Components of a violin. Bowed musical instruments. Violin playing technique, techniques

Find the staff and key. The staff is 5 parallel lines on which notes are written. The clef is the sign on the very left side of the staff. It indicates the register in which you play.

• Violins play only in treble clef. This key is somewhat similar to the ampersand (&).

Learn the notes. Each note is written as an oval on the line of the staff, or between them. If you read from bottom to top, then the notes in the intervals will be: fa, la, do and mi; and the lines are: mi, mole, si, re and fa.

• Notes outside the staff are indicated by the same ovals, but on additional lines.
• The note can be preceded by a sharp (#) or flat (b) sign. Also, these signs can appear immediately after the treble clef. For example, a sharp coming immediately after the treble clef on the F line implies that all F notes should be played as F#.

Parents planning to send their child to music school, as well as all art lovers, need to know that the instruments they play are divided into several types. Electrical devices, such as a synthesizer, stand apart. Wind instruments sound by oscillating air in a hollow tube. When playing the keyboard, you need to activate the hammer, which strikes the string. This is usually done using finger pressure.

Violin and its variants

There are two types of string instruments:

• bowed;
• plucked

They are very popular among music lovers. Bowed instruments often play the main melodies in orchestral pieces and symphonies. They acquired their modern appearance quite late. The violin replaced the ancient viol only in the 17th century. The rest of the bowed strings were formed even later. In addition to the classical violin, there are other varieties of this instrument. For example, baroque. Bach's works are often performed on it. There is also a national Indian violin. Folk music is played on it. In the folklore of many ethnic groups there is a sounding object similar to a violin.

Main group of the symphony orchestra

String instruments are very popular all over the world. Their names are:

• violin;
• alto;
• cello;
• double bass

These instruments make up the string section of a symphony orchestra. The most popular of them is the violin. It is she who attracts many children who want to learn music. This is logical, because there are more violins in the orchestra than other instruments. Therefore, art needs specialists of the appropriate profile.

String instruments, the names of which are listed here, were formed in parallel. They developed in two directions.

1. Appearance and physical and acoustic properties.
2. Musical abilities: melody or bass performance, technical agility.

Antonio Stradivari

In both cases, the violin was ahead of its “colleagues”. The heyday of this instrument was the 17th and 18th centuries. It was at this time that the great master Antonio Stradivari worked. He was a student of Nicolo Amati. When Stradivari began to learn the profession, the shape and components of the violin were already formed. The size of the instrument was also established, convenient for the musician. Stradivarius contributed to the development of art. He focused on the material from which the body is made and the composition covering it. The master made musical instruments by hand. The violin was an exclusive item at that time. Only court musicians played it. They often made individual orders. Stradivari knew the requirements and preferences of all leading violinists. The master paid a lot of attention to the material from which he made the instrument. He often used used wood. There is a legend that Stradivari tapped fences with a cane while walking. If he liked the sound, then the students, at the command of Signor Antonio, broke out suitable boards.

Secrets of the master

Stringed instruments are coated with a special varnish. Stradivari developed a special composition, which he kept secret. He was afraid of competitors. Researchers have established that the master coated the body with oil to prime wooden boards, which was used by painters of that time. Stradivari also added various natural dyes to the composition. They gave the instrument not only an original color, but also a beautiful sound. Today violins are coated with alcohol varnishes.

String instruments developed very intensively. In the 17th and 18th centuries, virtuoso violinists worked at aristocratic courts. They composed music for their instrument. Such a virtuoso was Antonio Vivaldi. The violin developed as a solo instrument. She acquired unprecedented technical capabilities. The violin could play beautiful melodies, brilliant passages and even polyphonic chords.

Sound features

String instruments were often used in orchestral works. Composers used such a property of violins as continuity of sound. A smooth transition between notes is possible by moving the bow along the strings. The violin sound, unlike the piano sound, does not fade. It can be strengthened or weakened by adjusting the bow pressure. Therefore, the strings were assigned to play long-sounding melodies at different volume levels.

Musical instruments of this group have approximately the same properties. The viola, cello and double bass are very similar to the violin. They differ in size, timbre and register.

