The violin is a crafted wooden stringed instrument. It has four stings which are tuned in perfect fifths. The modern violin was said to be crafted in the early 1555 by Andrea Amati. It is the smallest, highest- sounding and the most well known member of the stringed instruments family. It is usually used to convey the melody in the orchestra because of it’s carrying sound.
Sizes : Violins are made in various sizes.
Full size—4/4
Fractional sizes—- 3/4, 1/2, 1/4, 1/8, 1/10, 1/16, 1/32, 1/64
Sometimes called a ladies violin—7/8
Individual parts :
Bow: The bow of the violin is traditionally made from the tail of a male horse, although many cheaper bows use synthetic fiber. Rosin must be occasionally rubbed on to the hair to make them grip the strings causing them to vibrate.
Stick : The traditional stick is made of Brazilwood while modern innovations have made it possible for carbon fiber to be used for the sticks
Pegs : All violins have pegs while some musicians add fine adjusters which are optional. Violins are tuned by turning the pegs or by adjusting the fine tuner screws which are located at the tailpiece. These fine tuners easily allow very small adjustments in the pitch compared to the pegs.
Violin Strings : These strings were originally made of sheep gut, also known as catgut. The modern strings maybe made of various materials like gut or stranded or solid steel. The lifespan of strings is limited and violin performers often carry extra strings in case
a string breaks. The two main factors which helps to determine the longevity of a string are how often and how intensely a performer plays.
Spruce which is a light but strong wood is often used for the belly, sound post and bass bar of the
violin. Hardwood like maple is used for the neck, back, ribs, scroll and the pegbox. As for the pegs
fingerboard, tailpiece and end button, these parts see the most use and are usually made from
a very strong wood named Ebony. The quality of the wood, the age of the violin, the varnish which
was applied and the shape of the body determines the sound from the violin.
Playing the violin
Many composers often give the melody part to the first violins, while second violins play
accompaniment patterns or harmony. Both violin parts are just as important in an orchestra.
Nowadays, the violin is used in many genre of music, namely baroque, classical, jazz,folk or
fusion music. The violin is played either standing up or seated down.
Call us at 012-2408162 / 03- 40221027 / 40211072 for more information about lessons.