instruments are divided into sub-groups according to their components
and parts. Some of these groups are bass, horn and string instruments.
String instruments basically have strings as their component and it is
through these strings that they create sound. The violin is a member
of this group of instruments.
The violin is the soprano member of the string family. It is made up
of bow, strings, and the fingerboard and a body. Violin has a colorful
history. It is said that the string musical instrument with bows
originated from Europe in the ninth century. The first bowed
instrument was lira from the Byzantine Empire. Ibn Khurradadhbih cited
lira as equivalent to the Islamic Empires rabab. The lira proliferated
during the 11th and 12th century and European writers interchangeably
used fiddle and lira when they referred to instruments with bow. The
Islamic instrument rabab was introduced through the Iberian Peninsula
in Western Europe and spread to different European areas. The lira and
the rabab gave birth to bowed instruments.
The first violin came from Northern Italy in the 16th century. The
first violins only have three strings and it is possible that the
first luthiers borrowed the violin concept from the rabab. It was
precisely described in the book Epitome Musical in 1556 by Jambe de
Fer.
Violin was considered as a lowly instrument but in the 18th century,
well-known composers used the violin and it gained popularity and
respectability. It gained more popularity and prestige in the Baroque
period. The violin's earliest form is different from the violin's form
today. The early forms of violin had a shorter neck, thicker and had
fewer angles. The fingerboard was shorter, the strings were from gut
and the bridge was flatter.
Throughout the centuries, European countries have two prominent kinds
of bowed instruments; lira de braccio, lira de gambe. Lira de braccio
is a square shaped instrument that is held in the arms while lira de
gamba is held within the knees. The gambas were popular during the
Renaissance period but they were replaced by the braccios and the
violin as years rolled on.
The famous luthier, Andrea Amati made the first real violin in the
16th century. Amati made the violin because the Medici Family ordered
an instrument that can be used by musicians who roamed the streets.
The Medici required the instrument to be of equal quality as the lute
which is considered to be the noblest instrument at that time. Amati
used the method of applying a mould to accurately build the
instrument. He also made the body of the instrument slightly arched.
The oldest surviving violin is the "Charles IX" by Andrea Amati. It
was made in Cremone in 1564. "Le Messie" is possibly the most popular
and perfect violin which was made by Antonio Stradivari and was never
used.
The violin has changed throughout the years. It has risen from the
lowly status to an instrument which is highly regarded today. It is a
very important part of the orchestra instruments. Throughout the
years, there have been many changes in the specifications and parts of
the violin have been made. These changes have changed the aesthetics
of violin.
There have also been advances in the making of violin and modern kinds
of violin have proliferated.
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