What is a violin and how to choose it?

It is impossible to imagine a family of musical instruments without a violin. Delicate, subtle, hysterical, but sometimes rude, tearing up emotions, sharp - it can be of any kind. Her voice is so fluid, so different that it is often compared to that of a human.

The softness and depth of sound of the violin is given by a construction that can be called unique. The instrument looks sleek and consists of three basic parts - head, neck and body. The latter is the largest part of the product; everything else is fixed on it.

The body consists of decks, which are connected by shells. Decks are made from different types of wood, which also affects the sound. The top is traditionally made from spruce, while sycamore, poplar or maple are used for the bottom.

• As you play, the top resonates with other parts of the instrument to create sound. And for the sound to be bright and expressive, the deck is made as thin as possible. If the violin is expensive, made by an eminent craftsman, the thickness of the top soundboard is only 2 mm.
• The back, on the other hand, is solid and thick (compared to the top). The breed from which it is made must fit the sides that connect the two decks.
• Shells are the side elements of the instrument located between the two decks described. They are made from the same wood as the back. The whole system is fixed not only with glue, but also with small pads, which makes the tool structurally more durable. The pads are called klotts, they are located in the body itself.
• There is also a bass bar inside the violin, it is responsible for transmitting vibrations to the body, thanks to which the top deck becomes more rigid.
• Also, on the body of the instrument, you can see two cutouts of the F-shape, they are called so, f-holes. There is a sweetheart not far from the legal cut-out. This is not just a detail, it is one of the most important parts of the violin. The wooden beam, which has become a spacer between the two decks, also transmits vibration. The dimensions and material of this element affect the voice of the violin. Only a master expert knows where and how to arrange the sweetheart so that the sound is perfect.
• The tailpiece was made of wood before, now it is more and more plastic. Its task in the general arrangement is to fix the strings at the desired height. Sometimes it has toy cars that make it easier to tune with the instrument. Previously, the violin was tuned only with tuners, which are far from ideal tuning accuracy.
• On the front of the body is the neck of the instrument, under it is the player's hand. A neck is fixed on the neck (this is the name of a rounded wooden or plastic surface to which the strings are pressed). The shape of the neck is thought out so that the strings do not cross during the playing process. The help here is a stand that raises the string set above the neck.
• There are string grooves on the nut. The nut is located at the end of the neck, it serves as a separator of strings before they fall into the tuning box. This box contains tuners - responsible for tuning.
• The most important part of the "queen of the orchestra" is the strings. Today they can be made from synthetics, but the ancient violin owes its incredible sound to sheep guts. It doesn't sound as lyrical as the playing of the violin itself, but it's a fact. The intestines were thoroughly dried, processed, and tightly twisted to form a string. Modern synthetics strings, by the way, are related to the vein progenitors by the sound produced. Steel strings are also made, they are also created from precious metals.
• There are only four strings, and they are always tuned to Mi, La, Re and Sol. Each string has its own timbre, which gives the instrument the ability to convey an emotional palette so cool.
• Bow - this device consists of a cane and a hair pulled over it. And it also affects the sound.

The violin acquired its familiar appearance in the 16th century. It had many predecessors, as the history of bowed instruments goes back at least 2000 years. Where exactly the first violin appeared, and who invented it, no one knows yet. It is impossible to answer this question with historical accuracy. It is believed that we owe the creation of the violin to India, after which it (as part of other bowed ones) began to conquer the Arab countries.

If you recall the closest predecessors of the violin, you need to name Rebek and Fidel. Three strings were made in the Rebeck, its body was rounded and pear-shaped. The instrument appeared in Asia, from where it came to Europe starting in the 10th century. It sounded both in palaces and at fairs, in temples.

