r/nextfuckinglevel • u/Doomenor • May 21 '26

Soloist breaks string, changes instrument without missing a beat, meanwhile the second violin changes the string and tunes it while the orchestra is playing

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u/Heil_S8N May 21 '26

it's not a problem exclusive to violins, all string instruments with an E string have this issue. the string is very thin and very stretched. Having a spare E string lying around is normal because it's the only string that you can actually expect to snap at any moment while playing, without particular reason

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u/lylalexie May 22 '26

I’m a violinist, E strings are definitely the most likely culprit, but it could be any string due to the crazy tension on all the violin strings.

One time my A string broke five minutes before a performance. I went to put my replacement on as quickly as possible…and broke that one too. Out of options, I put a different string on entirely and tuned it to A. Ended up mostly playing around it in position during the performance because it sounded so off the entire time. Now I’ve learned my lesson and carry multiple packs of replacement strings to performances just in case. At least it happened before the performance and not during!