The violin family was developed in Italy in the 17th Century and it includes viola and cello. Violoncello abbreviated to cello is a bowed stringed instrument and is the lowest-sounding member of the violin family. An intricately carved 17th century British Royal Family violin is kept on display in the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.
This string instrument has had very little usage in rock music compared to the guitar and bass guitar, but is often played in jazz. During the 20th century, jazz was performed using violin as a solo instrument. Joe Venuti was the first and great jazz violinist.
Niccolo Paganini was a renowned violinist, who gained popularity for his absolute pitch and perfect intonation, expressive bowing techniques and new uses of staccato and pizzicato techniques.
Know the violin types
In the 18th century, significant changes were made in the construction of violin, in its length and angle of the neck and the bass bar. As a result of it, now there are a number of models for this unique instrument. The sound, response and frequency of voice ranges from high to low based on the structure and shape.
Violin – This is one of the user-friendly musical instruments and is a commonly used instrument of the modern strings. It comes in various sizes to suit the age and size of the player. 4/4 Violin Complete with Case is a full-sized violin that features a Maplewood back and sides and a solid spruce top. It includes a genuine horsehair and wood bow for delivering a clean and defined sound, rosin and a featherweight carrying case with carrying handle. You can choose Violin that is handcrafted and features a perfect finish, hard case and rosin, if you are a beginner or a seasoned professional.
Electric violin – This is equipped with an electric signal output of its sound and is usually considered to be a specially constructed instrument. The first specially built electric violin dates back to the late 1930s. Electric violins are often varnished with bright colours and made from alternative materials to wood. An electric violin can either be…
An electro-acoustic violin – that produces both acoustic sound and electric signal.
An electric violin – that produces only electric signal.
Stroh violin – Also known as violinophone, Stroh violin is named after its German designer, Johannes Matthias Augustus Stroh. This amplifies sound through a metal resonator and metal horns unlike a wooden sound box in a standard violin. Stroh violins were common in recording studios when regular violins recorded poorly with the old acoustic-mechanical recording method. Such type of violins is much louder than a standard wooden violin.
Baroque violin – This type was originally built during the baroque period and is never redesigned or changed to modern form. Baroque violins gained popularity since the 1980s and are usually positioned more in front of the player than the modern violin, with the strings often running perpendicular to the player's collarbone. A small bass bar, a bridge that is thinner at the base and thicker at the top, a short fingerboard, a fuller neck, bow and the absence of fine tuners are some distinguishing features of baroque violin, compared to the other modern violins. These days most baroque violinists use gut strings, for producing a certain purity and at times earthiness to the sound.
Fabio Biondi, Sigiswald Kuijken and Rachel Podger are some of the finest baroque violinists.
Maintenance and care
Quite as important as the excellence of the instrument is its care! Certain care should be taken for your violin, in order to maintain the tone and sound, its appearance and durability.
Cleaning the rosin – Whenever the violin has been used, you should keep in mind to wipe the collected rosin from the varnish, especially under the strings and bow with a soft cloth. As rosin will fuse with the varnish, if left for a long time. Cleaning the rosin off strings can make a striking difference to the sound and should be done regularly. A wine cork is a good choice for scrubbing off the crust of rosin without damaging the winding of the string. The use of alcohol is to be avoided, as it easily damages violin varnish.
Regular service – Take your violin to a skilled violinmaker or a luthier for regular maintenance and to know if repairs need to be made.
The essential details will surely help you in making a good choice while shopping for Violins at Getprice!
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