A Violin VignetteLet’s Learn About

the Violin

What to expect

What Is a Violin?

Violinists of Note

The Invention of the Violin

How Do Violins Work?

Violins Around the World

Making Your Own “Violin”

WHAT IS A VIOLIN?

It is a small stringed instrument that is usually played with a bow.

PARTS OF A VIOLIN

Violins are traditionally made of wood. Some modern violins are made from carbon fiber and plastic. There are electric violins, too.

Some people make violins out of recycled materials.

PARTS OF A VIOLIN

Body

Neck

Scroll

Tailpiece

Sound holes (f-holes)

Bridge

Chinrest

Fingerboard

Strings

Tuning Pegs

PARTS OF A VIOLIN

The body is shaped like an hourglass. The front and back sides are rounded.

Inside the violin is a soundpost, this a small piece of wood that connects the front and back. It helps support the violin and make the instrument vibrate.

Soundpost

PARTS OF A VIOLIN

The strings are made of metal, but they originally were made from the treated and dried animal intestines!

PARTS OF A VIOLINThe 4 strings are held in places with tuning pegs in the scroll at the top and the tailpiece at the bottom.

Above the tailpiece is the bridge, a small piece of wood that separates the strings and raises them off the fingerboard.

HOW DO VIOLINS WORK?

The sound of a violin is typically made with the use of a bow.

A bow is typically a piece of wood with hair, often horse hair, stretched on one side.

Hair

HOW DO VIOLINS WORK?

Rosin is a sticky substance applied to the hair. When the rosined hairs are pulled across the strings, sounds happen!

HOW DO VIOLINS WORK?Violin strings can also be played by plucking them with fingers.

Different notes are made when the violinist presses the strings down in specific places on the fingerboard.

HOW DO VIOLINS WORK?

The f-holes on the front of the violin help to project sound, but the sound of a violin doesn’t come from the holes only.

When you hear a violin it is the vibration of the whole instrument!

THE INVENTION OF THE VIOLINThe violin was invented in the 1500s in Italy. It was based on older instruments from Asia and the Middle East.

Originally it had

only 3 strings! An early depiction

of a violin!

A map of Italy from the 1600s

THE INVENTION OF THE VIOLIN

Over time, the violin changed shape and gained a string.

In the 1800s, violin

makers agreed on the shape and size played today.

THE INVENTION OF THE VIOLINThe people who made the violins, also called luthiers, became very famous.

Violins made by Antonio Stradivari in the 1600s are worth millions of dollars and are still played today.

Antonio Stradivari

Russian violinist Olga Kholodnaya playing a Stradivarius violin.

THE INVENTION OF THE VIOLINMany old violins are played by musicians today.

If treated with respect to make sure no damage happens, a violin can stay in good shape for 100s of years!

VIOLINS AROUND THE WORLD

Bluegrass

Tango

Klezmer

Mariachi

Iranianmusic

Folk music

Indian music

JazzCountry &Western

And many other genres and cultures!

VIOLINS AROUND THE WORLDViolin is one of the most played instruments in the world. Thousands of students start playing violin every year.

VIOLINISTS OF NOTEEzinma (pronounced

eh-ZEEN-mah) is a violinist who combines classical violin with pop and Hip Hop music.

She was featured in Beyoncé’s 2018 Coachella performance!

VIOLINISTS OF NOTEThere are many famous classical violinists including Itzhak Perlman, Hilary Hahn, Isaac Stern, Jascha Heifetz, and many more!

Perlman

Hahn

SternHeifetz

VIOLINISTS OF NOTE

Lindsey Stirling is a violinist who performs a variety of musical styles, from classical to pop and rock to electronic music.

She writes her own music and dances while she plays.

VIOLINISTS OF NOTERegina Carter is a jazz violinist. She was born in Detroit and often plays music that celebrates the city.

Regina often performs music with social justice themes. Her 2020 album celebrates democracy as a beacon of hope for a divided country.

VIOLINISTS OF NOTEMark O’Connor is an American violinist and composer. His music combines bluegrass, country, jazz and classical.

His style combines violin and fiddle tradition.

Hear Mark perform with Maggie O’Connor, his wife

MAKING YOUR OWN “VIOLIN”

You’ll need some supplies:

● Tape

● Ruler● A small box (about the size of a Macaroni

& Cheese box) ● Kitchen utensil (like a wooden spoon)

Have an adult help you with this!

MAKING YOUR OWN “VIOLIN”

Step 1: Tape the ruler to the box.

It should be down the middle of the

box, and 6 inches of the ruler should

stick out past the end of the box.

MAKING YOUR OWN “VIOLIN”

Step 2: Place the box over your

head, move it to the left, then

down on your shoulder.

Rest your chin on the edge of the

box.

MAKING YOUR OWN “VIOLIN”

Step 3: Relax your right hand,

place the kitchen utensil

between the tip of your thumb

and the middle two knuckles of

your middle two fingers.

Now you are ready to “play” along!

Listen for violins in music in the world around you. You’ll find it in many pop songs and folk music, too.

If you like the violin and want to learn more, consider learning how to play!

Slides written and organized by Will Biby in collaboration with Joseph Richards.