The Violin Research Paper
The History of the Violin
The violin is a descendant from the viol family of instruments, which can be traced back to ninth century Europe. The first violins were made in 1520 and they have drastically changed since then. The violin was originally used for additional vocal and dance accompaniment. They incorporated features of the existing bowed instruments such as the rebec, the Renaissance fiddle, and the lira da braccio. The rebec was pear shaped and it had strings that were tuned in fifths, and this method was adopted for the violin. The shape and structure of the violin was taken from the Renaissance fiddle and the lira da braccio. These instruments produced a much larger sound and the hourglass shape that they had made bowing …show more content…
The changing styles in music played off the advancement of the instrument. As Baroque ensembles developed into larger Classical orchestras, the violin withstood a sequence of changes in its construction to allow it to flourish in the concert hall setting. While the body of a Baroque violin is essentially the same as a modern instrument, other characteristics differ. The Baroque neck is a bit shorter and thicker. It projects straight out of the instrument’s body, instead of bending back. The fingerboard has gradually extended as the violin’s range has grown higher. The Baroque sound post was slimmer and the bass bar (a piece of wood glued inside under the bass foot of the bridge) was slimmer and shorter, changing the tone of the instrument. Modern strings are made of steel, not gut, and are strung about 50% tighter than Baroque strings. The Baroque bridge was lower and flatter. Also, there is no chin rest located on the body of the Baroque violin. In the Classical Era, the neck of the violin was slightly longer than the Baroque violin and set back at a slight angle, the height of the bridge was raised and the pressure put on the body of the violin was increased. With this increased pressure came a louder sound, enabling the violin to be heard across large halls within a group and as a solo virtuoso instrument. The purpose of these modifications was to increase the dynamic range and the compass of the instrument. Many surviving instruments of the time were altered in this way, and it is now rare to find a violin in its unaltered pre-classical
The violin is a descendant from the viol family of instruments, which can be traced back to ninth century Europe. The first violins were made in 1520 and they have drastically changed since then. The violin was originally used for additional vocal and dance accompaniment. They incorporated features of the existing bowed instruments such as the rebec, the Renaissance fiddle, and the lira da braccio. The rebec was pear shaped and it had strings that were tuned in fifths, and this method was adopted for the violin. The shape and structure of the violin was taken from the Renaissance fiddle and the lira da braccio. These instruments produced a much larger sound and the hourglass shape that they had made bowing …show more content…
The changing styles in music played off the advancement of the instrument. As Baroque ensembles developed into larger Classical orchestras, the violin withstood a sequence of changes in its construction to allow it to flourish in the concert hall setting. While the body of a Baroque violin is essentially the same as a modern instrument, other characteristics differ. The Baroque neck is a bit shorter and thicker. It projects straight out of the instrument’s body, instead of bending back. The fingerboard has gradually extended as the violin’s range has grown higher. The Baroque sound post was slimmer and the bass bar (a piece of wood glued inside under the bass foot of the bridge) was slimmer and shorter, changing the tone of the instrument. Modern strings are made of steel, not gut, and are strung about 50% tighter than Baroque strings. The Baroque bridge was lower and flatter. Also, there is no chin rest located on the body of the Baroque violin. In the Classical Era, the neck of the violin was slightly longer than the Baroque violin and set back at a slight angle, the height of the bridge was raised and the pressure put on the body of the violin was increased. With this increased pressure came a louder sound, enabling the violin to be heard across large halls within a group and as a solo virtuoso instrument. The purpose of these modifications was to increase the dynamic range and the compass of the instrument. Many surviving instruments of the time were altered in this way, and it is now rare to find a violin in its unaltered pre-classical