What is a violin? The structure and function of the violin. Violin - interesting facts Interesting facts about violins

It is generally accepted that the first bowed string instrument was invented by the Indian (according to another version - Ceylon) king Ravana, who lived about five thousand years ago. That's probably why distant ancestor 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. The strings were made from the intestines of a gazelle, and the bow, curved in an arc, was made from bamboo wood. Ravanastron has been preserved to this day by wandering Buddhist monks.

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

The violin is the highest-pitched instrument of the bow family. It consists of two main parts - the body and neck, between which four steel strings are stretched. The main advantage of the violin is the melodiousness of the timbre. It can play 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 possibilities of the violin. Subsequently, many other violinists appeared, but no one could surpass him. Remarkable works for the violin were created by Vivaldi, Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, Brahms, Tchaikovsky and others.

Oistrakh, or, as he was called, "Tsar David", is considered an outstanding Russian violinist.

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

MYSTERY

Carved in the forest, smoothly hewn,

Sings-poured, what's the name?

Perhaps nowhere is the loss of time more evident than in the upbringing of a child. An adult lounging on the couch with an empty book might make up time by staying up late. A child left out of education - labor, mental, physical or musical - loses some precious personality traits that are difficult to return. Difficult, but possible. Therefore, we will not overdramatize the situation. If you have not taken the first steps in musical education in the very early childhood then start today when your child is 4 or 5 years old.

listening to music

With proper musical development, children at this age, before listening to music, make themselves comfortable, fall silent. They recognize familiar music, joyfully inform adults about it. They can express their impression about the music: “Good song”, “There is a bird singing”, “I hear the wind blowing”, etc. Some may pick up the melody they hear on a children's musical instrument or on a real piano.

Children are different. Some are sociable, they like to do everything together, they ask if something is not clear; others are looking for the answer to their question on their own. The first majority. Here is a sort of ball of energy running around the apartment, and nothing seems to be able to stop his attention for a long time. But then he sees that you are sitting still and listening to music. Sociable children will not stand it and will definitely ask:

- What are you doing?
- I listen to music.
- What music?
- It's a symphony.
What other symphony?
- A symphony is when many instruments play together, talking about something important.
— Is it interesting?
- Very.

It is possible that the child will ask:

- May I listen?
- You can, just don't mess around. Do not speak. And if you get bored, leave.

Although this method of introducing preschoolers to listening to music does not always work, it is worth trying to act in this direction. The child learns by the example of adults that music is listened to attentively. At the same time, they do not talk, do not interfere with others. Of considerable importance is the fact that children see how an adult who is always so busy, takes his time, listens to music with concentration, and is not distracted. A personal example is more effective than the most eloquent words.

How to talk about music

Many people think that it is not at all necessary to explain to a child what a symphony or a sonata is. Anyway, they don't understand. He will not understand, of course, what is the essence of the symphony. It's right. But he learns that such a form exists, and that music has different forms. Mastering knowledge about music, musical instruments, composers and musicians (of course, if all this is said in a language accessible to kids) helps musical development child. It is best to talk about musical instruments in a form that little man closest. In the form of a fairy tale.

Tale of the violin

Listen to the piece where the violin sounds. Yes, and the tale itself can be told against the backdrop of quiet violin music.

Show the child the picture of the violin. Or draw yourself. Even better, if you have a toy violin at home. Very well, if there is a real one. Now tell us a fairy tale about the violin. We are sure that many parents who have more imagination than we can come up with a better fairy tale. It is good if we manage to introduce game elements into the listening of the fairy tale.

Attention game. You write in advance the answers to the fairy tales and questions given here and others that you have invented on the topic and lay out the sheets on the table under the corresponding numbers. Before you start telling a fairy tale, explain to the child the conditions of the game. For example, like this:

- Now I will tell you a fairy tale about an instrument that is called the queen of music - a violin. Then I'll ask questions. Listen carefully. You get a point for every correct answer. For wrong - me. Whoever gets the most points wins.

We are sure that after such an introduction, the child will listen to the tale carefully and with great interest.

In one kingdom, in one state, a girl lived. Her parents loved music. Therefore, they named the girl Violin and taught her to play the violin. The girl grew up and became a musician. She traveled around towns and villages, played the violin and brought joy to people.

Lived in this kingdom evil person. He did not like music, and he did not like that people rejoice when they hear the sounds of the violin. Once, before a concert, he sneaked into the room where the violin lay and cut three strings. And I didn’t have time to cut the last fourth one. However, the girl managed to play very well on one string.