Fidel is a bowed instrument that looks more like a guitar; it appeared in Europe in the 9th century. In the following centuries, he became a faithful companion of the minstrels. Both instruments became the progenitors of the viola, which was actively mentioned in ballads and poems of the Middle Ages. The viola was played while standing: it was held on its knees, and then on its shoulders. And this was the very moment when the violin was as close as possible to its creation. Subsequently, she supplanted the viola, if we talk about the masses - the viola was considered an instrument of the elite, while the violin was used among the common people.

The coup was carried out by brilliant Italian masters, in the 17th century they brought the structure of the violin to perfection. And this helped the violin to give birth to the very sound for which it is revered to this day - gentle, interior, multifaceted. Amati, Guarneri, Stradivari created instruments that are examples to this day. Gradually, the violin came to the solo position in the orchestra, it can be thanked for the appearance of masterpieces of classical music: eminent composers, inspired by the sound of the violin, came up with unthinkable combinations of notes that have penetrated the hearts of people for more than one century.

Interesting information about the tool.

• Violin has been proven to stimulate brain activity. Einstein repeatedly noted that children's violin playing allowed him to see new connections of the world of things, developed thinking, analysis, etc.
• The violins of the geniuses Guarneri and Stradivari are the most valuable. For example, for the brainchild of Stradivari "Lady Blunt" in 2011, the buyer had to pay $ 16 million.
• For an hour of playing this stringed instrument, the body burns 170 calories.
• The talented Vanessa May recorded the most difficult violin concertos by Beethoven and Tchaikovsky as a 13-year-old child. At the age of 11, she was already studying at the Royal College of Music, which is an absolute age record.

And one more curious fact. In 2007, world classical music star Joshua Bell took part in an extraordinary study. He, an acknowledged virtuoso, went down the subway with a violin in his hands. It was a Stradivarius instrument, the sound of which was supposed to make people stop and enjoy it. But in 45 minutes of the game, only 7 out of a thousand people did it. And only 20 threw money to the "street musician".

First, the musician needs to prepare the bow - rub it with rosin (the so-called pine resin). The taut hair of the bow forms a special sticky powder from the resin. That is, the bow that touches the string sticks to it. The bow contact with the string is as follows: in one direction its movement is uniform, but already sinusoidally in the other. The sound of an instrument is not only the main tone, but also overtones (overtones) that are higher than the main tone. The bow, by the way, manages not only to pull the string, but also to twist it so that it vibrates in different planes. Harsh overtones can be muted by the player's fingertips to make the sound warmer. This ensures the complexity and uniqueness of the timbre sound of the violin.

In this sound wave, it is almost impossible to find areas that are similar in phase and spectrally. It is really possible to do it this way: either reduce the quantitative indicator of overtones, or reject their phase rotation. When the performer significantly presses the bow to the strings, the sound will be rich and voluminous, when the violinist barely touches the string row - the sound easily and carelessly comes out from under his fingers.

There are several ways to classify an instrument.

A full-size whole violin is marked in 4/4 size, but smaller samples can be taken for training - from 1/16 to 3/4. As the student grows, so does his instrument. They start with a 1/32 violin. The length of such small violins is from 32 cm. But a full violin is noted for the following characteristics: 60 cm overall length, 35.5 cm - body length, weight 300-400 g.

It is logical that the tool cannot be the same throughout the entire training: if for a small student it weighs a lot, the study will be difficult and far from high efficiency. Yet anthropometry is very important.

The instrument can be wood (or acoustic) and electronic. The latter option means that the sound of the violin is heard through a special amplifier. An acoustic violin makes sounds thanks to the body and its features. It can be played solo or used in an orchestra. Such a tool is optimal for learning to play.

The electric violin is made not of wood, but of steel, ferromagnet, electromagnet, and also pickups made of magnet (pickups are also piezoelectric). If you listen to how the same Vanessa Mae or Lindsay Stirling plays, you can understand that the sound of an electric violin is sharper.

Another type of instrument is semi-acoustics, in which the body sound is combined with pickups. Violins can also be factory, factory and artisan.

