Fiddle

The violin (from Italian violino, diminutive of viola) is a stringed instrument. Whoever plays it is called a violinist.

Of the bowed string family, it is the smallest and highest pitched string of its kind, consisting of a figure-8 soundboard, a fretless neck, and four strings that are sounded with a bow..

There can also be metal violins that are like a wooden one but the metal one doesn't have a back.

On vintage violins, the strings were made of gut. Today they can also be made of metal or gut wound with aluminium, silver or steel; the string in me, the sharpest one ―called cantino― is directly a thread of steel, and, occasionally, of gold. At present, strings of synthetic materials are being manufactured that tend to combine the sonority achieved by the flexibility of the gut and the resistance of metals. In addition to the effect achieved by the bow on the strings, others can be achieved: pizzicato (pinching the strings like on the harp or guitar, but with another position), tremolo (moving the bow up and down very quickly), vibrato (oscillating fingers lightly on the strings), glissando (sliding fingers from one position to another), col legno (playing with the wooden part of the bow), sul ponticello (playing near the bridge), sul tasto (playing on the fingerboard), etc.

Music scores for violin always use the treble clef, formerly called "violin clef".

Etymology

The word "violin" comes from violino, an Italian word that came into use in 1537 and means "small viol". The Italian word is inspired by the French term vyollon, which was first used in 1529 to designate a name for the string family. The term began to expand as "violin" in the late 19th century XVI. The word "violin" was first used in English in 1570.

Tuning

The strings are tuned by intervals of fifths:

• Sun₃
• re₄
• the₄
• my₅

The number is indicated according to the international acoustic index, according to which middle C is a C₄. This index is used throughout the western world except Mexico (la 440→la₅) and the countries governed by the Franco-Belgian Noise Index (la 440 →the₃).

The chord with the lowest sonority is that of g₃, and then it is followed, in increasing order, by d₄ >, la₄ and mi_5..On the violin the first string to be tuned is that of the la; this is commonly tuned to a frequency of 440 Hz, using a classical forked metal tuning fork or, since the late 20th century, an electronic tuning fork as a reference. 442 Hz today.

The body of the violin has a domed shape, with a stylized silhouette determined by an upper and lower curvature with a narrowing to the C-shaped waist. The violin tops are modeled with soft curves that provide the dome characteristic. The rings, which go around the violin giving the silhouette, are low, the neck has a certain angle of inclination towards the back with respect to the vertical, longitudinal axis and is finished off by a snail called colocho or volute. The internal structure of the violin is constituted by two fundamental elements in the sound production of the instrument given by the harmonic bar and the soul. The drawbar runs the length of the top just below the low strings, and the truss rod is located just below the right foot of the bridge where the treble strings are located.

The bow is a narrow shaft, smoothly curved and suitably constructed of the hard wood of the Brazil or Pernambuco wood (Caesalpinia echinata), about 77 cm long, with a ribbon of 70 cm made up of between 100 and 120 (with a weight of about 60 grams depending on length and caliber) horsetail mane, the best quality being the so-called "Mongolia", which come from cold climates where the hair is finer and more resistant. Such a ribbon goes from one end of the bow to the other. In order for the strings to vibrate and sound efficiently, the horsetail ribbon of the bow must be properly and regularly rubbed with a resin called rosin (in Spain it is called "perrubia&# 34;, from "fish-blonde"). Also, currently ―many times to lower costs―, the bleached horsehair is replaced by vinyl fibers. The violin bow has in the part by which it is taken a screw system that, by moving the piece by which one end of the horsehair ribbon is attached, causes it to tighten or relax.

Violins are classified according to their size: the 4/4 ―usually 14 inches long and 20 cm wide and 4.5 cm high― is the most large and is used by adults; They are followed by smaller size violins, intended for young people and children, called 3/4, 2/4 and 1/4. There is also a 7/8 size violin, also called a "Lady", which is used by some women or by adult men with small hands. The size of the violin is according to the size (length) of the hand.