The viola is larger than the violin. It is played with a bow, pressing the instrument with the chin to the shoulder. Because the viola's strings are thicker than those of the violin, it has a different range. The instrument is capable of low sounds. He often plays accompanying melodies and backing notes. The large size interferes with the viola's mobility. He cannot master rapid virtuoso passages.

Bow giants

Music under current

Harrison was an electric guitar virtuoso. This instrument does not have a hollow resonator body. Vibrations of metal strings are converted into electric current, which is then transformed into sound waves perceived by the ear. The performer can change the timbre of his instrument using special devices.

There is another type of electric guitar that is widely popular. It sounds exclusively in the low range. This is a bass guitar. It has four thick strings. The function of an instrument in an ensemble is to support a strong bass support.

It is generally accepted that the first stringed instrument was invented by the Indian (according to another version, Ceylonese) king Ravana, who lived about five thousand years ago. This is probably why the distant ancestor of the violin was called the ravanastron. It consisted of an empty cylinder made of mulberry wood, one side of which was covered with the skin of a broad-scaled water boa constrictor. The strings were made from gazelle intestines, and the bow, curved in an arc, was made from bamboo wood. Ravanastron has been preserved to this day among wandering Buddhist monks.

The violin appeared on the professional stage at the end of the 15th century, and its “inventor” was an Italian from Bologna, Gaspar Duifopruggar. The oldest violin, made by him in 1510 for King Franz I, is kept in the Netherland collection in Aachen (Holland). The violin owes its current appearance and, of course, sound to the Italian violin makers Amati, Stradivari and Guarneri. Violins made by Magini are also highly prized. Their violins, made from well-dried and varnished maple and spruce plates, sang more beautifully than the most beautiful voices. The instruments made by these masters are still played by the best violinists in the world. Stradivarius designed a violin that is still unsurpassed, with a rich timbre and exceptional “range” - the ability to fill huge halls with sound. It had kinks and irregularities inside the body, due to which the sound was enriched due to the appearance of a large number of high overtones.

The violin is the highest timbre instrument of the bow family. It consists of two main parts - the body and the neck, between which four steel strings are stretched. The main advantage of the violin is the melodiousness of the timbre. It can be used to perform both lyrical melodies and dazzling fast passages. The violin is the most common solo instrument in the orchestra.

The Italian virtuoso and composer Niccolo Paganini greatly expanded the capabilities of the violin. Subsequently, many other violinists appeared, but no one could surpass him. Wonderful works for the violin were created by Vivaldi, Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, Brahms, Tchaikovsky and others.

Oistrakh, or, as he was called, “King David,” is considered an outstanding Russian violinist.

There is an instrument that looks very similar to a violin, but is slightly larger. This is an alt.

MYSTERY

Carved in the forest, smoothly hewn,

Singing and singing, what is it called?

"Family tree" of the origin of the modern violin. Encyclopædia Britannica, 11th ed.

The ancestors of the violin were the Armenian bambir, the Arabic rebab, the Spanish fidel, and the British crotta, the fusion of which formed the viola. Violin forms were established by the 16th century; Famous violin makers - the Amati family - date back to this century and the beginning of the 17th century. Their instruments are distinguished by excellent shape and excellent material. In general, Italy was famous for the production of violins, among which Stradivarius and Guarneri violins are currently extremely highly valued.

The violin has been a solo instrument since the 17th century. The first works for violin are considered to be: “Romanesca per violino solo e basso” by Biagio Marini () and “Capriccio stravagante” by his contemporary Carlo Farina. Arcangelo Corelli is considered the founder of artistic violin playing; followed by Torelli, Tartini, Pietro Locatelli (-), a student of Corelli, who developed a bravura technique of violin playing.

Since the 2nd half of the 19th century it has become widespread among the Tatars. Since the 20th century it has been found in the musical life of Bashkirs.

Violin structure

The violin consists of two main parts: the body and the neck, along which the strings are stretched.