Then, at another concert, the evil man again made his way into the room where the violin lay, and pulled out all the hair from the bow with which the violin made sound. This time, the villain managed to disrupt the concert, because the girl had no other bow. And most importantly - in this kingdom there was no horse, from the tail of which one could take hair for a bow.

The violin could not play without a bow. The girl sat on the road and cried. At this time, a prince from a neighboring kingdom rode by on a white horse.

- Why are you crying? the prince asked.
"I don't have horsehair for a bow, and I can't play the violin," said Violin.
- Do not Cry. I will give you a hair from the tail of my horse,” said the prince.

He inserted the hair from his horse's tail into the bow, and the Violin began to play. The prince liked the violin playing and the violin itself so much that he invited the girl to go with him to his kingdom and become his wife.

So Violin became the queen, and her violin became the queen of music.

Questions for the fairy tale

What was the name of the girl and the instrument she played?
How many strings does a violin have?
- What is the name of what they lead along the strings and extract the sound?
What is the hair on the bow made of?
- Why did the evil man cut the strings on the violin and pulled out the hair of the bow?

Of course, other questions are also possible, as well as another development of the fairy tale plot. The answers are clear block letters write on the other side of the paper for children who can read to read for themselves.

Talking about music in a way that would be interesting to a child is not easy. It has been noticed that most of all the little listener is interested in the childhood years of a musician or composer. Or stories with children as heroes.

The story about the "March of Wooden Soldiers" by P. Tchaikovsky

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky had an 8-year-old nephew Volodya Davydov. He loved to play with soldiers, and the composer dedicated this march to him. Volodya took out the soldiers from the box. If you want, and you get your soldiers and put them in a row. You see, they are standing straight and waiting for the command. The order was given, the music sounded, and they went. Listen, and you will hear how cheerfully and clearly they go: “One-two! One-two!” The soldiers pass by Volodya, who is taking the parade.

After such a story, children understand that music is capable of expressing something quite definite. They develop an interest in understanding what exactly the music expresses, and, consequently, a desire to listen to music arises.

About children's mood

A few words about the children's mood separately. Today's, momentary mood plays a significant role for a child (to a much greater extent than for an adult), both when listening to music and when practicing a musical instrument. Yesterday, on a sunny sunny day, everything was a joy to him. And today something is not going well, and the music only annoys him. Well! In relation to children, especially small ones, an exact schedule and strict discipline are far from always appropriate. On the contrary, here, in our opinion, flexibility and the ability to compromise are needed.

We know a family in which for five children the daily routine was planned to the smallest detail. And the parents set themselves the task of strictly adhering to the drawn up schedule. Any deviations from it were strictly cut down. The result was disastrous. As soon as the children grew up and got out of the control of their parents, they, as they say, "indulged in all serious things": they left the family, entered into sexual relations early, even took drugs. The desire to break out from under the system of suppression of children's desires, which do not always coincide with the desires of adults, won. This is what happens when water, long held back by a dam, breaks free, flooding everything around.

Do not force children to do what they do not have a heart for today.

The musical taste of children, as a rule, depends on the taste of parents.

What kind of music to listen to preschool age? It is important to answer this question correctly, since the musical taste of kids is just being formed and they are not able to distinguish good music from bad, uninteresting. We believe that the taste of children should be brought up on the classics, accustomed to good music.

The definition given by S. Marshak for children's literature is quite suitable for music for children: "It should be written as for adults, only much better." Both in classical music and in “easy” (the division is rather arbitrary), children have their own preferences. We do not undertake to explain why, but it is noticeable that, for example, little ones listen to Mozart especially willingly. Who knows why? It is possible that the composer, who in childhood had the glory of a child prodigy, retained in his music that bright, childish, partially forgotten by us, adults, perception of the world. And therefore it is especially clear to small listeners ...

We know a family in which the girl listened to Chopin's music with pleasure. In another family, dad was fond of modern music, and Hindemith was his six-year-old daughter's favorite composer. The son of one of the authors at the age of four liked to listen to Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata. “Children,” wrote I. P. Pavlov, “subtly adopt not only the habits and manners of adults, but also their emotions.”