History

The genealogy that leads to the current violin is more complex. It is found in the rubbing of the strings of the lute and the rebab ―and its European version, the rebec―, instruments spread in Mediterranean Europe during the medieval expansion of Arab culture. In Italy, from the Byzantine lira or the rebab, the most evident antecedents arise, both for the violin and for the so-called viola da gamba; such precedents are the viola de arco (a name that was used for any bowed string instrument, such as the rebec or rabel, and which also receives the names of viela, vihuela, vihuela de arco, fidula and giga) and the lyre or viola da braccio, is already very similar to a primitive violin or viola, although with the fingerboard separating the strings. It is in the XVI century that the violin itself appears, although with some differences compared to most of the violins to come. manufacturing since the XIX century. The top deck and side boards are made of softwood, while the bottom deck is made of hardwood. In northern Italy, the city of Cremona was located between a fir forest (softwood) and a maple forest (hardwood), so these woods were used by the great violin masters. The bow has undergone many modifications. The current model dates from the XIX century, when François Tourte gave it a concave curvature, which in the most primitive models was convex, like the hunting bow.

Genealogy of the violin according to the British Encyclopedia (vol. 7, p. 514, 11.a ed., 1911).

Although in the XVII century the violin (violino) was quite widespread in Italy, lacked any prestige (the lute, the vihuela, the viela, the viola da gamba, the guitar, the mandolin were much more considered). However, Claudio Monteverdi is one of those who discover the possibility of the violin's sound qualities, and that is why he uses it to complement the choral voices in his opera Orfeo (1607). Since then the prestige of the violin begins to grow. Around that time certain violin makers began to become known (still called luthers or luthiers, or luthiers —more frequently than violeros— since they initially dedicated themselves to the manufacture of lutes). This is how Gasparo Bertolotti from Saló, or Giovanni Maggini from Brescia, or Jakob Steiner from Vienna become known; however, a city will become famous for its specialized violin-making luthiers: Cremona. Indeed, from Cremona are the justly famous Andrea Amati, Giuseppe Guarneri, Antonio Stradivari (their surnames are usually better known in their Latinized form: Amatius, Guarnerius, Stradivarius) and Claudio Monteverdi himself. During the 19th century, François Lupot and Nicolas Lupot stood out. It is from then on, and especially with the Baroque, that the Golden Age (apparently from then on in more perpetuity) of the violin begins.

Since then, the violin has spread throughout the world, even being found as a “traditional instrument” in many non-European countries, from America to Asia. The violin is a leading instrument in orchestras, chamber groups, etc. It has received special attention in Arabic music, in which the performer plays it supported on the knee as if it were a cello, and in Irish Celtic music, where the instrument is called the fiddle (derived from from Italian fidula), and its derived musics such as, to a certain degree, country.

As for the secret of the typical sonority of the violins made by the Stradivarius and Guarneri families, there are today various hypotheses that, rather than exclude each other, seem to add up; In the first place, it is considered that the time was particularly cold, which is why the trees developed a harder and more homogeneous wood. To this is added the use of special varnishes that reinforced the structure of the violins. It is also supposed that the trunks of the trees were moved by rivers whose waters had a pH that reinforced the hardness of the woods; a proven chemical treatment (perhaps more than for the purpose of sonority, that of conservation) of the instruments also influences, which reinforced the hardness of the tables.^{[citation required]} Finally, certain Stradivarius violins have a bevelled finish on the internal parts of the contours where the woods meet, which seems to benefit the acoustics of these violins. (There is a tale of "The violin of joy")

Parts of a violin

Rolling and adjusting the nails on the plane, properly structured.

The violin consists mainly of a sound box that has ergonomic shapes (oval section with two narrowings near the center). Such a soundboard is made up of two tables: the soundboard and the backboard (traditionally made with maple wood), the side covers or hoops and the upper board or harmonic cover (traditionally made of white or red spruce wood); the top is pierced symmetrically and almost in the center by two resonance openings called "ears" or "eses", since at the time of its design the long S was still used in writing or printing, similar to an italic "efe" but without the horizontal crossbar, and in disuse from the 19th century XVIII. For the same reason, they now tend to be called "efes".

Inside the box is the sound post or soul of the violin, which is a small cylindrical wooden bar arranged perpendicularly between the top and the harmonic table on the right side of the axis of symmetry of the box (that is: practically below, to the right, of the area where the bridge rests), on the opposite side to the soul, along the inside face of the tapa, a ribbon called harmonic bar is glued. Both the soul and the harmonic bar fulfill two functions: to be structural supports (the violin suffers a lot of structural stress) and to better transmit the sounds inside the soundboard.