Frame

The body of the violin has a specific round shape. In contrast to the classic case shape, the trapezoidal parallelogram shape is mathematically optimal with rounded notches on the sides forming the “waist”. The roundness of the external contours and waist lines ensures comfortable play, particularly in high positions. The lower upper plane of the body - the deck - is connected to each other by strips of wood - shells. They have a convex shape, forming “arches”. The geometry of the vaults, as well as their thickness and its distribution, to one degree or another, determine the strength and timbre of the sound. A damper is placed inside the case, transmitting vibrations from the stand - through the upper deck - to the lower deck. Without it, the violin's timbre loses its liveliness and fullness.

The strength and timbre of a violin's sound is greatly influenced by the material from which it is made, and, to a lesser extent, by the composition of the varnish. There is a known experiment with the complete chemical removal of varnish from a Stradivarius violin, after which its sound did not change. The varnish protects the violin from changes in the quality of the wood under the influence of the environment and paints the violin with a transparent color from light golden to dark red or brown.

The back (musical term) is made of solid maple (other hardwoods) or two symmetrical halves.

The top is made of resonant spruce. Has two resonator holes - f-holes(in shape they resemble the Latin letter (f). A stand rests on the middle of the top soundboard, on which the strings, attached to the tailpiece (underneck), rest. Under the foot of the stand on the side of the Sol string, a single spring is attached to the top soundboard - a longitudinally located wooden plank, in largely ensuring the strength of the top deck and its resonant properties.

The shells combine the lower and upper soundboards, forming the side surface of the violin body. Their height determines the volume and timbre of the violin, fundamentally influencing the sound quality: the higher the shells, the duller and softer the sound, the lower the shells, the more piercing and transparent the upper notes. The shells, like the soundboards, are made from maple wood.

Dushka is a round (spruce wood) spacer that mechanically connects the soundboards and transmits string tension and high-frequency vibrations to the lower soundboard. Its ideal location is found experimentally; as a rule, the end of the strut is located under the foot of the stand on the side of the E string, or next to it. It can only be rearranged by the master, since its slightest movement significantly affects the sound of the instrument.

The neck, or tailpiece, is used to secure the strings. Previously made from hard ebony or mahogany (usually ebony or rosewood, respectively). Nowadays it is often made from plastics or light alloys. On one side of the neck there is a loop, on the other there are four holes with splines for attaching strings. The end of the string with the button (E and A) is threaded into the round hole, after which, by pulling the string towards the fingerboard, it is pressed into the slot. D and G strings are often secured in the neck with a loop going through the hole. Nowadays, lever-screw machines are often installed in the holes of the neck, making adjustments much easier. Arms made of light alloys with structurally integrated machines are produced commercially.

a loop of thick string or steel wire. When replacing a vein loop with a larger diameter than 2.2 mm with a synthetic one (diameter 2.2 mm), it is necessary to wedge the wedge and re-drill a hole with a diameter of 2.2, otherwise the point pressure of the synthetic string may damage the wooden neck.

A button - the head of a wooden peg, inserted into a hole in the body, located on the side opposite the fingerboard, serves to fasten the underneck. The wedge is inserted into a conical hole corresponding to its size and shape, completely and tightly, otherwise the wedge and shell may crack. The load on the button is very high, about 24 kg

The bridge affects the timbre of the instrument. It has been experimentally established that even a small shift of the stand leads to a significant change in the tuning of the instrument due to a change in the scale length and to a slight change in timbre - when moving towards the neck, the sound is duller, while from there it is brighter. The stand raises the strings above the top soundboard to different heights so that each of them can be played with a bow, and distributes them at a greater distance from one another on an arc of a larger radius than the top saddle.

Vulture

The neck (part of a musical instrument) of a violin is a long plank made of solid hard wood (ebony or rosewood), curved in cross-section so that when playing on one string the bow does not catch adjacent strings. The lower part of the neck is glued to the neck, which goes into the head, consisting of a peg box and a curl.

The nut is an ebony plate located between the fingerboard and the head, with slots for strings. Slots in the nut distribute the strings at equal distances from each other.

