Choosing Violin strings

[suhasm]

How to choose correct strings for a given shruthi for violin? I often have to tune my violin to G while accompanying in my school for various programmes. I got some strings from a certain veena mandira in jayanagar bangalore. He said that the strings were apt for G , but i found that the strings were way too tight when they were tuned to G. The tension was such that they were about to snap. Fingers also dont move easily due to the tightness of the strings. What kind of strings should i actually use? Can anyone tell me the correct gauge numbers and where to buy them?

[srikant1987]

I suppose you normally play with GDAE strings. By tuning to G, I suppose your sa will be G.

Now, the strings you need to buy depends on what you normally tune your violin to, because that tells the tightness you're used to (together with the strings you normally use).
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Btw I hope you told your shopkeeper that you play Carnatic music, because in Carnatic music, unlike Western music, needs your fingers to "rub on the strings" a lot, so a somewhat lower tuning is preferred, keeping the strings somewhat looser. I use GDAE strings at FCFC, for example.

[Shivadasan]

The violin strings are normally prepared according to the Western Music specification of frequencies of GDAE. I do not think that the strings would snap. But definitely they would be very tight for Indian violinists.
The tightness in strings might happen because of the height of the bridge. A shorter bridge would help to reduce the difficulty of playing. Perhaps viola strings might solve your problem.

[Shivadasan]

There was a mistake in the earlier posting. Viola strings will not help but aggrevate the problem.
Steel strings have high tension and bite into the fingers. Perhaps gut strings would suit you. Now a days gut strings come with metal covering.

[krishnamjc]

Always buy a full set (all 4 strings) Electrometal strings are bettre. you get imported strings at about 150 - 200 rupees a complete set of 4. regarding sruti the order is G, D, A, E. G is the thickest and E the thinnest.
Set A at your adhara shadja and E to panchama, then set D to mantra panchama and G to mantra shadja

[svkashyap]

@SuhasM, in CM G string is not tuned to G. The tuning is G = mandra shaja, D = mandra panchama, A = shadja, E = panchama. With A string tuned for the pitch or shruti depending on various factors and other strings are tuned accordingly. The range of a string to be comfortably tuned depends on its thickness or gauge.

[srikant1987]

Shivadasan,

You said it right about two years ago! I am going to get a shorter bridge!

[Shivadasan]

Dear srikant1987
I am happy that my hints were useful .

Shivadasan

[Roby Sebastian]

For the Sruthis C ( 1 kattai) and below C , the guage numbers are 19 as G ,22 as D ,24 as A and 28 as E of Karuna guage strings
For C , C# - F , the guage numbers are 21/22, 24 , 27, 32
From F - A , we can use strings of having the guages 23/24,27,30,
If we are using a set of strings, the tension in the 3rd and 4th may have more than 2nd and 1st. This can make discomfort while shifting the bow from one string to another.