The sound box is, in the orchestra violin, 35.7 cm long, and is bordered by ridges on both tables; such edges fulfill, in addition to a decorative function, the function of reinforcing the instrument.

Diagram of the parts of a violin.

On the outside, the sound box is continued by the handle or shaft; the neck or "handle" it ends in a peg box , a rectangular hole in which the knotted strings are inserted and tensioned there by means of pegs for each string, the pegs are like simple keys with a slightly conoidal section; after the headstock, a finial called ―because of its shape― volute (although in certain cases the volute is substituted by other shapes, such as a human face or the figuration of a lion's head)..

At a certain angle, the lines of the scroll, in perspective, make a continuous straight line with the chords, especially E and G, and meet at the horizon. This allows you to know, when the violin is on the shoulder, when it is correctly upright.

The violin fingerboard or tastiera is located on the handle, this is usually made of ebony since this wood produces that "maderil" that bowed string instruments also require, ebony is extremely hard and dense, so the friction of the strings does not damage the fingerboard. In old violins you can find ivory tastieras.

On the lid of the box is the ponticello or bridge which keeps the four strings raised, at the back of the soundboard, attached to it by a flexible rib that is hooked to a button, there is another piece (traditionally made of ebony wood) of triangular shape called the tailpiece, as its name indicates, the tailpiece It is used to retain the four strings, these are supported at the following points: the tailpiece holes, the ponticello, the nut located on the neck and the pegs.

When you want to attenuate the sound, a kind of partition called mute is applied over the bridge.

Since the end of the century XIX it is common to add a chin rest to the back of the violin case or "briquí" removable, although such an attachment is not essential (the invention of this addition is attributed to Louis Spohr); On the other hand, the varnish (Traditionally "malaca" diluted in alcohol) is quite important, with which most of the violin is covered on the outside.

The unique acoustics of the violin have been extensively studied throughout the XX century, highlighting the research of the German Ernst Chladni, from which derives a whole formulation called Chladni scheme.

Violin position

The way to hold both the violin and the bow is an important part of teaching the instrument to achieve good playing technique, therefore it should be a primary consideration when beginning to study the instrument. The first thing to take into account in the position of the violin is that it must be held in such a way that the eyes can be fixed on the head of the violin; and in turn the left arm should be accommodated slightly forward so that the fingers are placed naturally and perpendicular to the fingerboard. In the same way, the correct and relaxed positioning of the instrument between the neck and the shoulder is important, both for the achievement of a good sound and execution and to protect the instrumentalist from unnecessary stress injuries. It should be placed as high as possible so that the left arm, hand and fingers have freedom of movement to be able to change positions easily.

Care

Violins at the Museum of Music in Barcelona.

A singularly resistant instrument, the violin usually requires little special care. When not in use, it should be kept in a case that is as airtight and padded as possible, with the box, the bow shaft and the strings clean, and the horsehair of the bow slightly relaxed. The violin must be protected as much as possible so that it is not affected by humidity or sudden changes in temperature; For the rest, it only requires regular cleaning with a dry cloth, or with products specially designed for it. Strings often break under stress and friction, and for this reason it is a good idea for the violinist to have a spare set of strings. The hairs of the horse's tail (manes) that make up the ribbon of the bow are also often broken; For this reason, frequent execution may force its replacement when necessary. If the violin is played without the chinrest or chinrest, it is advisable to wear a scarf on the part of the neck and chin on which the violin rests to prevent the instrument from being affected by perspiration. It often happens that an "old" that has been well played, sounds better than a new or little-used violin.

It is important in the care of the violin that when it is stored for a long period of time the strings are loosened so as not to remain in tension. With this, the structure of the violin will be protected from possible cracks due to unnecessary tension.

Innovations

Since the second half of the XX century, the strings and ribbon of the bow, in many cases, began to be manufactured with synthetic materials; and the use of these materials has also spread to other parts in the case of mass-produced violins: for example, tailpieces, chin rests, tastieras, which are being manufactured with plastic material which affects the characteristic sonority of the violin. instrument, and therefore with a certain detraction from professional violinists. In the case of electric violins, almost all of its components are synthetic, but in them the sound (different from that of acoustic ones) is electronically produced; such violins are often used in pop, rock, jazz and related ensembles.