The neck is a semicircular part that the performer covers with his hand while playing. Attached to the neck from above vulture And sill.

Pegging box - part of the neck in which a slot is made at the front, two pairs are inserted on both sides pegs, with the help of which the strings are tuned. Pegs are conical rods. The rod is inserted into the conical hole in the peg box and adjusted to it - failure to comply with this condition can lead to destruction of the structure. For tighter or smoother rotation, the pegs are respectively slightly pressed or pulled out of the box when rotating, and for smooth rotation they must be lubricated with lapping paste (or chalk and soap). The pegs should not protrude much from the pegbox. The pegs are usually made of ebony and are often decorated with mother-of-pearl or metal (silver, gold) inlay.

The curl has always served as something of a brand mark - evidence of the taste and skill of the creator. Initially, the curl rather resembled a woman’s foot in a shoe, but over time the similarity became less and less - only the “heel” was recognizable, the “toe” changed beyond recognition. Some masters replaced the curl with a sculpture, like that of a viol - a carved lion's head, for example, as did Giovanni Paolo Magini (1580-1632). The 19th century masters, lengthening the neck of ancient violins, sought to preserve the head and scroll as a privileged “birth certificate”.

Strings

The strings pass from the neck, through the bridge, over the surface of the neck, and through the nut to the pegs, which are wound around them in the head.

The violin has four strings:

• first(“fifth”) - upper, tuned to E of the second octave. The solid metal E string has a ringing, brilliant timbre.
• second- tuned to A of the first octave. The vein (intestinal or made from a special alloy) solid “A” has a soft, matte timbre.
• third- tuned to D of the first octave. The vein (intestinal or artificial fiber) “D”, entwined with aluminum thread, has a soft, matte timbre.
• fourth(“bass”) - lower, tuned to G of a small octave. Vein (intestinal or artificial fiber) “salt”, entwined with silver thread, a harsh and thick timbre.

Accessories and Accessories

The bow is an accessory for continuous sound production. The basis of the bow is a wooden cane, which passes into the head on one side, and a block is attached on the other. The hair from the ponytail is stretched between the head and the block. The hair has keratin scales, between which, when rubbed, rosin is impregnated, which allows the hair to catch the string and produce sound.

Chin pad. Designed to make it easier to hold the violin with your chin. Side, middle and intermediate positions are selected according to the violinist's ergonomic preferences.

Bridge. Designed for easy placement of the violin on the collarbone. Attached from the bottom deck. It is a plate, straight or curved, hard or covered with soft material, wooden, metal or plastic, with fastenings on both sides. The necessary electronics, for example, a microphone with an amplifier, are often hidden in a metal structure. The main brands of modern bridges are WOLF, KUN, etc.

Sound pickup devices. Required to convert the mechanical vibrations of the violin into electrical ones (for recording, amplifying or converting the sound of the violin using special devices).

• If the sound of a violin is formed due to the acoustic properties of the elements of its body, the violin is acoustic.
• If the sound is generated by electronic and electromechanical components, it is an electric violin.
• If the sound is produced by both components to a comparable degree, it is a semi-acoustic violin.

Case (or trunk for violin and bow and additional accessories.

The mute is a small wooden or rubber “comb” with two or three teeth with a longitudinal slot. It is placed on top of the stand and reduces its vibration, making the sound muffled and “wearable”. The mute is most often used in orchestral and ensemble music.

"Jammer"- a heavy rubber or metal mute, used for home exercises, as well as for exercises in places that do not tolerate noise. When using a jammer, the instrument practically stops sounding and emits barely audible pitch tones that are sufficient for the performer to perceive and control.

Typewriter- a metal device consisting of a screw inserted into the hole in the neck, and a lever with a hook that serves to fasten the string, located on the other side. The machine allows for finer adjustments, which is most critical for monometallic strings with low stretch. There is a specific machine size for each violin size; there are also universal ones. Typically available in black, gold-plated, nickel-plated or chrome-plated, or a combination of finishes. There are models specifically for gut strings, for the E string. The instrument may not have machines at all: in this case, the strings are inserted into the holes in the neck. It is possible to install machines not on all strings. Usually in this case the machine is placed on the first string.

