The Science and Art of Violins

This book contains my adventure into the science and art of violins. More science than art. It is translated from originally Chinese writing. The writing started from the Covid-19 period whereas my interest in violin making started from high school days.

The making of violins relies entirely on craftsmanship. Luthiers, now called engineers, are constantly asking how to make them whereas scientists are asking why. Science is pursuing the truth, but many people in the violin-making world are full of ostentation, and few people share their experiences with others. Many scientists throughout history have studied the physics of violins. In fact, before the dawn of modern physics, the physics of the violin, including acoustics and the sounding principles of the bow, were important. Most of these basic sciences are taught in high schools, which are suitable for science exhibition studies. This book starts with some history of violin making, discusses the physics of violin sound from the perspective of vibrationology, the sound generation principles of bows and strings, and the radiation of sound, and finally discusses lacquer art using nano-optics.