THE VIOLIN

The violin is one of the smallest members of the string family. Due to this, the violin has a high brilliant sound. The violin has been depicted in works of art since 1535 in the dome of the Saronno Cathedral, Italy. Through these pieces we've discovered that unlike the violins of today ( Which contains four strings) the violins of the past only contained three. The very term violin means "little viola" in italian.

The structure has remained, for the most part, the same since the 16th century. Three parts consisting of the belly/front, back, and middle are all made separately from soft woods. The other sections which are the bottom, top and corners of the rib/middle are reinforced by blocks. One the front pieces has two holes which are shaped like the letter f. These two holes are what are know as sound holes. Attached to the sound holes underside is a bass bar. The bass bar runs parallel to the lower strings. The bass bar's position depends on the location of the one foot of the bridge. The bridge is the piece of wood which supports the strings. Under the opposite foot lies the sound post. This piece runs vertically towards the back. The tuning pegs are housed on the scroll which is located on the neck. The neck itself is made separately and out of a harder wood then the body of the instrument. On top of the neck lies the finger board. The strings themselves run across the finger board, over the bridge to the tail piece. The tail piece is looped around the end button. The beginning of the finger board is indicated by a nut. The decoration of the edges of the belly and back is called "purfling".

Today the violin has a longer neck. This is due to the fact that playing up to the seventh position was taken for granted. The angle of the neck has been made more pronounced to facilitate this. A sturdier bass bar and sound post were incorporated to withstand a higher string tension, which allows for a more powerful sound. The bridge is also generally more arched. One of the important developments was the creation of the chin rest by virtuoso Louis Spohr. This allowed for a greater use of vibrato due to the freeing up of the left hand from supporting the instrument. The other techniques are: collegno - with the wood of the bow, Sul ponticello - on the bridge and electronic advancement.

The violin was first used consistently in Italy. Louis the XIII's 24 violins de Roi boosted the violins position in France. This was also imitated in the English court of Charles II. At this time it was common for violins to be divided into two sections, first and second. This practice of dividing the strings into two parts still exists today. The violin was recognized for its versatility and expressive range at a time where instrumental music was not popular. The violin reached a position of dominance through the development of the chamber orchestra and the orchestra itself.

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