Composing music

It also happens like this: after listening to music combined with a story, the kids themselves try to compose music. This happens especially often after they learn that some composers and musicians composed music in childhood. If the house has a piano or children's musical instruments, the baby sits for a long time, pressing the keys and listening to the sounds. No need to stop it, even if the sounds seem meaningless to you. Against. Such attempts should be encouraged in every possible way: “Oh, well done! Come on, do it again! How great you did! As if a bear had passed... As if a squirrel had run...” Etc.

Here are some tips

• Record the tune on a tape recorder. Then listen with your child.
• Try to express in words what the music written by the baby looks like, what mood it expresses.
• Together with the young composer, come up with the name of the melody.
• If you can, write down children's essay in notes.
• Let the children who are learning to play some kind of musical instrument have their own works included in the repertoire.
• Your assignments can be a good incentive to compose music. Come up with a sad tune. Or fun. Or a lullaby melody for a doll. Compose a melody for a poem. In our opinion, it is good to use children's poems by A. Barto, S. Marshak, K. Chukovsky and other popular authors for these purposes. Good nursery rhymes go well with music.

Music and drawing

Children think in pictures. Therefore, they are happy to draw what they hear. This applies especially to musical works pictorial character. Where the image embedded in the music is expressed clearly and distinctly. Sometimes even in the title of the play, as, for example, in " children's album» by P. Tchaikovsky, R. Schumann or, say, in plays for children by S. Maykapar, A. Grechaninov and other composers.

Violin as a musical instrument

It is difficult to meet in our time a person who has no idea about the violin - the main musical instrument belonging to the bow family. The violin is one of the most noble, widespread and perfect musical instruments of our time. The queen of music - this is the most apt description of this amazingly beautiful musical instrument. Enormous performance possibilities, richness, expressiveness and warmth of its timbre provided this instrument with a leading position in symphony orchestras, in various kinds of ensembles, in solo performing practice and in folk musical life.

The encyclopedia gives us the following definition:

The violin is a high-pitched stringed musical instrument. It has folk origin, modern look acquired in the 16th century, became widespread in the 17th century. Has four strings. There are also five-string violins, with the addition of a lower alto string. The violin often solos melodious and virtuoso melodies.

But I like the first definition better, as it reflects all the versatility and magnificence of the violin!

violin device

The structure of a violin is very simple: body, neck and strings. Tool accessories are very different in their purpose and degree of importance. For example, one should not lose sight of the bow, thanks to which the sound is extracted from the strings, or the chin rest and bridge, which allow the performer to arrange the instrument most comfortably on the left shoulder.

Each part or element of the body is made of a certain type of wood. Spruce is used for the top soundboard, on which two resonator holes resembling the English letter “f” are located in the central part. This type of wood has the most pronounced elasticity, which allows you to achieve excellent sounding bass notes. The top deck is made either from a single piece of wood, or from two parts.

The bottom soundboard, on the contrary, is responsible for the top notes, and maple is generally recognized as the appropriate material for this. Besides, for a long time wavy maple was used, which was delivered to medieval Italy from Turkey, thanks to which their unique creations came out from under the hands of violin makers.

The neck is another important element of the instrument, which is an oblong plank. It is constantly in contact with the strings, and therefore subject to wear. It is made of rosewood or ebony (black) wood, which are particularly hard and durable. Rosewood also does not sink in water. Iron wood is not inferior in these properties, but because of its green color, which is not in harmony with the general colors violin, it was not used.

Strings are made from different materials and can be vein, silk, metal.

The violin has a complex configuration that has bulges and curves. Each master who creates this instrument has his own handwriting of its creation. There are no and cannot be two violins the same sound but not only for this reason. The main one is the properties of wood that can never be repeated.

The history of the creation of the violin

The debate about when and where this legendary musical instrument appeared does not subside to this day. Some historians suggest that the bow appeared in India, from where it came to the Arabs and Persians, and from them it already passed to Europe. During musical evolution there were many different versions bowed instruments that influenced the modern look of the violin. Among them are the Arabic rebab, the German company and the Spanish fidel, which were born in the XIII-XV centuries. It was these instruments that became the progenitors of the two main bowed instruments - the viol and the violin. Viola came before, she was different sizes, played it while standing, holding it on their knees, and later on their shoulders. This type of playing the viola led to the appearance of the violin.

Some sources point to the origin of the violin from the Polish instrument violin or from the Russian violin, the appearance of which dates back to the 15th century. For a long time, the violin was considered a folk instrument and did not sound solo. Wandering musicians played it, and the main place of its sound was taverns and taverns.

