VIOLIN, a musical instrument consisting of four strings stretched by means 64 a bridge over a hollow wooden body, and played on with a bow. The principal parts of the violin are the scroll or head in which are placed the pins for tightening and slackening the strings; the neck, which connects the scroll with the body and to which the is attached, that is, the board upon which the strings are pressed down or stopped by the fingers of the left hand as it holds the necic in playing; the belly or upper surface of the body, over which the strings are stretched, and which has two sound f holes, one on each side in this shape ; the back or under side; the sides or ribs, uniting the back and belly and completing the body; the a piece of wood of somewhat triangular shape, to the broad end of which the strings are fastened, and which is attached by a piece of catgut to a knob at the opposite end of the body from the head, and so is stretched above the belly; and the bridge, ris ing between the tail-piece and the finger-board, with one of the sound-holes on each side. The back and belly have both a aansiderable con vexity, and the edge of the bridge on which the strings rest is also convex so as to allow of each being touched separately by the bow. Some instruments consist of as many as 58 different pieces, but so minute a division is riot necessary. The back, neck and sides are gen erally of sycamore, the belly of deal, the finger board and tail-piece of ebony. Almost all the different pieces are fastened together with gjue. The strings are of catgut, the lowest or bass-string being covered with silvered copper wire, silver wire or even gold wire.
Instruments of the violin kind have been in use from an unknown antiquity. The viola, which preceded the violin in Europe, has been traced back to the 8th century. In several im portant respects the violin is superior to al most every other instrument, and there is none which combines so many excellencies. Within its range it can take every interval of pitch to the minutest fraction, its susceptibility of divi sion being limited only by the delicacy of ma nipulation of the performer; so that it can always be played either in just intonation, or in any temperament required by the accompany ing instruments. It is thus equally adapted to solo and orchestral performances. For the former it is fitted by its clear and brilliant tone, as variable in volume as in intonation, in exhaustible in continuity and variety of shading, and otipable, of the sbarpat.strokes'of staccato as well as of the most sustained efforts of kgato music. Its place in the orchestra is marked by these perfections as the leading one, to which the melody is entrusted. As a solo
instrutnent it has also a peculiar fa.culty of imitation, not only of the tones of other in struments, but of non-musical sounds, as far as they are capable of musical imitation. This and its indefinite range are somewhat liable to abuse.
As an orchestral instrument its powers are multiplied by the making of similar in struments varying in size, but nearly identical in principle and form of construction. The full orchestral set consists of the violin, which 'is used for first and second parts; the viola, or tenor violin; the violoncello, or bass-violin; and the violone, contra-basso, or double-bass violin, which usually. accoznpanies the violon cello at an octave of interval. The four strings of the violin are tu d at intervals of fifths, thus The . t range of the instru Tures ment epends to some extent upon the performer, but the high notes when forced are apt to be thin and squealcy. Its legitimate compass exceeds three octaves. The violin can, to a lim ited extent, be snade to produce harmony by sounding two or three strings together, but this is only a tour de force, not suitable for render ing a sustained composition, although a fugue in four parts for a single violin has been writ ten by Sebastian' Bach. The viola is tuned thus, the music being written in the alto def. lts range extends to the G above the treble clef.
The violoncello is tuned thus Its compass extends to the A above the second line in the treble clef. With the assistance of har monics it may be carried one or two octaves higher. The double-bass has three, four or five strings.
The structure of the violin while closely imitated is still inverfectly understood by musi cal mechanists. The finest violins are by old makers, which cannot be rivaled, and the pre cise cause of their superiority, whether in the wood or the varnish used, has never been satisfactorily explained. The Cremona violins stand in the first rank, the celebrated masters of this school being the Amati, Antonio Stradi vari (Stradnarius), and Giuseppe Guarneri (Guarnerins) - of German makers Stainer or Steiner and klotz (both belonging to Tyrol) are the most celebrated; Vuillaume of the French; and Forrest of the English. Consult Abele, H., (The Violin and its Story) (New York 1906); Engel, C., (Musical Instruments) (London 1875); Hart, G., (The Violin: Farnous Makers and their Imitators) (Boston 1:.:5); Hill, (Antonio Stradivari) (London 1902); Hipkins, A. J.., (Mnsical Instruments, HiMoric, Rare and 'Unique) (Edinburgh 18g7) ; Morris, W. M., (British Violin Makers, Classical and Modern) (London 1904).