I want to describe a system of "musical" or "just" intonation and how to work at it on the violin. It is an issue, today, as many students rely on a digital tuner, which would be tempered. Tempered is not the correct intonation on a violin; and since the open gut strings change in pitch frequently, having a definite and specific technique for intonation is all the more essential. The Heifetz way of having a steel "E" and Silver wrapped "G" sandwiches the open strings between two more stable ones; and that is most helpful.
Now, what should you expect, and what do you need to watch out for when doing this experiment? Are there any tips for doing it right? Yes, and I am going to offer up some ideas for getting started right here.
First off, these Tricolore strings are made from natural materials. That means that they need to be treated appropriately when installing and when playing, as well; especially the open or unwound gut strings. Let's consider how they look when you get them out of the package. You can see the semi-transparent material (yes it is actual gut from a sheep, just as they used in Paganini's time) and you can see how strands of this material are wound together. There is a pre-tied knot and little washer, all ready to go up under the tailpiece. Pretty straightforward so far…
Now for some advice: When removing and replacing strings on your violin, it is a very good idea to protect the finish under the tailpiece. A tissue or handkerchief will serve to keep the string from hitting or scraping the varnish unnecessarily.
It is a good idea to have a tweezers or hemostat at hand just in case you need it for pulling the new string through the hole in the peg. Some violins have a narrow pegbox and some have the "A" peg far up enough in it to make it difficult to maneuver. But first, let's get the string threaded through the slot in the tailpiece. It is OK to bend the string about a 1/3 to 1/2 inch from the end of the string to get it started. That part will go through the peg in a second, anyway. Don't however, bend or crimp any other part of the string. Keep it just as it was when it came out of the package.
Next, pull the string through the slot and set the knot end and washer in place. Remember that they probably will slip out of position while you are getting the other end through the peg hole; so we will come back and check that before starting to wind the string up to tension.
Push the end through the peg hole and pull it through so that about an inch or more is available to make a couple of twists. Hold the twist together and push that twisted string up against the pegbox. Give another turn on the peg. Now, before you continue, check back at the tailpiece to see that the knot and washer are exactly where you want them; and when you have it right, gently pull up on the string with one hand to keep it there while you turn the peg to take up the slack.
OK, we're almost there. If you have it right, you should be able to see that the knot is secured under the slot in the tailpiece, and that the string in the pegbox is winding nicely and straight on the peg from the outside toward the center, ie. up the peg. Doing it this way creates friction against the wall of the pegbox and prevents the peg from slipping and letting the string go down. Looks nice, too.
All the preceding would apply to any kind of string; but now is where things are a little different. Since the string is made of gut instead of a manmade material, it should be treated kindly and gently during the stretching process. Our goal is to get the job done in a reasonable amount of time while doing as little injury to the string as possible. My suggestion is to plan ahead a little. It doesn't take long to change a string or two, i.e. "A" and "D" open gut strings, so why not start in the evening. This plan will give the strings overnight to settle in. Allow 1/2 hour for getting the new ones on if you've never used open gut before; although it probably will only take 5 or 10 minutes. After that, it is a matter of gently returning the string to a given pitch, which we will do numerous times. At first, let's say we get it up to about a Fourth under the final pitch, e.g. A - B for the "D" string and E - F# for the "A" string. Let's just leave it like that for 5 minutes or so. Go make some decaffeinated tea or coffee and come back and tune it up again to the same pitch. Then again, and again, leaving a few minutes between each time. Next, raise it on up to say a tone below, e.g. up to C for the "D" and G for the "A." When that falls lower, then go ahead and tune it up to 1/2 tone below pitch, again. After 20 minutes or so, you can bring it to full pitch. If you allow about 2 hours for all the stretching, you can leave it over night. When you get up in the morning, the stretching will be mostly done. Go ahead and tune up to pitch. The strings should quickly settle into their true pitch and your reward will be that you have a perfectly made string, in excellent condition and ready to use. The tone should be pure and true. You will also probably get a little longer use of the string, having treated it this way.
One final suggestion which is important. I learned this from an old violin maker who was born in the 1890s! He taught me to always put an opposing support against any force. In this case, when you push the peg into the pegbox, support it with your other hand by putting your hand opposite the peg you are pushing. In other words, don't hold the violin by the neck down where it is mortised into the body of the violin. If you are unlucky, you might just push the neck right out of the violin! Glue does sometimes dry out and fail in that mortise; but in any case, just form the habit of pushing against your own hand.
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