In the 16th century, Italian craftsmen engaged in the production of viols and lutes took up the production of violins. They dressed the instrument in perfect shape and filled the best materials. Gasparo Bertolotti is believed to be the first violinist to make the first modern violin. The Amati family nevertheless made the main contribution to the transformation and production of Italian violins. They made the timbre of the violin sound deeper and more delicate, and the character of the sound more multifaceted. They fulfilled the main task that the masters set themselves excellently - the violin, like the human voice, had to accurately convey emotions and feelings through music. A little later, in the same place in Italy, the world-famous masters Guarneri and Stradivari worked on improving the sound of the violin, whose instruments today are valued at fortunes.

Violin relatives

The violin has many sisters and brothers and their history is very interesting. Everyone knows the viola and cello. But I want to talk about little-known tools that, perhaps, few people know, but they have a very interesting and rich history.

This is the Arabic great-great-grandfather of the violin, he is considered the ancestor of all European bowed instruments. No one can even name the date and history of the emergence of this musical instrument. He enjoyed great popularity in the East. It was played by folk singers and musicians of the East. In Europe, this instrument appeared in the 10th century.

This is a wandering violin of Western European wandering musicians and part-time dancers, magicians, poets, storytellers. The rebec was once played in fairs, streets, but also in churches and palaces. Images of the rebec remained in the paintings of cathedrals.

Greatest Artists The revivals painted angels and saints who played the rebec: both Raphael and Giotto.

Raphael - "The Coronation of Mary"

The history of the disappearance of this instrument is not clear and at present it is practically not found. But how did he disappear? Firstly, caring people made reconstructions in the 20th century, and secondly, maybe we feel some features of this instrument when we play the violin.

Pontic lira

The Pontic lira appeared at the crossroads of cultures. In the beginning it traveled a long way from somewhere in Persia or from the Arab East before it manifested itself in Byzantium and found its present form in it. But even this Byzantine form of it hardly belongs entirely to any nation: Byzantium was a multinational empire, and Byzantine music absorbed elements of Arabic, Persian, Coptic, Jewish, Armenian, Syrian, Bulgarian, Serbian, Croatian and even Russian musical culture! The Pontic lyre is considered one of the "wandering violins" of the East.

Legends and stories related to the violin

For centuries, the amazing sound of the violin has fascinated people. Her melodic sounds delighted the ears of spoiled aristocrats and made ordinary people dance at unpretentious village holidays.

I want to talk about the most interesting stories and legends that are associated with the masters of violin music.

Master's Riddles

Of course, the wary attitude towards the violin also concerned its creators. At all times, people looked at violin makers with distrust, and legends were made about the most prominent of them even during their lifetime. Although it should be noted, the personalities of these people asked others a lot of mysteries.

The violins created by the great Antonio Stradivari, even three centuries after his death, have no equal. But even a careful study of these instruments did not reveal the secret of their divine voices. The creations of Stradivari did not differ from other violins either in the quality of wood, or in size, or even in varnish.

But for a long time it was believed that the incomparable voice of the great master's instruments gives an amazing varnish, made according to a special recipe. But a few years ago, some brave researchers carried out an almost barbaric experiment. One of the Stradivari violins was completely washed off the varnish, but even after this blasphemy, it sounded the same.

A few centuries ago, the next version was born, trying to explain the phenomenon of the master. Allegedly, in childhood, little Antonio was blessed by the Lord himself, giving him the talent to create instruments whose voice would remind people of the Kingdom of Heaven.

Then I got the future Great master from the Almighty a wonderful substance, which he later added to the varnish for his violins. And it was this secret ingredient that allegedly gave Stradivari instruments a divine sound.

History of Master Paganini

It all started with the grim name of the birthplace of the greatest violinist of all time. In a small quarter of Genoa, in a narrow alley called the Black Cat, on October 27, 1782, Antonio Paganini, a former port worker, and his wife Teresa Bocchardo, a simple townswoman, had a son, Niccolò. Antonio had a small shop in the port, was passionate about music and played the mandolin and violin. These were simple songs, cheerful and catchy folk melodies, which were sung by Antonio with a gloomy face. Fortunately, his wife, Teresa, was a soft, meek and submissive woman. Unable to change the character of her husband, who was always dissatisfied and grouchy, she tried not to contradict him. Teresa found solace in religion and children. She had five of them. One day, Niccolo's mother had an amazing dream: an angel appeared to her and asked what kind of mercy from God she would like to receive. Since the deeply religious woman loved music very much, she asked the divine messenger that her son Niccolo become a great musician. The story of this wonderful dream made a strong impression on Teresa's husband, who was also not indifferent to music. After consulting, Niccolo's parents firmly decided to teach the child to play the violin - an instrument that became thanks to the efforts of Guarneri, Stradivari and Amati musical symbol Italy.

