My violin's strings have been breaking every 3 to 4 weeks. I only practice about 10 hours a week.
It is not normal for strings to be breaking constantly and though the problem could be an incorrect setup I've read that something that could be useful in determining the cause is noticing where the string is breaking. I've read people mentioning the bridge, the pegs, the fine tuners, etc. My teacher said the same.
My strings are breaking in the fingerboard area. The only theory to explain this I found online is something related to sweat and the skin being to acidic, therefore breaking down the metal and eventually causing the string to break. This seems to be supported by the fact that my fingertips get black lines in them (presumably from the strings) after practicing for a while.
Is there any truth to this acidic skin claim or is it just a myth? Has this happened to you or at least have you heard of it? What can be done about it? Is there a type of string I can get that will diminish the issue (because of the material used)? Or one I should avoid? Could it be something else?
UPDATE 1:
- Maybe breaking is not the appropriate term. The string's metallic cover is coming undone (they are "unwinding" or something). The metallic cover is coming loose (don't know if I"m explaining this correctly), but the string doesn't really break in two pieces. The internal core filament is there, but the string is useless without the metal cover.
- I'm using D'Addario Helicore strings.
- The ones that are breaking the most are G and D. I have some Dominant strings (haven't tried with those), but don't know if that will make any difference.
- I've kept reading and another theory I found has to do with too much pressure. I think I may use more pressure than necessary, but never thought it would cause this. It's worth looking at though.