Violin

VIOLIN

About the violin...

The violin is one of the most charming and expressive musical instruments, with a unique and special sound, but it is also one of the most difficult instruments to play. Violins belong to the string instrument family, specifically the bowed string family, and their name refers to the diminutive of another musical instrument: the viola. They are always accompanied by a bow to make them sound, and although they are most commonly made of wood, there are also some made of other materials.

Context and a bit of history

The origins of the violin date back to the 16th century and are located in Italy. Its predecessors are other bowed string instruments such as the fiddle, the vielle, the viola da braccio... which inspired the violin.

At this time, several lute makers or luthiers began to make violins. Notable names include Giovanni Maggini of Brescia or Jakob Steiner of Vienna, and the well-known great luthier houses of Cremona (a city specializing in violin making) Amatius, Guarnerius, Stradivarius, and Monteverdi. Possibly the first inventor was Gasparo Bertolotti of Saló or Andrea Amati, but it is not entirely clear.

Initially, the violin was used as an accompaniment for dances or as a doubling of voices in polyphonic music and did not have the prestige attributed to it today. In fact, other instruments that are not as widely used or sophisticated today, such as the lute or the mandolin, had a better reputation at that time.

It was not until the Baroque period, well into the 17th century, when composers of the stature of Sebastian Bach or Antonio Vivaldi gave visibility and importance to this instrument through their compositions for violin. From then on, its notoriety grew until it became one of the most popular and highly regarded instruments in the musical world today.

Characteristics and main parts of the violin

One of the characteristics that makes the violin such a select instrument is that its elaboration is entirely handcrafted and carried out with great detail and care.

Size and tuning:

It is the smallest of the entire string family (viola, cello, and double bass). The measurements of the violin can be consulted according to the reference size 1/16, 1/10, 1/8, 1/4, 1/2 or 3/4.

REFERENCE

TOTAL LENGTH

BODY LENGTH

1/16

37 cm

22 cm

1/10

40 cm

24 cm

1/8

44 cm

26 cm

1/4

48 cm

29 cm

1/2

52 cm

32 cm

3/4

55 cm

33 cm

4/4

58 cm

35 cm

In addition to being the smallest of the family, it has the highest tessitura of all, conditioned by the instrument's own size.

Materials of the violin and bow