The string family
Violin Viola Cello Double Bass
History
String instruments were widespread in Europe by the 1700s and have developed since. Bows probably originated from hunting bows. The violin was the primary string instrument.
All Four String Instruments
- Are made of wood and are similarly constructed.
- All us a bow drawn across the strings.
- Pitch is altered on all four by placing the left fingers at various locations on a fretless fingerboard and by playing on a different string.
- Inside each string instrument is a bass bar, sound post and corner blocks.
- The violin, viola and cello have four strings and four tuning pegs. The bass uses a mechanical device to tune. Tuning pegs should fit probably in order to tune. If they do no, this can be fixed by a qualified string instrument repairman. Fine tuners on the tailpiece of violins, violas, and cellos also help to fine tune.
The Bow
- The four bows for each string instrument vary in thickness and length.
- The bow hair is tightened or loosened for the desired sound.
- Rosin is placed on the bow to increase friction of the bow against the strings.
- Bowing procedures and techniques are determined by the music and the effect desired, but basically, the different sizes of each instrument's bow affects the differences in playing each instrument of the String Family.
Playing
Shifting, vibrato, fingering... audiation is essential to learning and playing the violin - a "mental image" of the intervals, harmonics and music to be played. Audiation and relaxation, relaxed fingering and bowing, which of course leads to flexibility. Proper posture, standing or sitting, is essential, also. All of these techniques are necessary to playing string instruments.
Shifting
Vibrato
Fingering
Audiation
Harmonics
Relaxation
Bowing
Flexibility
Posture
Ranges of Strings
Care and Maintenance for All String Instruments
- Careful wiping off rosin dust that gets all over.
- Use polish "made for string instruments", not just any commercial polish"!
- Store bows and instrument by themselves, not mixed in with other music, books, etc.
- Replace bow hair at least once a year.
- Repetitive stress injuries are the most common types of injuries for string players.
Recommended Reading
The Secrets of String Success, Fischbach, Young, and Neubert DVD, demonstrates excellent exercises.