Recording and performance

Record

The violin part is written in treble clef. The standard range of the violin is from the G minor octave to the fourth octave. Higher sounds are difficult to perform and are used, as a rule, only in solo virtuoso literature, but not in orchestral parts.

Hand placement

"Franco-Belgian" way of holding the bow.

The strings are pressed with four fingers of the left hand to the fingerboard (thumb excluded). The strings are played with a bow held in the player's right hand.

When pressed with a finger, the length of the vibrating area of ​​the string decreases, due to which the frequency increases, that is, a higher sound is obtained. Strings not pressed with a finger are called open and are designated by zero when indicating the fingering.

By touching the string with almost no pressure in certain places, harmonics are obtained. Some harmonic sounds go beyond the standard violin range in pitch.

The arrangement of the fingers of the left hand on the fretboard is called fingering(from the word applicate). The index finger is called the first, the middle finger is the second, the ring finger is the third, and the little finger is the fourth. Position is called the fingering of four adjacent fingers, spaced one tone or semitone apart. Each string can have seven or more positions. The higher the position, the more difficult it is to play cleanly. On each string, excluding fifths, they go mainly only up to the fifth position inclusive; but on the fifth or first string, and sometimes on the second, higher positions are used - up to the twelfth.

There are at least three ways to hold the bow:

• Old (“German”) way, in which the index finger touches the bow reed with its lower surface, approximately opposite the fold between the nail phalanx and the middle one; fingers tightly closed; the thumb is opposite the middle finger; The bow hair is moderately taut.
• New (“Franco-Belgian”) method, in which the index finger touches the cane at an angle with the end of its middle phalanx; there is a large gap between the index and middle fingers; the thumb is opposite the middle finger; strongly stretched bow hair; inclined position of the cane.
• The newest (“Russian”) method, in which the index finger touches the side of the cane with a bend between the middle phalanx and the metacarpal; deeply enveloping the cane in the middle of the nail phalanx and forming an acute angle with it, it seems to guide the bow; there is a large gap between the index and middle fingers; the thumb is opposite the middle finger; loose bow hair; straight (not inclined) position of the cane. This way of holding the bow is the most appropriate for achieving the best sound results with the least amount of energy.

The violins also form a significant part of the orchestra, in which the musicians are divided into two groups, known as the first and second violins. Most often, the melodic line is dedicated to the first violins, while a group of second violins performs an accompanying or imitating function.

Sometimes the melody is entrusted not to the whole group of violins, but to a solo violin. Then the first violinist, the accompanist, plays the melody. Most often, this is necessary to give the melody a special color, delicate and fragile. The solo violin is most often associated with the lyrical image.

A string quartet in its original form consists of two violins (musicians playing the parts of the first and second violins), a viola and a cello. Similar to an orchestra, most often the leading role is played by the first violin, but in general each instrument can have solo moments.

Famous violinists

17th century

• Arcangelo Corelli (-) is an Italian violinist and composer, considered the creator of artistic violin playing. Contemporaries called him the Columbus of music.
• Antonio Vivaldi (-) - Venetian abbot. Composer, violinist, teacher, conductor. Creator of the violin concerto as a musical form. One of the most famous works is the cycle of 4 concerts for violin and orchestra “The Seasons”.
• Giuseppe Tartini (-) - Italian violinist and composer. He improved the design of the bow, lengthening it, and developed the basic techniques of bowing, recognized by all contemporary violinists in Italy and France and which came into general use.

XVIII century

• Ivan Khandoshkin (-) is a Russian virtuoso violinist, composer and teacher. The founder of the Russian violin school. Russia's first violin virtuoso. During his lifetime he was popular in wide circles of Russian society.
• Giovanni Battista Viotti (-) is a famous Italian violinist of the generation that preceded Niccolò Paganini. Apart from ten piano concertos, all of Viotti's works are written for string instruments, the most important of which are the 29 violin concertos.

