Last week, I discussed the basic tips and tricks while picking your first violin, which I believe to be quite helpful for beginners. The article was meant to assist beginners - hence the simple terminologies I used, and all of you who want an instrument upgrade. However, it is also useful to learn the parts of the violin as well. This week, I will help you familiarize yourself with the terms and functionalities, so you can soon turn to be a violin virtuoso!
I mentioned how I view the violin as a true masterpiece, and the apex of the confluence of music and science. I really adore the violin and the science behind it, despite the fact that my main instruments are the piano and the harp! Furthermore, playing the violin has a number of benefits for our brain and mental health. Playing the violin stimulates the brain, which aids in the development of motor skills and mind-body coordination. It enhances your memory and attention span, because studying the violin requires you to concentrate and pay attention. Consequently, your academic performance will increase, including your arithmetic, reading abilities, as well as your cognitive capacity. Even children born with psychological challenges have increased cognitive and verbal skills, according to studies!
Isn't it amazing? Let's get started learning violin parts so you can advance in your violin career!
Parts of the violin
Every component of the violin has a specific purpose. Every string makes a different sound, and each peg you turn has a different effect. Beginners may find this frightening, therefore this post was designed to assist you in improving your understanding!
Are you ready to learn how to play the violin? Let's get started!
Take a look at the image above, it has different elements that make up the whole violin.
Scroll. The top of the violin, which is frequently shaped like a scroll. Different forms, such as a person's head, are used in less traditional designs.
Cute, right?
Pegs. The four wooden pegs that keep all of the strings together. They are used to tune the strings of the violin, and turning them around will have different effects to the sound produced. Tightening the peg raises the pitch of your violin, while loosening it lowers it.
Pegbox. Encloses the space where the strings are wrapped around the pegs.
Nut. It is identified as the tiny piece of wood between the peg box and fingerboard. It has four notches, one for each string over the fingerboard.
Neck. The part that acts as a connecting bridge between the body of the violin, and the top part of the violin; the pegbox, and the scroll.
Fingerboard. The surface below the neck where your fingers can press onto the strings. It is commonly constructed out of ebony, but it can be made of other wooden materials.
Top. The front part of the violin, which is normally made out of spruce wood or laminated plied woods. The back of the violin is generally constructed out of maple wood.
Ribs. The thin strips of wood at the edges of the violin, which connect the top and back of the violin and form a sound box.
Strings. The four thick threads that are elementals to your violin’s sound production. They are normally made out of steel, synthetic materials, and/or animal guts. The strings are tuned in intervals of fifths, and from lowest to highest, they are G, D, A, and E. They are extended over the fingerboard, beginning from the pegs of the violin, to the tailpiece end.
Purfling. A thin strip of plywood set arranged in a channel around the edge of the violin as a protector against damage. It looks like a line drawn around the violin, but it is purely protective instead decorative.
Corner block. The stabilizer block of wood inside the body of the violin.
F-holes. The two holes where sound appears. They are shaped like a pair of two cursive Fs, and they are made to promote resonance, along with the hollowness of the violin’s body.
Bridge. It is a maple block bridge that balances the strings and transmits vibrations from the strings into the body of the violin. It is not glued to the body of the violin, instead it is placed by tension of the strings. Did you know? The tensions caused by the strings on the bridge is equal to approximately 90 pounds! Super awesome!
Soundpost. A wooden block placed inside the body of the violin, just beneath the right side of the bridge. It transmits vibrations to the strings into the body of the violin to produce and resonate sound. Changing the placement of the soundpost can change the volume and the tone quality.
Fine tuner. A tiny piece of tuner located at the end of the tailpiece. It tunes the violin and strings in smaller scale compared to the pegs. Smaller-sized violins have fine tuners for all the four strings, when the bigger ones have fine tuners only for the E string.
Tailpiece. The triangular wood block where all strings get attached. Located on the lower end of the violin.
Tailpiece gut. The wire that attaches the tailpiece to the body of the instrument.
Chin rest. You know what it is! Some chin rests are made out of wood, yet, the plastic ones are more common. Can you locate where the chin rest is?
Saddle. A block inside the violin’s body whose main purpose is to support the tailgut and the strings’ tensions.
Pickup. It is found on an electric violin more often than your conventional one. It changes your violin’s acoustic vibrations into electrical signals, which will then be sent to an amplifier. Remember how an electric guitar works? It is highly similar!
The bow
A violin bow, as we all have known, is a wooden stick with a collection of hair. It is key to playing the violin, as you will need to rub these hair against tuned strings to produce the desired sound. The bows are used not only in violins, but also in cellos, violas, and basses, which essentially will have different weights and lengths.
What are the five crucial parts of the bow? Let’s learn more below!
The bow stick. The backbone of the bow that makes the length of the bow.
The bow hair. A collection of horsehair, or nylon strings in contemporary violin-making, strung parallel to the bow stick. It is used to vibrate the violin’s string and produce sound.
The tip. The upper edge of the bow where the hair connects to the bow stick. Most violinists normally use this part the most.
The frog. A small piece of wood enclosed to the bow handle. This is the opposite side where the hair gets attached.
The grip (or pad). The rubber and metal base of a bow stick.
Before reading this article, have you known all these parts? Let us know in the comment section below!
Are you stuck in picking a violin? Read the article last week, or contact Ensiklomusika Music School to get help!