Timbre, the mix of depth and luminosity for each string, is a precise and carefully organised balance. This needs working out with you, the player, so that the full “palette of colours” suits your taste and temperament.

For instance, you may require the lower strings to have a velvety depth but also clarity. When double stopping (playing more than one note simultaneously) both notes should have clarity without “bumping”. This is when one note interferes with the other, producing an unstable sound between the two notes. The upper two strings, which often carry the melody, may need to have a quality of assertiveness, but with warmth, and without being harsh. Again, high double stopping can present unreasonable problems for you as a player if the instrument is not well set up. Resolving or improving these characteristics can enhance your technical precision demonstrably in scales and arpeggios, which in turn will greatly enhance your effective musical creativity.