

String life

The E generally lasts less well than the others in terms of tone, though it may not break.

Signs it is finished: a dulling of the brilliance, increased whistling, difficulty getting a clean start, or visible corrosion.

Many players change the E more often than the rest of the set for this reason.

Where it comes up

The upper register of everything. Any passage above the A string's comfortable range requires it.

Solo repertoire uses it heavily, since the violin's brilliance is one of the reasons it carries as a solo instrument against an orchestra.

How it is taught

Beginners meet it early and often dislike it, because it is harsh under an undeveloped bow arm and it whistles.

The teaching points: less weight and more speed than the other strings, keep the contact point closer to the bridge, and if it whistles persistently despite good technique, try a different type of string before assuming the fault is entirely yours.

The whistle, practically

Since this frustrates every student, here is the order to try things.

Slow the start of the bow. A fast initial bow speed is the most common cause. Begin the stroke more gradually.

Add a little weight at the start. Too light a bow crossing to the E invites the whistle.

Move slightly closer to the bridge.

Wipe the string. Skin oil changes how the bow grips.

Try a wound E. Wound E strings whistle far less than plain steel. If the first four steps do not solve it, this usually does.

Many students are told the whistle is purely technique. It is partly technique and partly the string, and a player fighting it for months on a plain steel E should try a wound one before concluding they are the problem.

Care that extends its life

Wipe it after every session. Steel corrodes and rosin accelerates it.

Check the protective sleeve where it crosses the bridge. Without one, the string cuts into the maple.

Replace it more often than the others. The E dulls before it breaks, and many players run one long past its useful life.

Every new student starts by playing for us so we can see where tone and sound production actually sits in their technique. Private and group violin lessons in Lawrenceville, Suwanee and Sandy Springs. book a no-commitment evaluation lesson, or call 470-789-2422.