The violin is part of the string family of orchestra instruments. It is easily recognized by it's often beautiful wooden hollow body. A violinist plays an important role in the overall sound of an orchestra or ensemble, as it creates a wide variety of sounds that invoke a multitude of feeling and emotion.
The violin dates back to 16th century Italy and beyond, but not much has changed since the 1700's when the standard was set by several luthiers of the time.
The violin is an incredibly versatile instrument and is capable of producing many unique sounds based on the player's technique. For example, the bowing of a single string (or several) produces smooth, flowing, serene sounds, but can also be played with short, abrupt, or pizzicato, notes to create a sense of tension or urgency. Think of a movie soundtrack or car commercial. Violin has also been electrified for use in rock operas, bluegrass, and modern country music.
There are often numerous violinists in an orchestra and are accompanied by other string players performing on violas, cello, and bass.
The violin has been around for a LONG time and some pretty famous people have enjoyed learning to play it over the years. One of the smartest people in history, physicist Albert Einstein, was an avid violinist. Playing the violin often helped him when he was thinking about his theories and was quoted as saying, "If I were not a physicist, I would probably be a musician. If often think in music. I live my daydreams in music. I see my life in terms of music."
Silent movie star Charlie Chaplin also played violin. So did Larry from The Three Stooges along with U.S. Presidents Thomas Jefferson & Richard Nixon, as well as a famous inventor & Founding Father Benjamin Franklin, to name just a few.
The parts of a violin, or its nomenclature include the body, which is the largest part of the instrument. On top of the body is the bridge or part the supports the strings. Under the bridge and inside the body is the sound post, which both counteracts the pressure on the body from the strings & bridge as well as amplifying the vibration (sound) from the strings. The F-Holes or sound holes are the shaped cutouts on top of the body and help project the sound.
The strings are attached to the tailpiece at one end and the nut, pegs, pegbox & neck at the other. The scroll is at the very end of the neck and is mostly decorative. The fingerboard is the smooth surface underneath most of the length of the strings and is used to change the pitch of the instrument when the player presses the strings down onto its surface. Opposite the scroll is the chin rest, which is used by the player to support the instrument while playing. And finally, the bow is used to play the violin. The hair of the bow is what comes into contact with the violin strings and is typically made of synthetic hair or even real horse hair. The screw at the end of the bow is called the frog and is used to loosen or tighten the bow hair.