Getting a professional to restring your viola can take up unnecessary time and money. Use this step-by-step guide to be able to professionally change the strings on your viola, in ten minutes or less.

General Restringing Tips

• Buy strings that suit your level. Advanced players tend to import strings in from Europe. You don’t need to go this far if you are a beginner, but know that you will not get the same sweetness of sound using poor-quality strings, so never go for the cheapest option if you can afford to get slightly better strings.
• You get what you pay for. Cheap strings will break more easily than more expensive strings, but will also stretch unreliably and/or start to unravel soon after stringing.
• Have a look around for a brand and type that suit you. Some expensive strings are made out of catgut, which is essentially animal intestines (usually sheep or goat.) if you do not feel comfortable using catgut strings, then there are definitely other options available to you.
• Only restring strings one at a time. This means you will never get muddled, and will have other strings to guide your own stringing.
• Replace strings as soon as they start to wear. Strings that unravel make the viola sound fuzzy and can scratch the fingerboard.

Step 1: Parts you need to know

Step 2: Winding the Peg

1. Place the nub of the string (the small round metal bit) into the fine tuner hold, making sure the nub is the right way up (with the string coming through the middle and over the top)


2. Put a small kink in the peg end of the string about 2cm from the end, to ease the threading of the string into the Peg. Thread the string though the peg hole, and turn the peg towards the scroll half a turn, to make sure the string is in the peg securely.


3. Angle the string away from the peg and wind the string around the peg for 2 turns. The string should wind on the opposite side of the peg hole from the peg. Then, cross the string over to the other side, (by angling the string towards the peg side.) Continue winding. The string should cross over the previous 2 coils and wind up on the peg side of the peg hole. There it should continue to wind neatly towards the peg, keep winding until the string sits loosely. We wind the string this way so as the string loosens up, it has enough space to neatly wrap around the peg and keep the pressure on the string even. You should notice the string sits perfectly vertical in the peg box, straight down the fingerboard to the nub. If you have trouble turning the fine tuner or peg, there are tips on how to alleviate this in our Viola Maintenance Guide (coming soon).

Step 3: Checking the length of the String

Check the length of the string to make sure it is in the right place. Make sure you check the fine tuning end, at the bridge, and at the nut/scroll end of the string to make sure it is properly in place. Wind the string in until firmly in place (but make sure there is still a little give in the string.) Also, take this opportunity to unscrew the fine tuner to its limit.

Step 4: Tuning the strings

Use the peg to tune the string to as close to the note as possible. (But still remain slightly below the note.) Then, use the fine tuners to adjust the note, as explained in the tuning guide. If you do not have fine tuners, tune to just below the note before you fine tune with the pegs. The string will stretch and need tightening at the peg; this is because the fibers in the string stretch as the string is tightened. Try and play the string as much as you can over the next few days, to get all the stretching and re-tuning out of the way so you can then play without slipping out of tune. It is never a good idea to break a string, or change a string, before a concert!