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Violin
Violin is an instrument with strings, where four strings are having tuning with fifths. This particular instrument belongs to the family of violin like instruments with strings, having high pitch sound, in which the other instruments are cello, viola and double bass.
Informally, the violin can also be called as fiddle, irrespective of the kind of music which is played. This word of violin has been derived from the Medieval Latin word called vitula, which means stringed instrument, and this is the same word which gives rise to the term ‘fiddle’ which is german. Anyone who is involved in the making of and repairing of violins is known as simply violin maker or Luthier. Violin parts are made from different kinds of wood, even though the violin which is electrical in nature, doesn’t have any wood materials, because the sounds coming out from them are not related to the kind of construction of the instrument with special acoustic features. These strings are made up of nylon or gut or some other kind of strings which are synthetic or steel.
A player of violin is known as fiddler or violinist. The person playing the violin is able to produce sounds by moving a bow over the strings which can number from one to many more. The strings can be depressed by fingers, in order to create different pitches, or these can be plucked by both the hands or some other kinds of techniques. Violin forms a part of many other genres of music namely the classical, baroque music, folk, jazz, soft rock or rock and roll. Over the years, violin has been used in playing of different music plays even in non western types of cultures.
Origin of Violin
According to certain beliefs, it is said that it was in beginning of 1500s that the violin was prevalent, evolving from rebec and fiddle, and both being string related instruments with bows, probably from Medieval times. It is also said that the violin had its origin from lira da braccio, an instrument like that of violin from that of the period of renaissance. Even the viol, which closely resembles it, had come prior to violin.
Andrea Amati, is believed to be the developer of this instrument, as known to people. He started as a lute maker during the year 1525, and then went on to become a well known maker of instruments.
It is believed that two Italians, Giovanni Maggini and Gasparo da Salo were among the earliest period makers of violin. But, the art of making violins went to a peak status in the early 18th and in 17th century. During this phase, Giuseppe Guarneri and Antonio Stradivari who were Italians and Jacob Stainer, who was Austrian, had been noted for making of violin. Nicolo Amati, who was the grandson of Andrea Amati, had Stradivari as his apprentice.
Design
A violin is an instrument made of box of wood which is hollow with a centre which is narrow and ends which are rounded. The back side and front are convex shaped and both join at the sides, which are known as ribs. Strings are four in number in case of violin, which go from a holder of strings towards the bottom, and from over a bridge, they reach the neck region which is narrow, and is known as the fingerboard. Four strings go into the fingerboard and these are inserted inside a pegbox, where pegs are used to hold them. By these pegs, twisting action is done for tuning violin, as in case of a guitar, so that there is increase or decrease in the pitch of each individual string. The bow is in the shape of a long strip of arched shaped, make of wood and strings made of horsehair, which can be stretched across the length. On moving the bow over the strings, there is production of sound.
Violin body is of resonating type, so that the vibrations which come up by moving the bow over the strings get amplified. Inside the violin’s body, there is a wood block, which is known as the sound post, responsible for making the vibrations coordinated from the back and front portions. On the table close to the bridge, two holes of F shapes are present, allowing panels for free vibration.
Playing Positions
While the violin is being played, the musician holds the instrument’s neck with forefinger and thumb of the left hand. Left side shoulder is used to give support to the violin and then it is kept in a proper position with chin resting on support, by the side of the stringholder. The player holds the part of bow, in right hand and then it is drawn over the strings, towards the end of bridge. Fingers of left hand pick or press upon the strings, placing it towards the wood, in varying ways so as to get variety of chord or c sounds. The pressure is used to shorten the length of string and give a change or pitch.
Notable Players
Dr L. Subramaniam: Dr. Lakshminarayan Subramaiam, also known as L. Subramaniam is uncontestedly , the greatest violinist of India, in the contemporary times, who also went on to be known as the first composer from india to have established his orchestral fluency in East-West music scene. He has been praised as a phenomenon on international arena, by the power of these performances of electrifying nature, and has won over fans in the country as well as outside. He is one among those great musicians of the country, who have done a lot for gaining international repute for the violin, as an instrument from South India, to be played solo.
S Harikumar: This Maestro has a virtuoso for playing violin with his display of fiddle prowess, which has mesmerized people every where. He himself is a disciple of the great master L Subramaniam and a torch bearer of his art. It is said that playing the four stringed instrument is in itself quite difficult, but S Hariharan, who hails from Thiruvananthapuram, himself was able to master the art of playing the electric 7 stringed violin. It is only in concerts and special albums that he uses his violin, and this makes the listeners quite curious. Harikumar has learned Indian Classical music, as well as western music and its intricacies. He has developed his own identity in music belonging to genre of fusion music, which according to him is Indian Jazz fusion.
Electric Violins
In case of electric violins, there is a pickup, which is either piezoelectric or magnetic, helping vibrations of strings to get converted into electric signal. There is a transmitter or a cable, which makes the signal go to the amplifier. Even though the making of electric violins is easy, one can add the pickup for giving an additional acoustic touch to the conventional violin.
When this electric violin is made in such a way that it has a resonance, which can produce a low level sound which is audible, without any electric gadgetry, it is called as electro-acoustic violin. In order to create an acoustic violin, the electro-elements can be made to retain various qualities of resonance, and looks much similar or exactly like fiddle or acoustic violin. These can have finishing with bright colors and alternative materials rather than wood. Amplifiers might be required to fit the violins. Silent options can be found in few violins, where the player can put on headphones, connected to the violins. Electric violins, which were built specially, were probably done during 1928, by Oskar Vierling, Victor Pfeil, Benjamin Miessner, George Eisenberg, Hugo Benioff, George Beauchamp, and Fredray Kislingbury. The best part of these various violins were that they could be played in such a way that effects like delay and distortion, like that in a guitar could be produced.
Because of the electric violins requiring no tension or resonance from the strings, for their sound amplification, more number of strings can be attached in them. Various types of violins with 5 strings are manufactured and even there is availability of electric violin with 7 strings, where the lower three represent the range of cello. Many of the violinists who were able to play the electric versions were players of popular and jazz music.
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