Stringed Instruments Violin The violin, which is probably the best known orchestral instrument, is a stringed instrument that is played with a bow. The violin is the highest pitched member of the violin family, which also includes the viola, the cello, and the double bass. The violin consists of several main parts: the front, the ribs, the neck, the fingerboard, the pegbox, the scroll, the bridge, the tailpiece, and the f-holes. The front, also known as the top, belly, or soundboard is usually made of well-seasoned spruce, while the back is made of well-seasoned maple. When a violin is made, the front, back, and ribs are joined together to create a hollow sound box. The four strings of the violin are fastened to the tailpiece, rest on the bridge of the violin, are suspended over the fingerboard, and run to the pegbox. At the pegbox, they are attached to tuning pegs which can be turned to alter the pitch of the string. By changing the position of his or her fingers on the fingerboard, different pitches are made. Then the player draws a bow across the strings at a right angle to produce a tone. The bow that is used is a narrow, slightly curved stick that is made of Pernambuco. It is about 75 cm. long and has a band of horse hair strung from one end to the other.
	String Bass The double bass (also known as the string bass, bass viol, or contrabass) is the largest and lowest pitched string instrument of the violin family. It is usually six feet high and has four strings. Some basses have an optional mechanism that allows the player to lengthen one string, thereby lowering the pitch. To create sound, the player's left hand sets the pitch on the neck of the bass while the right hand either plucks the strings or uses a bow across them. History: Three strings bases were common during the 18th and 19th centuries and survive today in Eastern European folk music. Until the 19th century, the only means of playing bass was by a bow that was curved out. Later, musicians began to use the technique of plucking the strings or using bows that were similar to violin bows which were curved inwards. Basses have come to be used in orchestras and some chamber music groups. It is one of the most important rhythm instruments in jazz and popular music today.
	Cello The cello, also known as violoncello, is a stringed instrument which is part of the violin family. It is played with a bow much like the violin. It is also shaped liked a violin but is much larger. The cello is about four feet long and one and a half feet across at its widest part and, therefore, this member of the violin family is played sitting down. Supported by an end pin which is placed on the floor, the cello is then placed between the knees of the musician and played with a large bow. The cello, like a violin, also has four strings and noters are changed on the instrument when the musician changes his or her fingerings on the neck of the instrument. The cello's range can, therefore, extend over more than four octaves. History: The earliest surviving cellos date back to the 1560s and were made by the Italian violinmaker Andrea Amati. Until the late 18th century, cellos were not featured instruments, but played the bass line in an orchestra to add fullness to the piece of music. However, during the Baroque era, composers like Antonio Vivaldi and Luigi Biccherini composed unaccompanied cello suites. By the 19th century other pieces for the cello included concertos that were written by Johannes Brahms and Antonis Dvorak. Composers such as Sergei Prokoifiev and Dmitri Shostakovich further explored and expanded the cello's capabilities as a solo instrument during the 20th century.