Experimental study of vibration and radiation characteristics of a violin

A study of a violin's vibration and radiation characteristics has been undertaken using two techniques. The goals of the study are to perform a modal analysis of the instrument and to use the nearfield acoustical holography (NAH) system located at the Pennsylvania State University to reconstruct the instrument's radiated sound field. The modal analysis will locate the various resonances of the top and back plates and show the relative motion of the plates. The NAH system will locate those areas on the instrument that produce the energy that radiates to the farfield. This paper will discuss the work completed to date and present the results obtained from this work.