Classical Violin
Created | Updated Jan 28, 2002
The highest member of the violin family; the classical violin has four strings, a hollow body, an unfretted fingerboard and is played with a bow.
The violins hourglass-shaped body is made up of several pieces of wood. The top and bottom of the carved carcass are fairly thick; the sides are thin pieces which are steamed and bent to a form, then allowed to dry until the form keeps. There is a 'sound post' which connects the top to the bottom of the violin. This helps spread the vibrations of the violin evenly, creating a good tone.
Affixed to the body is the neck of the instrument which in turn leads to the tuning pegs. One end of the strings are carefully wound around the pegs. The violin ends in a wooden flourish called the scroll. The fingerboard, usually made of ebony, is glued to the neck. Your left hand rests here. The other end of the strings rest over the wooden bridge which is held to the body by the tension of the strings. The strings attach to the tailpiece past the bridge. At the rear left quarter of the body is the somewhat self-explanatory chin rest.
Strings and tunes
The strings themselves were originally made from pig's gut, but today these strings are too expensive for most players. Modern strings are usually made with cores made from steel, titanium, nylon or similar and often have a steel coating.
The main sounds created by playing a violin are produced in three different ways.
Arco - the drawing at right angles of a wooden bow which is strung with horse hairs. This friction (aided by the application of rosin (tree sap)) rapidly vibrates the strings.
Pizicato - through the plucking of the strings with either hand. (A similar method is used to play a guitar).
Con legno - playing with the wooden side of the bow.
The different notes crucial to making music are then made by using the players left hand fingers. The strings are stopped along the fingerboard, varying the length of the vibrating strings thereby creating various notes. This may appear to be a rather roundabout way of creating a tune, but it works for about half of the musical instrumentalists worldwide.
Along with violas,1 Violoncellos2 and double basses,3 the violins make up the string section family of any orchestra.
Mixed Emotions
A well constructed, well played, violin has the power to milk all the major human emotions.4Many pieces of music have been written for violin. Here are a few classics well worth listening too.
The Lark Ascending - Vaughn Williams.
The Pachelbell Cannon - J Pachelbell
Fantasia On A Theme Of Thomas Tallis - Vaughn Williams again
Tchicovsky's Violin Concerto In D Major - P I Tchiakovsky
Gymnopedié No 1 - Eric Satié5
Almost every style of music is enhanced by the use of violins. But alas, although the violin is a wonderful instrument there are drawbacks.
What's The Downside
The violin (along with the cello) is without much doubt the most difficult of the mainstream instruments to learn to play well. This is due to the way notes are produced. Many young people struggling to master this initially terrible sounding instrument, may find themselves left behind by their musical friends. These ex-friends took up the flute or the clarinet and now play with a recognised orchestra. This can make the budding violinist a very bitter and sour individual, often looking at the clarinettist or flautist wishing they had picked that instrument to learn... until they get good, at which point they can become intolerable snobs.6
Any list of excellent violinists will include.
Nicoli Paganini7
Yehudi Menuin
Tossy Spivakovsky
Vanessa Mae
Nigel Kennedy
