The bridge

The bridge transfers some of the energy of vibration of the string to the body of the violin. The bridge itself is very effective at transmitting power to the body at frequencies from about one to four kHz, which is where the ear is most sensitive. This is one of the reasons for the bright timbre of the violin.You can reduce the effectiveness of the bridge at transmitting power by attaching a mass to it - the mass is usually called a mute, and it serves to make the instrument both quieter and less bright in timbre. The bridge stands on the belly between the f holes. These holes have two different functions. One is to connect the air inside to the air outside, and we talk about this below. The other is a result of their length: the part of the belly lying between the f holes can move more easily than can most of the wood of the body. Let's see how this works.

Next