Niccolo was seven years old when his father first placed a tiny violin in the hands of the future virtuoso, which from that day became his only toy. But very soon the young violinist realized that making music is not only a pleasure, but also hard, painstaking work. The boy was very tired, but his father forced the talented child to work all day long, not allowing him to go outside to play with his peers.

Showing perseverance and unstoppable will, Niccolo became more and more interested in playing the instrument every day. Undoubtedly, such excessive activities, lack of oxygen, movement and nutrition, could not but affect his growing body and, of course, undermined the boy's health. One day, Niccolo, exhausted from many hours of study, fell lifeless in a cataleptic coma. The parents considered the boy dead, because he did not show any signs of life. Niccolo came to his senses only in a coffin with the heartbreaking sounds of mourning music. His perfect pitch was unable to perceive falsehood even when Paganini was between life and death. Returning from the "other world", the young violinist, with even greater zeal, set about mastering the complex techniques of playing his favorite musical instrument. Thanks to his diligence and firmness of character for a very a short time Niccolo achieved such great success that the fame of his extraordinary abilities stepped far beyond the modest alley of the Black Cat.

Already at the age of eight, Niccolo wrote a violin sonata and several difficult variations. The first serious teacher of Paganini was the Genoese poet, violinist and composer Francesco Gnecco. At the age of ten and a half, Niccolo took 30 lessons from the violinist Giacomo Costa within six months and, at the same time, began to play regularly in churches at Sunday and holiday services. In the Genoese newspaper Avvisi of May 31, 1794, one could read: “On Monday, May 26, a mass was held in the church of San Filippo Neri. The harmonic concerto was performed by the most skillful young man of eleven years old - signor Niccolo Paganini, a student of the famous music teacher Giacomo Costa, who aroused universal admiration. It is impossible not to mention another teacher of Niccolò Paganini - cellist, excellent polyphonist Gasparo Garetti, who instilled in the young man an excellent composing technique. Developing the ability to hear with inner hearing, he forced him to compose without an instrument.

As the art of playing the violin Niccolo becomes more virtuosic and refined, Antonio Paganini goes with the young violinist on the first concert tour of the cities of Italy: Milan, Bologna, Florence, Pisa and Livorno. Success accompanies the little virtuoso everywhere and inflames the soul more and more young talent. Niccolo intuitively knows that he cannot the best way express himself and reach the heights of his art, if he does not find an application for his passionate temperament in his writings. His predecessors were great: Corelli, Vivaldi, Tartini, whose work was deeply studied by Paganini, but their music, written in a calm and restrained manner, did not correspond to the stormy and unrestrained character of Paganini. Oddly enough, but it was at a young age that many of his famous capriccios were born, where one can trace the creative rethinking of violin techniques and principles in music, first introduced by the Italian composer Locatelli, which were rather technical exercises. But as soon as the hand of a genius touched the dry formulas, they, having changed, turned into original, brilliant miniatures, stunning in their virtuosity. The 24 Capriccios of Paganini still remain one of the most unique phenomena of the musical culture of violin art, they amaze with irrepressible passion, incredible courage and originality of thinking. These small works had a tremendous impact both on the musicians of the great Italian's contemporaries and on the composers of future generations. Inspired by the new, original ideas of the Genoese virtuoso, having arranged for his instrument "Companella" and some Paganini capriccios, Franz Liszt discovered new era in the history of pianoforte art.

Niccolo, playing the violin, imitated the singing of birds, the sound of a flute, trumpet, horn, the lowing of a cow and human laughter, using contrasts in timbres and registers, applying a stunning variety of effects. Once Paganini replaced the usual bow with a long one, which at first aroused laughter from the audience, but soon he was rewarded for this oddity with warm applause. These were the early years of the genius, Niccolo Paganini, but there were still quite a few mystical rumors and legends around the life of the legendary violinist.

Red abbot

March 4, 1678, the great italian composer Antonio Lucio Vivaldi. His most famous work is The Four Seasons. Four violin concertos - autumn, winter, spring, summer. To this day he is one of the most popular composers peace.

