The modern violin has many musical ancestors. While bowed string instruments have been around since the 9th century, the first violin did not appear until the early 16th century in Northern Italy. At the time, the Italian city of Bresicia was the home of a renowned music school where students could learn to play or build a variety of different instruments.
While no records have surfaced to indicate exactly when the first violin was made, references to the instrument in documents and artwork indicate that the instrument has been around since roughly 1530. The first violin’s design drew heavily from three different instruments: The rebec, the Viola da Braccio, and the Lira da Braccio. It has been speculated that the first violin was commissioned by the Medici family, with the intention of creating an instrument that was suitable for street musicians, but with some of the same sonic characteristics of the popular lute.
Soon after its invention, the violin rose to tremendous levels of popularity throughout Europe. As the instrument’s design has remained largely unchanged since the instrument’s creation, early versions of the instrument are the most highly sought after. Of all of the early violin makers, Antonio Stradivari is perhaps the most well-known.
Stradivari was responsible for the construction of the world famous Stradivarius violins. It is believed that Stradivari constructed about 1100 instruments in his life. Of those, about 600 survive today, and about 4 to 500 of those are violins.
Although the violin’s design has remained largely unchanged since its initial invention, a few modifications have been made in recent years. In the late 19th and early 20th century, the Stroh violin was invented. The Stroh violin dispensed with the instrument’s familiar wooden body in favor of a metal horn, which amplified the instrument’s acoustic sound.
Electric violins were invented in the 20th century, and they remain popular today. Aside from the obvious benefit of being able to use electrical amplification, the electric violin can also use all of the same amplifiers and effects available for electric guitar. In addition, extended range violins with as many as 7 strings have become quite popular in recent years.
While no records have surfaced to indicate exactly when the first violin was made, references to the instrument in documents and artwork indicate that the instrument has been around since roughly 1530. The first violin’s design drew heavily from three different instruments: The rebec, the Viola da Braccio, and the Lira da Braccio. It has been speculated that the first violin was commissioned by the Medici family, with the intention of creating an instrument that was suitable for street musicians, but with some of the same sonic characteristics of the popular lute.
Soon after its invention, the violin rose to tremendous levels of popularity throughout Europe. As the instrument’s design has remained largely unchanged since the instrument’s creation, early versions of the instrument are the most highly sought after. Of all of the early violin makers, Antonio Stradivari is perhaps the most well-known.
Stradivari was responsible for the construction of the world famous Stradivarius violins. It is believed that Stradivari constructed about 1100 instruments in his life. Of those, about 600 survive today, and about 4 to 500 of those are violins.
Although the violin’s design has remained largely unchanged since its initial invention, a few modifications have been made in recent years. In the late 19th and early 20th century, the Stroh violin was invented. The Stroh violin dispensed with the instrument’s familiar wooden body in favor of a metal horn, which amplified the instrument’s acoustic sound.
Electric violins were invented in the 20th century, and they remain popular today. Aside from the obvious benefit of being able to use electrical amplification, the electric violin can also use all of the same amplifiers and effects available for electric guitar. In addition, extended range violins with as many as 7 strings have become quite popular in recent years.
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