The Subtle Science of A440: A Violin Maker's Perspective on Tuning, Tone, and Craft

Violin maker Michael Doran explains how tiny tuning choices and material details shape a violin’s voice. He reflects on the long path to standard A440, the debates about 1 Hz shifts, and how strings, bows, and wood interact to create presence and projection. The discussion blends physics with craft, revealing how subtle adjustments in tuning and tone color influence the feel of an orchestra, and how a luthier’s studio becomes a laboratory for exploring vibration, overtones, and listener perception. A window into the art and science of instrument making.

Overview: A440 and the quest for violin tone

The episode centers on a conversation with Michael Doran, a Seattle-based violin maker. He describes the long historical arc toward a standard A440 pitch and the ongoing curiosity about small deviations in pitch, including a debate about tuning notes as sharp as 441 or even 444 Hz in different orchestras. The host keeps the discussion grounded in practical craft while acknowledging the physics behind sound. A key moment comes with Michael's own letter describing how slight shifts in tuning can affect energy and projection.

"one Hertz sharper to get a little extra power and projection over the orchestra." - Michael Doran, violin maker

The physics of tone: overtones and presence

The conversation moves into the physics of sound, covering how the primary frequency interacts with overtones, how energy is distributed in a note, and what gives a violin its color. The host provides a cooking analogy to describe overtone complexity, comparing vanilla extract to vanilla orchids that introduce a spectrum of vibrations beyond the pure tone. The guest articulates that making violins is not simply about a single frequency but about shaping a complex vibrating system that responds to each player, bow, and room.

"violins are so neat because they play all of these notes around the primary note." - Meredith Hodnott, host

Craft, studio life, and the tools that shape sound

Michael takes the listener on a tour of his shop, describing his handmade tools, including a family of finger planes that he crafted himself. He explains how the soles of these tiny planes are subtly rounded to carve thickness into the instrument with precision, and how each tool becomes part of his voice as a maker. He emphasizes that every instrument is a unique sibling rather than a twin, and that the wood from a single large spruce tree could yield hundreds of tops for violins, depending on how it is cut and shaped. A central idea: the soul of the instrument lies not just in the wood but in the way it is manipulated and tuned by the maker's hands.

"the soul of the instrument" means the sound-post because it's so important - Michael Doran, violin maker

Personal philosophy and motivation: work you would do for free

In the closing portions, Michael expresses his love for the craft and his devotion to showing up at the shop every day, even if he could retire. He frames violin making as a lifelong ascent toward a mountain peak of tone, where brightness and warmth must coexist in a single instrument. The segment ends with a sense of mentorship and continuity, as he imagines his tools passing to the next generation while acknowledging the variability inherent in wood and performance.

"If tomorrow I got all the money in the world and I didn't have to work anymore, I would still show up to work here every day." - Michael Doran, violin maker