The Violin and Viola
Don't forget to look in on our Violin Accessories.
Violin means "small viola" and is the smallest member of the violin family which is made up of the violin, viola and cello.
The violin is also known as a fiddle and is used in a wide range of music including; classical, jazz, folk, rock and roll, and pop. It is generally made from wood in a definitive "8" shape but electronic versions are also available made from man-made materials which allows for all shapes and sizes.
Sound is generated by drawing a bow across the strings and using the finger tips on the strings to change the "pitch". The voice of traditional violins is dependent on its shape, the wood it is made from and its thickness, and the varnish that coats its outside surface, and as the wood continues to improve with age, making the fixed supply of old violins much sought-after. The sound of electronic violins is not dependent on shape and materials.
Strings may be gut, steel, or synthetic and have a limited lifetime and changed when the sound no longer plays "true" and loses quality; all instruments have four strings.
The Smaller Violin
Standard violins are sized as 4/4 but fractional sizes are available for younger players use e.g. 7/8, 3/4, 1/2, 1/4, 1/8, 1/10, 1/16, 1/32 and even 1/64; we stock the most common 4/4, 1/2, 1/4, and 1/8 sizes.
The Viola
The viola is slightly larger than a violin and has a lower and deeper sound than a violin. Since the 18th century it has been the middle voice of the violin family, between the violin (which is tuned a perfect fifth above it) and the cello which is larger than the viola and tuned an octave below the viola and sounds deeper still.
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