19th century

• Niccolo Paganini (-) - Italian violinist and virtuoso guitarist, composer. One of the most prominent personalities in the musical history of the 18th-19th centuries. Recognized genius of world musical art.
• Henri Vietan (-) - Belgian violinist and composer, one of the founders of the national violin school. Vieutang is the author of numerous works for violin, which are still very popular: seven concertos with orchestra, a number of fantasies, variations, concert etudes, etc.
• Henryk Wieniawski (-) is a Polish virtuoso violinist, composer and teacher.
• Leopold Auer (-) - Hungarian, Russian violinist, teacher, conductor and composer. He is the founder of the so-called Russian violin school.
• Eugene Ysaye (-) is a Belgian violinist, conductor and composer. He wrote 6 violin concertos, variations on a theme by Paganini and others.

XX century

• Jascha Heifetz (-) is an American violinist of Jewish origin. Considered one of the greatest violinists of the 20th century.
• David Oistrakh (-) - Soviet violinist, violist, conductor and teacher, professor at the Moscow Conservatory, People's Artist of the USSR.
• Leonid Kogan (-) - Soviet violinist, teacher, professor at the Moscow Conservatory, People's Artist of the USSR.
• Yehudi Menuhin (-) is an American violinist and conductor. He also left his mark on philately; one of the philatelic prizes is named in his honor.

XXI Century

• Itzhak Perlman (August 31, 1945) is an American violinist, conductor and teacher.
• Vadim Repin (August 31, 1971) is a Russian violinist.

Famous violin makers

• Giovanni Paolo Maggini (-) - Italian violin maker. The instruments of his work have a soft, viola-like sound and are highly prized. His son, Pietro Santo Magini, also made excellent violins, violas and basses.
• Nicola Amati (-) is one of the most famous masters of the Amati family. Creator of many stringed instruments, including cellos. Teacher of such renowned string instrument makers as Jacob Steiner, Antonio Stradivari and Andrea Guarneri.
• Jakob Steiner (approx. -) is the first known Austrian master, the most famous representative of the so-called Tyrolean school.
• Andrea Guarneri (or -) is a famous manufacturer of bowed instruments. Andrea was a student of the famous master Amati, and lived in the 17th century in Cremona.
• Antonio Stradivari (-) - famous master of string instruments, student of Amati. Completed the formation of the violin as a structure in detail. Any modern violin is essentially a Stradivarius violin. About 650 instruments of his work have survived.
• Giuseppe Guarneri del Gesù - Andrea's grandson, gained the greatest fame. Giuseppe's instruments are valued on par with those of Stradivarius. On the Guarneri violin “Il Cannone Guarnerius ( English)" played by Niccolo Paganini.
• Ivan Andreevich Batov (-) is the first famous Russian master of musical instruments.
• Jean Baptiste Vuillaume (1798-1875) - French violin maker. In 1828 he opened his own workshop in Paris. From 1835 he was engaged in imitation of ancient Italian instruments (mainly Stradivarius and Guarneri). He made over 3000 instruments.

The most famous works for violin

• A. Vivaldi. Seasons for violin and orchestra
• J. S. Bach. 3 sonatas and 3 partitas for solo violin
• G. Tartini. Sonata “Devil's Trills” for violin and piano
• W. A. ​​Mozart. 5 concertos for violin and orchestra
• L. Beethoven
• L. Beethoven. 10 sonatas for violin and piano
• I. Brahms. Concerto in D major for violin and orchestra
• I. Brahms
• F. Mendelssohn. Concerto in E minor for violin and orchestra
• E. Grieg. 3 sonatas for violin and piano
• N. Paganini. 24 caprices for solo violin
• N. Paganini. Concerto in D major for violin and orchestra
• S. Frank. Sonata for violin and piano
• C. Saint-Saens. "Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso" for violin and orchestra
• G. Wieniawski. 2 polonaises for violin and orchestra
• P. Sarasate. Fantasia on themes from G. Bizet's opera "Carmen"
• J. Sibelius
• P. Tchaikovsky. Concerto for violin and orchestra
• E. Izai. 6 sonatas for solo violin
• S. Prokofiev
• D. Shostakovich. 2 concertos for violin and orchestra

Literature

• K. Flash, The Art of Violin Playing (Volume 1)- Music, M., 1964.
• K. Flash, The Art of Violin Playing (Volume 2)- Classics-XXI, M., 2007.
• L. Auer, Violin Playing as I Teach It(1920); in Russian lane - My violin school, L., 1933;
• V. Mazel, Violinist and his hands (right)- Composer, St. Petersburg, 2006.
• V. Mazel, Violinist and his hands (left)- Composer, St. Petersburg, 2008.