Description of the classification:

• artisans are very expensive, made for a specific artist;
• factory ones are also not cheap, because these are old samples created in factories of the nineteenth century;
• factory violins are affordable, sound good, are a basic option for a violinist, but do not represent much material value.

The main thing, perhaps, can be called the bow. It is needed for continuous sound extraction. It is based on a wooden cane, on the one hand transforming into a head, on the other - into a block. The hair is stretched between them, the block and the head (usually from a ponytail). The hair structure contains keratin scales, between which the rubbed pine resin (rosin) is impregnated. Thanks to this, the hair clings to the string - a sound is formed.

What else do you need to play the instrument?

• Chin rest - is needed for the violinist's playing comfort, the chin position can be lateral, middle and intermediate.

• Bridge - needed to better fit the violin on the collarbone. This is a double-sided plate. A microphone with an amplifier can be hidden in the metal structure of the bridge.

• Pickup - these are different devices required to convert mechanical vibrations into electrical ones.

• Case or wardrobe trunk - the violin and other accessories are worn and stored in it.

• Mute - this is the name of a comb with a longitudinal slot, it is put on the stand from above, reducing the vibration of the latter. A muffler is a rubber or metal heavy mute, which is used either during classes, or while playing in places where it is not supposed to make noise.

• Typewriter - and this is a mechanical screw device that is inserted into the pod hole, it also contains a lever with a hook necessary for fixing the string. The machine is needed for the most accurate adjustment. This is how much it takes for a violin to make its enchanting sounds.

The main factor is the coincidence of the body movement and size of the violinist with the instrument on which he is to play. In a children's music school, specialists strictly follow this, but if a beginner adult chooses a violin, he himself must be aware of this physical harmony of a person and an instrument. By the way, there are people for whom the violin is something unattainable, because their hands are very long or their fingers are too fleshy.

If you run exactly in size, the guideline is as follows:

• 1/16 - a tool for kids 3-4 years old;
• 1/10 - rare intermediate size;
• 1/8 and 1/4, as well as 1/2 and 3/4 are tools that children go through as they grow up;
• 7/8 - a rare size, it is used by miniature adults;
• 4/4 is the best choice for a standard adult.

You can try on a bowed string instrument like this: rest the violin on your left shoulder, place your hand in front of you without any tension, stretching it forward. The tool head will be in the middle of the palm, fingers can make a free grip around the head. The bridge and chin, accessories that are always selected individually, help in the fusion of a person and an instrument.

The main condition for choosing an instrument is comfortable contact of its parts with the parts of the player's body. It should be easy to hold the violin, just as the playing should be free, not strained.

The word "fast" would be inappropriate here, especially if an adult decided to master the playing of this delicate instrument. Moreover, it is extremely difficult to master the game only by self-instruction manuals: although, if a person already owns other instruments, this is real.

• Hold the bow correctly. You need to take a cane and put your index finger on the winding. A slightly bent little finger is on the flat part of the cane. The tips of three fingers, middle, little and ring fingers are at the same level. Thumb opposite the shoe. The cane is held with relaxed fingers.
• Take the violin. She is taken by the bar with her left hand, set against the neck. The lower deck touches the collarbone and is supported by the lower jaw (not the chin!). This will prevent the tool from slipping off your shoulder.
• Make the first sounds. The bow is located between two parts of the violin - the stand and the fretboard. The bow is passed over the strings with light pressure. Next, the bow must be tilted 45 degrees to the stand. If you press hard, the sound will be loud. If the bow is deflected towards the neck, the sound will be clear.
• Play on open strings. This means that the strings are not pinched with your fingers while you play. To change the string, the bow angle is changed. They try to move it in different ways: fast and slow. It is better to try different variations on one string, studying it, without jumping to the next. The violin neck is held by the index and thumb - this is the task of the left hand. The shoulder and wrist are in the same plane.