How to Replace Strings | Violin Lessons

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When you need to replace your strings on the violin either because you'll see part of the string is unraveling, or the sound is not as ringy, or it's been several months since you changed it last, it's time to change your strings. Right here this is the kind of string I use. I use the Dominant for the A, D, and G strings. Here is a Dominant G string, and I'm going to change my old Dominant G to a new one.

First, I'm going to take the G peg and I'm going to unravel the string, and it comes right out. Now I'm going to take the new G. First, when you put the new string on you do the ball at the bottom first. Not all strings come with a ball. Some of them come with a loop, like my E string here, this is a loop string also. So, depending on whether you have loops on your tailpiece or spots for the ball that's the kind that you get. I put the ball into this little circle and I pull it towards the edge so that it's just the ball.

Then, I put the string in the groove of the bridge. Then, I take the top part where it's purple and I find the little hole that it goes into, and reach it to the other side. I make sure on the other end of the hole that I put the string in about an inch or so and then start winding up.

Now, a very important factor is to make sure that the string is wound up close to the edge of the scroll. In other words, if you're doing the G string, which I'm doing, you want it close to this edge. If you're doing the A string you want it close to this edge. The reason being because otherwise the peg might be too loose and when you go to tune it it'll just unravel. But this, if you wind it nice and close to the edge, it'll stay nice and tight. Winding it all the way up making sure it's in that groove in the bridge and the groove also on the fingerboard at the top here, and now I tune it.

Then I make sure it's in tune and it sounds nice and ringy. Tune it better. Now, it's not going to sound just the way you like it at first. It's going to be a little bit tinny, but you just keep playing it and it'll sound beautiful within the next day or two. But it will be out of tune as you can see, and you'll have to keep tuning it up.

And that's how you replace your strings.