Reverse Engineering The Violin

This talk will explore the science underlying the design of instruments of the violin family. If one sets out to re-invent an instrument roughly like the violin, it is interesting to see how far one can go with very simple design objectives such as an engineering designer would apply. As a starting point, the simple requirement to make the instrument as loud as possible gives insight into many details of the strings and body construction. The talk will then address and illustrate some aspects of sound production in the violin, including the roles of the f-holes and soundpost, and the question “why doesn’t an ideal instrument amplify all frequencies equally, like a hi-fi amplifier?”

After a first degree in mathematics at Cambridge, Jim Woodhouse did a PhD on the acoustics of the violin, in the Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics at Cambridge (this work being inspired by a hobby interest in building instruments). He then worked for the engineering consultancy firm Topexpress for a few years, on a variety of problems in structural vibration, before joining the Engineering Department of the University in 1985. His research interests all involve vibration, and musical instruments have continued to form a major part.

Refreshments will be available from 30 minutes before the advertised start time.

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