Violin Introduction - A Brief History

Any violin introduction has to start centuries ago when the first violins were made.

My how things have evolved. This lovely instrument is now used in just about every musical genre. You may think of it as primarily a classical instrument, or perhaps used for country or bluegrass music. But you will now here the violin used extensively in jazz, pop and even rock music.

So what is the violin? In it's most basic form it is a stringed instrument that is hollowed. It has 4 strings that draw across a long neck. The strings are tuned low to high, and every note is a perfect fifth to the next string.

This instrument is made of many different woods. The most common arrangement calls for the top to be made from spruce while the back and sides are maple wood. The fingerboard is typically ebony, however on occasion ivory is used in making the fingerboard. Likewise, violin strings are also made from a variety of materials. The earliest ones were made strictly from gut, but today the many different materials can give the instrument a unique tone and sound. The material used effects the sound, how well they stay in tune and also how long they last. Generally they'll be made from metal, gut or core.

Metal strings give the violin a loud and pure sound that is very clear. These strings are easy to play. You'll find beginners have good success using steel core strings. Synthetic core strongs on the other hand will give you a much more subtle sound. They'll stay in tune longer and are typically made from the nylon perlon.

As music has become electronic, the violin has kept pace. Much like an electric guitar, an electric violin has a pickup device to receive and then amplify the signal. Some are made so that they will only be heard if you plug it in. An electric violin normally has a solid body (not the hollow body with the hole). Inside the body is where the wiring and batteries are places. Makers of these violins have a lot more freedom to make them a variety of shapes and sizes and you'll find some truly unique electric violins.

So how much can you expect to pay? Well the price range is vast depending on whether you look at new or used violins, and depending on the manufacturer. You can find discount violins for $200 or less, although quite frankly, many of the very cheap ones aren't worth owning. You can also find expensive models that cost as much as $20,000. The high price is why so many beginners chose to rent rather than buy. No matter what kind of violin you buy or how much you spend, always get a good violin case to protect it from damage.

Now that this violin introduction has give you a basic background, it's now time for you to learn how to play the violin.