VIOLIN (It. riolino, diminutive of viola, viol). The most popular of stringed instruments played with the bow. In its primitive form it is a development of the lyre and monochord (qq.v.), the strings from the former, and the principal parts, the elongated resonant-box with its sound holes, finger-board, and movable bridge, from the latter. The true history of the violin begins with the invention of the bow, which was first applied to the erwth, or crowd (q.v..), some time before the thirteenth century, when the viole, or vielle, of the troubadours made its appearance. The 'Thee (q.v.). the Beige, the fidel, and many kinds of viols and violas underwent various changes until toward the middle of the sixteenth century the true violin model appeared, and superseded all other instruments of the same class, except the viola, the violoncello. and the double bass. The primitive violins had no contour, and it was not until the thirteenth century that the body of the vielle was scooped out at the ribs, forming a kind of waist. The corner blocks were added about the fifteenth century, and it is supposed they originated in Germany. The foundation on which violin-making was to rest was the viol with the double corners. These produced a new constructive feature, the 'bouts,' the ribs which curve inward between the two corner blocks. These 'bouts' rendered it possible for the first time for a player to get at the strings. At first they were made of enormous size, but were ta pered down at a later date. For nearly a century Although well made, they are not as durable as either Italian or German strings. English strings are ehietly made in the cheaper grades. They are durable, but lack finish. The material from which all gut strings are made is the intes tines of sheep. The following table shows the tension exerted by the various strings. The fig ures in the first column are for thick, those in the second column for thin strings: the sound-holes were shifted all over the violin, sometimes crowding with the bridge near the tail piece. It was not until the violin model had
been in use for some time that they were cut in their proper place and the bridge fixed between them. The bridge was the last point per fected, and that by Stradivarius. Violins may be divided into two classes, those made on the high and those on the flat model. The former is characteristic of the Stainer pattern, the latter of the Stradivarius.
The violin consists of seventy different parts, all of which, except the strings and loop, are made of wood.
The matter of varnish is a Very important consideration; for, aside from external appear ances, varnish affects the tone of the instru ment. Two kinds of varnish are used, oil and spirit varnishes. The oil completely fills the pores of the wood and thus renders the tone of the instrument somewhat muffled at first; but when the oil in the course of time evaporates the wood remains mellow and very sensitive to the slightest vibration. Spirit varnish dries rapidly. It does not fill the pores completely and leaves the surface incased in a glassy sub stance which imparts a harsh, penetrating sound to the instrument. The Cremonese violins are especially famous for the superior quality of their varnish, hut after 1i(10 its secret seems to have been lost.
The strings also are an important considera tion in the production of tone. The best strings are made ill Italy. These are highly finished, very durable, and have a pure, sympathetic tone. Next in rank :ire those made in Germany (Sax ony). Owing to occasional overldcaching, Ger man strings are more frequently found to be false than Italian strings. French strings rank next.
The number of strings varied at different times (from only two to six), but since the determina tion of the true violin model four strings have been universally used. The strings are tuned in fifths, g, a', In order to reduce the lowest string to a moderate thickness it is wound with silver or copper wire (overspun).