In his youth, Antonio was tonsured a monk. And after 10 years, Vivaldi became an abbot and he got into trouble with the Inquisition. Once, during mass, he left the altar three times to write down a melody that came to his mind. Followed by a call to the inquisitor and interrogation.

Is it true that you left the altar during Mass?

I had to do this because I suffer from asthma attacks.

And they say that you left to record the music that came to your mind.

Slander! Everyone who knows me will confirm that this is due to bouts of chest disease.

He was really unwell. A thin red-haired man with a sunken chest, narrow shoulders, pale, in a black cassock. The illness choked him. But he was very energetic, worked at a crazy pace. Vivaldi was the only composer of that time who could compose an opera in three days. This is still a record today. Moreover, he staged his own operas. Rapidly. Three or four rehearsals and you're done. He wrote the score faster than the copyist took a copy from it. Worked mostly on commission. He wrote music for almost every holiday, and Catholics have many holidays. Moreover, he became famous throughout Europe as a virtuoso violinist, and in his native Venice he was a prominent figure.

For 36 years, Vivaldi was director of music at the orphanage for girls Ospedale della pieta. Thanks to the intense and multifaceted musical activity of Vivaldi, his small "conservatory" began to stand out noticeably from others in Venice. Red-haired, groovy, there are always musicians and children around him. And, of course, the Inquisition became attached to him.

For Vivaldi, the nickname was fixed - "The cunning, red-haired abbot." This was due to the fact that he had a cheerful and unrestrained disposition, and also always got out of a difficult situation with honor.

... Vivaldi ended his life in Vienna as a beggar, forgotten by everyone, sick ... and for a long time his music did not sound anywhere. He was remembered only by the great Bach, who made several transcriptions of his violin concertos. But it was quite a bit, Vivaldi had 500 concerts, more than 50 operas, contata, symphonies ... All this was not remembered for almost three centuries. Only in the 1920s did they discover some old, useless notes, they began to play - great music! It was Vivaldi. And since then, Antonio Vivaldi has become one of the most popular composers among classical music lovers. Even Cell phones now they play "The Seasons" (c) Andrey Konchalovsky, "It's worth remembering"

There is so much about one musical instrument mystical stories and legends, as well as no and so brilliant musicians and composers who would play and compose music for some other instrument. This indicates that the sound of the violin leaves no one indifferent and the violin is a truly Great instrument.

