Like many other instruments used in classical music, the violin descends from remote ancestors that were used for folk music. Following a stage of intensive development in the late Renaissance, largely in Italy, the violin had improved (in volume, tone, and agility), to the point that it not only became a very important instrument in art music, but proved highly appealing to folk musicians as well, ultimately spreading very widely, sometimes displacing earlier bowed instruments. Ethnomusicologists have observed its widespread use in Europe, Asia, and the Americas.

In many traditions of folk music, the tunes are not written but are memorized by successive generations of musicians and passed on, in what is known as the oral tradition.

[

Fiddle

Main article: Fiddle

When played as a folk instrument, the violin is ordinarily referred to in English as a fiddle (though the term "fiddle" may be used informally no matter what the genre of music).

There is technically no difference between a fiddle and a violin. However, some folk fiddlers alter their instruments for various reasons. One example may be seen in American (e.g., bluegrass and old-time) fiddling: in these styles, the bridge is sometimes shaved down so that it is less curved. This makes it easier to play double stops and triple stops, allowing one to play chords with less effort. In addition, many fiddle players prefer to use a tailpiece with fine tuners on all four strings instead of only using one on the E string as many classical players do.

[

Electric violins

Main article: Electric violin

An electric violin is a violin equipped with an electric signal output of its sound, and is generally considered to be a specially constructed instrument which can either be:

• an electro-acoustic violin capable of producing both acoustic sound and electric signal
• an electric violin capable of producing only electric signal

To be effective as an acoustic violin, electro-acoustic violins retain much of the resonating body of the violin, often looking very much like, sometimes even identical to, an acoustic violin or fiddle. They are often varnished with bright colours and made from alternative materials to wood. The first specially built electric violins date back to the late 1930s and were made by Victor Pfeil, Oskar Vierling, George Eisenberg, Benjamin Miessner, George Beauchamp, Hugo Benioff and Fredray Kislingbury. The majority of the first electric violinists were musicians playing jazz and popular music.

[

Violin authentication

Main article: Violin authentication

Violin authentication is the process of determining the maker and date of a violin. Multiple references may be required to assist in the process of authentication.^{[citation needed]} This is often employed to combat fraudulent practices such as violin forgery and other forms of misrepresentation.

[

See also

For instruments related to the violin, see String instruments.

Violin concerto Violin sonata Carnatic Violin Electric violin Baroque violin

Luthier Stroh violin Violin making and maintenance Basic physics of the violin Stradivarius

[

Further reading

• Principles of Violin Playing and Teaching, by Ivan Galamian (1999), Shar Products Co. ISBN 0-9621416-3-1
• The Contemporary Violin: Extended Performance Techniques, by Patricia and Allen Strange (2001), University of California Press. ISBN 0-520-22409-4
• The Fiddle Book, by Marion Thede (1970), Oak Publications. ISBN 0-8256-0145-2
• Latin Violin, by Sam Bardfeld, ISBN 0-9628467-7-5
• The Cambridge Companion to the Violin, edited by Robin Stowell (1992), Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0-521-39033-8
• The Violin Explained - Components Mechanism and Sound by James Beament (1992/1997), Clarendon Press. ISBN 0-19-816623-0
• Antonio Stradivari, his life and work, 1644-1737', by William Henry Hill; Arthur F Hill; Alfred Ebsworth Hill (1902/1963), Dover Publications. 1963. OCLC 172278. ISBN 0486204251
• An Encyclopedia of the Violin, by Alberto Bachmann (1965/1990), Da Capo Press. ISBN 0-306-80004-7
• Violin - And Easy Guide, by Chris Coetzee (2003), New Holland Publishers. ISBN 1-84330-332-9
• The Violin, by Yehudi Menuhin (1996), Flammarion. ISBN 2-08-013623-2
• The Book of the Violin, edited by Dominic Gill (1984), Phaidon. ISBN 0-7148-2286-8
• Violin-Making as it was, and is, by Ed. Heron-Allen (1885/1994), Ward Lock Limited. ISBN 0-7063-1045-4
• Violins & Violinists, by Franz Farga (1950), Rockliff Publishing Corporation Ltd.
• Viols, Violins and Virginals, by Jennifer A. Charlton (1985), Ashmolean Museum. ISBN 0-907849-44-X
• The Violin, by Theodore Rowland-Entwistle (1967/1974), Dover Publications. ISBN 0-340-05992-3
• The Early Violin and Viola, by Robin Stowell (2001), Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0-521-62555-6
• The Complete Luthier's Library. A Useful International Critical Bibliography for the Maker and the Connoisseur of Stringed and Plucked Instruments by Roberto Regazzi. ISBN 88-85250-01-7
• The Violin, by George Dubourg (1854), Robert Cocks & Co.
• Violin Technique and Performance Practice in the Late 18th and Early 19th Centuries, by Robin Stowell (1985), Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0-521-23279-1
• History of the Violin, by William Sandys and Simon Andrew (2006), Dover Publications. ISBN 0-486-45269-7
• The Violin: A Research and Information Guide, by Mark Katz (2006), Routledge. ISBN 0-8153-3637-3
• Per gli occhi e 'l core. Strumenti musicali nell'arte by Flavio Dassenno, (2004) a complete survey of the brescian school defined by the last researches and documents.

[

References

1. ^ Online Etymology Dictionary.
2. ^ The Silk Road: Connecting Cultures, Creating Trust, Silk Road Story 2: Bowed Instruments. Smithsonian Center for Folk life and Cultural Heritage.
3. ^ The NPR Classical Music Companion: Terms and Concepts from A to Z.
4. ^ Arkenberg, Rebecca (October 2002). Renaissance Violins. Retrieved on 2006-09-22.
5. ^ Deverich, Robin Kay (2006). Historical Background of the Violin. Retrieved on 2006-09-22.
6. ^ Bartruff, William. The History of the Violin. Retrieved on 2006-09-22.
7. ^ Violin by Antonio Stradivari, 1716 (Messiah; la Messie, Salabue). Cozio.com.
8. ^ Richard Perras. Violin changes by 1800. Retrieved on 2006-10-29.
9. ^ Ebony.
10. ^ 2000 Silakowski 5-String. Casey Driessen (personal web site).

[

External links

• The violin website - All about violin: players, history, articles, links...
• The history of the violin - A quick overview about the history of the violin, including answers to questions such as "Why old master instruments sound so good"
• National Music Museum- Violins Pictures of violins by Andrea Amati, Cremona, ca. 1560, and other rare instruments.
• Bill Robinson, 11 Sonatas for Solo Violin
• Violin Acoustics - University of New South Wales
• Musical Instrument Samples - University of Iowa Electronic Music Studios; anechoic recordings of violin sounds, both arco and pizzicato at various dynamics.
• Why is the violin so hard to play? - Answers this question, as well as explaining the mechanics of bowed strings. Technical but very accessible.
• Path Through the Woods - The Use of Medical Imaging in Examining Historical Instruments The use of computer-aided tomography to examine the dendochronology of the great Italian instruments

BCUZ.com FACTS Encyclopedia content is licensed under the GFDL as approved by Wikipedia.
For more information review our copyright contact and privacy policy. © 1996 - BCUZ.COM - We have all the FACTS you need about Small Business Financing, Behavior Disorder, Having Too Many Bills, Needing Cash Fast, Structured Settlements, Frequent Flier Programs, Top Steak Houses, The Mayan Indians, Norfolk and Suffolk England, Growing Longer Hair and a full reference English Encyclopedia and Spanish Encyclopedia.Privacy Policy