• A. Tsitsikyan “Armenian bow art”, Yerevan, 2004

Links

• Violin alphabet, history of the violin, sheet music, books and films about the violin, violin in literature, painting, animation, etc.
• Microphone on a stand or on an instrument with piezo pickups. How to voice a violin. Nikolay Savinov. Skripach.ru

see also

• Violin in the traditions of the peoples of the world

Notes

The core of a symphony orchestra is the group, located in the center, directly in front of the audience and the conductor. These are bowed string instruments. The source of sound is the vibration of strings. According to the Hornbostel-Sachs classification, stringed instruments are called chordophones. When two violins, a viola and a cello play together, it becomes a string quartet. This is a chamber room

Predecessors

Double basses, cellos, violas and even violins were not the first to appear; they were preceded by viols, which became popular in the fifteenth century. Their sound was soft and gentle, so very soon they became the favorites of all kinds of orchestras. Bowed string instruments as such appeared long before viols, but they are still much younger than plucked instruments.

The bow was invented in India, even the ancient Greeks did not know about it. Arabs, Persians, and Africans passed it from country to country like a relay baton, and gradually (by the eighth century) the bow came to Europe. Bowed string instruments were formed there, which, changing, gave birth first to the viol and then to the violin.

Viola

The viols were of different sizes and with different heights of voices, some stood between the knees, others on their knees, and others, larger ones, stood on the bench and had to be played while standing. There were also small viols, which were held, like a violin, on the shoulder. Viola da Gamba is still in orchestras, she has a very unique and beautiful “voice”. It existed victoriously until the eighteenth century, then for some time the cello performed its parts. Only in 1905 did the viola da gamba return to the orchestra. Strings and bows have greatly enriched their sound thanks to her return.

In general, viols have long been more acceptable to aristocrats: they have a refined, seemingly muffled sound, the music sounds organically by candlelight, when the musicians are in velvet robes and powdered wigs. Violins first conquered folk music, so they were not allowed into palaces and salons for a long time; viols and lutes reigned there.

Musical viols were made from the most valuable materials and were also very beautiful, even the heads were often decorated with artistic carvings in the form of flowers, animal or human heads.

Masters

In the fifteenth century, with the advent of violins, lute and viol makers began to retrain as folk fair instruments replaced the old aristocratic ones, since they had much more ability to produce a sound that was expressive and technically skillful. The famous Andrea Amati school was founded in Cremona, which became hereditary. His grandson managed to make violins whose sound was extremely enhanced, while the warmth, softness and variety of timbre were preserved.

Violins began to be able to do everything: express human feelings and even imitate the intonations of the human voice. A century later, another master, Antonio Stradivari, a student, opened his own workshop and also succeeded. Also an outstanding master was Giuseppe Guarneri, who came up with a new, more advanced design for the violin. All these schools were family schools, and both children and grandchildren continued the business. They made not only violins, but also all other stringed bowed instruments.

Names of orchestral instruments

The highest register of bowed string instruments is the violin, and the lowest register is the double bass. Closer to the sound of a violin - a little lower - the viola sounds, and even lower - the cello. In shape, all bowed string instruments resemble a human figure, only in different sizes.

The body of the violins has two soundboards - lower and upper, the first is made of maple, and the second of spruce. It is the soundboards that are responsible for the quality and strength of the sound. On the top there are figured slots - f-holes, and they look like the letter "f". A neck is attached to the body (on which the violinist’s fingers “run”); it is usually made of ebony, and there are four strings stretched over it. They are fastened with pegs, screwed onto them and stretched. The pitch of the sound depends on the tension by tightening the pegs.