The violin in folklore

The introduction towards the end of the XVI century and beginning of the XVII of the violin in the area of the Southern Cone is mainly due to the Jesuits and Franciscans, many of them born Italians such as Domenico Zipoli, after whom a famous music school in Cordoba is named.

The Jesuits introduced musical education in the reductions created in territories that today belong to Argentina, Paraguay, Bolivia and southern Brazil, in a region populated in those centuries by indigenous people among whom the Guarani culture predominated. Most of these small towns were destroyed with the expulsion of the Jesuits in 1767 from the Spanish colony, preceded by a decision by the Kingdom of Portugal. The Jesuit missions in Bolivia are the only ones that survived the destruction that befell the expulsion of the religious These are seven cities in the region known as Chiquitania where a baroque music festival is held annually.

In Brazil, the handmade violin known by the name rabeca was also introduced by the religious, especially in the area of the Jesuit missions, but its use in music developed more intensely during the brief colonizing presence of the Dutch Mauricio de Nasáu, in Recife, between 1637 and 1643. Another important stimulus represented the installation of the Portuguese Court in Rio de Janeiro in 1807.

Currently, the use of the rabeca as a melodic instrument is common in the music of the northeast region and also in the northern Amazon. In the Amazonian city of Bragança, in the state of Pará, the rabeca tradition received a notable boost from the public authorities, which helped set up a school to teach the instrument, based on the knowledge and technique of local teachers..

Within South American folklore, the violin is particularly relevant in the folklore of Argentina and in surrounding areas, where it was used in religious music, although native and native populations quickly learned to use it for secular music. Thus, in a large part of northern Argentina and southern Bolivia, the violin (and even a more rustic variant that has kept the archaic name of rebab) is one of the main musical instruments, after the guitar and bass drum. The violin is usually accompanied by gatos, chacareras, Bolivian cuecas and to a lesser extent chamamés, zambas and Creole polkas.

5-string electric glass.

Music of folkloric origin, the tango has the violin as one of its main instruments. The tango violin is usually the same as the concert violin for the so-called classical music, on the other hand, the violins of the other types of music mentioned above are usually "creole" violins, very similar in shape to the classical violin, although the big difference is found in the woods with which they are made (criollo carob and mistol or chañar for example); In a large part of Argentina (especially in the NOA) musicians specialized in playing the violin are not called violinistas but violinistos or violistos, in the northeast the term violinero is frequent (which, however, is more often applied to "luthier"). Ethnic groups of direct aboriginal descent also tend to make interesting types of "violins", for example among the Qom'lek (or Tobas) the "violins" made from a square can of edible oil to which a log handle is applied, the strings are usually made with gut although more modernly they are made with metal cables obtained from bicycle brake systems; Such violins having an intonation called m'biké, such intonation is considered to be similar to that possessed by European violins in the XVI.

In Venezuela it is used mainly in the Andes region to play bambucos and waltzes from the region.

In Mexico, its use extends to son huasteco, huapango, calentana music, planeca music and mariachi. In Spain, it is used in verdiales. In Anglo-Saxon countries, the folk violin is called a fiddle.

In Chile, the only region in which the violin was traditionally introduced into folk music is Chiloé, generating a variant of this instrument known as chilote violin, which, apart By incorporating the use of native woods from Chilean Patagonia in the violin making, such as alerce, coigüe and ciruelillo, it presents a flatter and larger acoustic box than the learned violin, giving it a characteristic sound. A variant of the Chilote violin that uses ram guts as strings is known as Barraquito, and it is common to hear both instruments in dances such as the Pericona and in parades in honor of saints and virgins. In Chiloé it is common to also find the rebec as part of the traditional musical instruments.

Nicoló Paganini created a very interesting mixture in the relationship between the human and the violin, the story tells that he told his mother Teresa Bocciardo, to tell her that her son was destined to be the most important violinist in the world in the musical gossip of Italy, there was talk of the "diabolical talent" by Paganini, who culminated this stage of the perception of his violin by composing two great works, known today as the & # 34;24 Caprichos for violin & # 34; and "Violin Concerto No. 1 (Paganini)".