Fedor Glaznitsyn The violin is an instrument that has had a tremendous impact on music. It was widely used in classical pieces, where its flowing gentle sound came in very handy. Folk art also noticed this beautiful instrument, although he appeared not so long ago, he managed to take his place in ethnic music. The violin has been compared to the human voice, as its sound is fluid and varied. Its shape resembles a female silhouette, which makes this instrument alive and animated. Today, not everyone has a good idea of ​​what a violin is. Let's fix this annoying situation. The history of the appearance of the violin The violin owes its appearance to many ethnic instruments, each of which had its own influence on it. Among them are British crotta, Armenian bambir and Arabic rebab. The design of the violin is by no means new; many Eastern peoples have been using such instruments for centuries, playing folk music on them to this day. The viola acquired its current form in the 16th century, when its production was put on stream, great masters began to appear, creating unique instruments. There were especially many such craftsmen in Italy, where the traditions of creating violins are still alive. From the 17th century, violin playing began to acquire modern form. It was then that compositions appeared, which are considered to be the first works written specifically for this delicate instrument. This is Romanesca per violino solo e basso by Biagio Marini and Capriccio stravagante by Carlo Farina. In subsequent years, violin masters began to appear like mushrooms after rain. Especially in this regard, Italy excelled, which gave birth to the largest number of great violinists. How the violin works The violin received its soft and deep sound thanks to a unique design. It can be divided into 3 main parts - this is the head, neck and body. The combination of these details allows the instrument to produce those bewitching sounds that brought him worldwide fame. The largest part of the violin is the body, on which all other parts are attached. It consists of two decks connected by shells. Decks are made from different breeds wood to achieve the purest and most beautiful sound. The upper part is most often made of spruce, and for the lower part they use maple, sycamore or poplar.
As you play the violin, the top soundboard resonates with the rest of the instrument, creating the sound. In order for it to be lively and resonant, it is made as thin as possible. On expensive artisan violins, the top can be only a couple of millimeters thick. The bottom soundboard is usually thicker and stronger than the top, and the wood from which it is made is selected to fit the sides that connect both soundboards together. Shells and darling The shells are the sides of the violin, located between the upper and lower decks. They are made from the same material as the bottom deck. Moreover, wood from the same tree is often used for these parts, carefully selected according to texture and pattern. This design is held not only on glue, but also on small pads that increase its strength. They are called klots and are located inside the case. Also inside is a bass beam, which transmits vibrations to the body and gives additional rigidity to the top deck. On the body of the violin there are two cutouts in the form of the Latin letter f, which are called efs. Not far from the right cutout is one of the most important parts of the instrument - the darling. This is a small wooden beam that serves as a spacer between the upper and lower decks and transmits vibration. The darling got its name from the word "soul", which hints at the importance of this small detail. Craftsmen have noticed that the position, size and material of the homie have a significant effect on the sound of the instrument. Therefore, only an experienced violin maker can correctly position this small but important part of the body. tailpiece
The story about the violin and its design would be incomplete without mentioning such an important element as the string holder, or sub-neck. Previously, it was carved from wood, but today plastic is increasingly used for this purpose. It is the tailpiece that secures the strings at the correct height. Also, sometimes machines are located on it, which make setting up the instrument much easier. Before their appearance, the violin was tuned exclusively with tuning pegs, with which it is very difficult to make fine tuning. The sub-neck is held on a button inserted into the hole on the body from the side opposite the neck. This design is constantly under severe stress, so the hole must fit perfectly to the button. Otherwise, the shell may crack, turning the violin into a useless piece of wood. Vulture On the front of the case, the neck of the violin is glued, under which the musician's hand is located during the game. A fingerboard is attached to the neck - a rounded surface made of hard wood or plastic, to which the strings are pressed. Its shape is thought out so that the strings do not interfere with each other when played. In this case, he is helped by a stand that lifts the strings above the fingerboard. The stand has cutouts for the strings, which you can make yourself to your taste, as new stands are sold without cutouts.
There are also grooves for the strings on the nut. It is located at the very end of the neck and separates the strings from each other before they enter the pegbox. It contains the tuning pegs, which serve as the main tool for tuning the violin. They are simply inserted into wooden holes and are not fixed with anything. Thanks to this, the musician can adjust the course of the tuning pegs to suit his needs. You can make them tight and unyielding by applying light pressure during tuning. Or vice versa, take out the pegs so that they move easier, but keep the system worse. strings What is a violin without strings? A beautiful but useless piece of wood, good only for hammering nails into it. Strings are a very important part of the instrument, as its sound largely depends on them. Particularly important is the role of the material from which this small but significant part of the violin is made. Like everything in our world, strings develop and absorb the best gifts of the technogenic era. However, their original material can hardly be called high-tech.
Oddly enough, but sheep's intestines are what the ancient musical violin. They were dried, processed and tightly twisted to subsequently receive a string. Craftsmen managed to keep the material used in the production of strings secret for a long time. Products made from sheep intestines gave a very soft sound, but wore out quickly and required frequent tuning. Today you can also find similar strings, but modern materials are much more popular. Modern strings Today, sheep intestines are at the complete disposal of their owners, since gut strings are rarely used. They were replaced by high-tech metal and synthetic products. Synthetic strings sound close to their gut predecessors. They also have a rather soft and warm sound, but lack the shortcomings that their natural "colleagues" have. Another type of strings is steel, which are made from various non-ferrous and precious metals, but most often from their alloys. They sound bright and loud, but lose in softness and depth. These strings are suitable for many classical pieces that require clarity and brilliance. They also hold the system for a long time and are quite durable. Violin. Long haul Behind long years of its existence, the violin has become popular throughout the planet. Especially glorified this wonderful instrument classical music. The violin can brighten up any work, many composers gave it a leading role in their masterpieces. Everyone is familiar with the immortal works of Mozart or Vivaldi, in which much attention was paid to this chic instrument. But over time, the violin has become a relic of the past, the lot of a narrow circle of connoisseurs or musicians. The electronic sound displaced this instrument from popular music. Smooth flowing sounds are gone, giving way to a vigorous and primitive beat.
Fresh notes for the violin were usually written only to accompany films, new songs for this instrument appeared only with folklore performers, but their sound was rather monotonous. Fortunately, in last years there are many bands performing contemporary music with the participation of the violin. The audience is tired of the monotonous love howls of another pop star, opening their hearts to deep instrumental music. fox violin A funny story put the violin in the song of the famous musician - Igor Sarukhanov. Once he wrote a composition that he planned to call "The creak of the wheel." However, the work turned out to be very figurative and vague. Therefore, the author decided to call it consonant words, which should have emphasized the atmosphere of the song. Until now, fierce battles are being fought on the Internet over the name of this composition. But what does the author of the song, Igor Sarukhanov, say about this? Violin-fox is the real name of the song, according to the musician. Whether this is irony or an interesting idea built on a play on words, only the resourceful performer himself knows. Is it worth learning to play the violin? I am sure that many people want to master this wonderful tool, but they abandon this idea without starting to put it into practice. For some reason, it is believed that learning to play the violin is a very difficult process. After all, there are no frets on it, and even this bow, which should become an extension of the hand. Of course, it is easier to start learning music with a guitar or piano, but mastering the art of playing the violin is only more difficult at first. But then, when the basic skills are firmly mastered, the learning process becomes about the same as on any other instrument. The violin develops the ear well, as it has no frets. This will be a good help in further music lessons.
If you already know what a violin is and have firmly decided to master this instrument, then it is important to know that they come in different sizes. For children, small models are selected - 3/4 or 2/4. For an adult, a standard violin is needed - 4/4. Naturally, you need to start classes under the supervision of an experienced mentor, since it is very difficult to learn on your own. For those who wish to try their luck in mastering this instrument on their own, a lot of textbooks have been created for every taste. Unique musical instrument Today you learned what a violin is. It turns out that it is not an archaic relic of the past, on which only the classics can be performed. There are more and more violinists, many groups have begun to use this instrument in their work. The violin is found in many literary works, especially for children. For example, Fenina's Violin by Kuznetsov, beloved by many children and even their parents. A good violinist can play any musical genre from heavy metal to pop music. We can safely say that the violin will exist as long as there is music.

