Friction and Wear Research, Volume 3, 2015 www.seipub.org/fwr doi: 10.14355/fwr.2015.03.001
Microscopic Examination of Play‐Worn Steel Music Strings Ferhat Bülbül*1 Department of Mechanical Engineering, Ataturk University, Erzurum, Turkey *1
ferhat.bulbul@atauni.edu.tr
Abstract The wear tests on the strings made from ASTM‐A228 music wire were performed by using bağlama, a stringed instrument. These tests named as play‐tests were carried out by reciprocating‐sliding with finger on Do major and contrariwise scales for different durations at andante moderato speed of 100 beat per minute and by plucking with the plectrum under steady environmental conditions. The increase in the electrical resistance of the string proved that the steel string suffered a massive loss as a result of play‐wear. Wear tracks obtained via SEM showed that the level of surface damage increased and became more pronounced depending on the beat amount. The results of the present study show that tribologists and acoustists should focus on wear‐acoustic relationships of strings. Because almost all kinds of data obtained about the surface wear of music strings can also shed light on all stringed instruments. Keywords Wear; Steel; String; SEM; Music
Introduction The origin of stringed instruments dates back many centuries ago. Most of the ancient cultures developed different stringed instruments. They have played an essential role in the history of music and in the development of contemporary music. Like guitar, violin and mandolin, bağlama is also a stringed musical instrument, similar to the Bouzouki, shared by various cultures in the Eastern Mediterranean. Up till now, in many cities of world and Europe, numerous bağlama recitals or concerts have been given, in the leadership of famous bağlama virtuosos; in these recitals Eastern music melodies have been brought together with Western music melodies, namely, especially with Spanish music, Jazz music and Classic music. Thanks to these significant works, bağlama has gained a universal dimension today. Solid steel, rope or cable core steel, synthetic, and gut are the most commonly used string core materials for stringed musical instruments. Each type of core material has distinctly different tonal and playing characteristics. The outer wrapping can be made from a wide variety of materials, including nylon, aluminum, chrome, steel, stainless steel, tinned steel, tungsten, nickel‐silver, silver, silver‐plate, and gold. Each material provides its own unique tonal and tactile characteristics, as well as varying degrees of resistance to wear and corrosion (primarily from contact with the playerʹs fingers). Steel strings are more economical, and they produce larger, brighter volumes of sound with a minimal break‐in period compared to others. The strings of stringed instruments such as bağlama, guitar, violin, lute and mandolin are subject to external effects such as tension, pressure, wear, temperature, humidity, dust and light. Therefore, strings should be cleaned after performing, otherwise their timbre will get worse and the sound quality may deteriorate. Despite what we have mentioned above, the failure of strings is inevitable since the musician applies pressure with his hand and sliding causes wear on the strings, and also the sweat of hand and ambient air have a corrosive effect on the strings. In time, such activities spoil the timbre of the strings completely so that they became useless. Essentially, the strings are changed with new ones, generally depending on the play time [1]. Although a vast number of theoretical and experimental studies are available on music strings since BC, a great majority of these studies are concerned with the number, gauge, material and acoustic characteristics of strings [2‐ 13]. Pythagoras [6], the first known string theorist, during the sixth century BC, studied vibrating strings and musical sounds. He apparently discovered that dividing the length of a vibrating string into simple ratios produced consonant musical intervals. Using a vibration microscope proposed by Lissajous, Helmholtz observed
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