How they are played

The viola is larger than the violin, although it is also held on the shoulder. The cello is even larger and is played while sitting on a chair, placing the instrument on the floor between the legs. The double bass is much larger in size than the cello; the bassist always plays standing, and in rare cases sits down on a high stool.

A bow is a wooden cane on which thick horsehair is stretched, which is then lubricated with rosin - pine resin. Then the bow slightly sticks to the string and, as it were, pulls it along with it. The string vibrates and therefore sounds. All string instruments of a symphony orchestra work precisely according to this principle. When the score requires it, on bowed strings you can produce sound by plucking (pizzicato) and even by striking the wooden part of the bow.

Alto

The viola is very similar in appearance to a violin, it’s just wider and longer, but it has a special timbre, the sound is lower and thicker. Not every violinist will be able to play a viola with a body length of forty-six centimeters plus a neck. The fingers should be strong and long, the hand should be wide and also strong. And, of course, special sensitivity is needed. All these qualities together are quite rare.

Although the viola is not as popular among composers as the rest of the group of bowed string instruments, it is still very important in a symphony orchestra. And when playing solo, for example, the value of this instrument is especially well felt.

Cello

There is no instrument better suited to express feelings such as grief, sadness, sadness, even despair. The cello's voice has a special timbre that pierces the soul, unlike any other instrument. in his “Scarlet Sails” he compared the violin with a pure girl named Assol, and the cello with the passionate Carmen. Indeed, the cello can very deeply convey strong feelings and a vibrant character.

Cellos were made simultaneously with violins by the very first masters, but it was brought to perfection by Antonio Stradivari. This instrument was not noticed in the orchestra for a long time, leaving it to accompanying parts, but when this voice was truly heard, composers wrote a lot of solo and chamber music for the cello, and performers increasingly improved the technique of playing this instrument.

Double bass

This is the lowest stringed instrument in register. The shape of the double bass is not very similar to a violin: the body is more sloping, its shoulders are close to the neck. Its sound is booming, thick, low, and without a bass register the orchestra will not sound good, so the double bass is simply irreplaceable there. Moreover, it takes root in almost any orchestra - even a jazz one. You can't do without it.

If you compare an orchestral score with a human body, then the bass line is a skeleton, on which, accordingly, the “meat” is the accompaniment, and the melodic line is the “skin”, it is visible to everyone. If we imagine that the skeleton is removed from the body, what happens? Yes, the bag is shapeless. The bass is just as necessary; everything rests on it. What stringed instruments can keep the rhythm of the entire orchestra? Only double basses.

Violin

Bowed string instruments rightfully consider her the queen; when the violin sings, the rest can only sing along. The sound is produced in a cunning way that no other instrument in this group can do. A bow with hard, rough, coarse horsehair, rubbed with rosin, is almost a file, because strong rosin is sprinkled with powder. When the bow touches the string, it immediately sticks and pulls the string along as long as its elasticity is sufficient, then it comes off to immediately stick again. It is this movement of the string - uniform when the bow pulls it, and sinusoidal on its return - that gives that unique timbre.

There is also such subtlety: in other instruments, in guitars, for example, the strings are stretched on rigid metal sills, but in the violin they rest on a wooden, rather flimsy stand, which oscillates when played in both directions, and these vibrations are transmitted to all the strings, even topics that the bow does not touch. This is how subtle overtones are added to the overall picture, which further enrich the sound of the instrument.

Tool capabilities

The intonation freedom of the violin sound is simply endless. She can not only sing, but also whistle, and imitate the creaking of a door and the chirping of a bird. And once on television they showed an April Fool's joke, where a violinist made the audience laugh by imitating sounds that were completely unrelated to music. For example, the unintelligible voice of a dispatcher at a station announcing the arrival of a train. The violin actually pronounced the word “pavtaryaaayu”. Mastery of this instrument most of all depends on the quality of the performer’s hearing, and training must be long. It is not for nothing that children begin to be taught at the age of three or four so that the results are decent.