No other musical instrument is covered with such an aura of mystery and mysteries as the violin. Here are a few interesting stories and unexpected facts about great violinists.

Nicolo Paganini

The most famous violinist in history is the Italian Nicolo Paganini. Paganini was a real genius of the violin, none of his contemporaries could even closely repeat his style of playing, the ease with which he performed the most complex passages with infallible accuracy. Paganini's performance had an almost hypnotic effect on the audience. Some believed that Paganini made a deal with the devil, because of which the church even tried to ban his concerts.

At one of the concerts, Paganini performed the composition on only two strings. One of his admirers enthusiastically told the maestro: "You are a completely unbearable person, who can now surpass you? Only the one who plays on one string, but this is absolutely impossible!" Paganini liked the idea, and two weeks later he performed the sonata on just one string.

Paganini gave concerts not only to the general public. All European monarchs invited him for a personal performance, and once Paganini even sang a Masonic anthem in the Grand Lodge of Italy. For these performances, he received huge fees, but because of his love for gambling often found himself in situations where he did not have enough money even for food. However, by old age he still managed to accumulate a small fortune.

Einstein

Few people know that the creator of the theory of relativity and the grandfather of the atomic bomb, physicist Albert Einstein, played the violin masterfully. Einstein played the violin from the age of six, and in 1934 he arranged a charity concert where he performed works by Mozart. In the German press, Einstein was not described as a scientist, but as "a great musician, an incomparable virtuoso violinist."

Screaming Guarineri

The most expensive musical instrument in the world is the violin, made by the Italian master Giuseppe Guarineri. In 2010, it was sold at an auction in Chicago for $18 million. The same master made Paganini's favorite violin, which the virtuoso bequeathed to his native Genoa before his death.

Giuseppe Tartini

Another great violinist, Giuseppe Tartini, wrote the most complex piece ever written for the violin. Only a few can do it correctly, even today. Sonate du diable- Devil's Sonata or Devil's Trill.

Here is what Tartini told about the history of the composition of this work:

“Once, in 1713, I dreamed that I had sold my soul to the devil. Everything was as I wished - my new servant was ready to fulfill my every desire. I gave him my violin to see if he could play. How stunned I was to hear such a wonderful and beautiful sonata, performed with such skill and art that I could not even imagine. I felt bewitched, I couldn't breathe, and then I woke up. Immediately, I grabbed the violin to at least partially capture my dream. Alas, the difference between what I heard and wrote down is huge. Nevertheless, I still called this composition "Devil's Trill"".