Thesis: While it is necessary for violinists and all string players to understand the instruments and techniques which are commonly used in performance today, it is just as important to know the origins of these items and concepts in order to fully gain mastery and understanding. While many musicians pay great attention to music history and theory from the Baroque Period onward, the early history of the violin and bowed instruments is sadly undervalued.
Ancient String Instruments: String instruments have been a part of our culture for thousands of years. Based on iconographical evidence and recent excavations in the last century, the oldest known stringed instruments were harps and lyres in the Middle East. In early Egyptian culture, harps …show more content…
While there is some evidence of ancient Greeks using the friction of rubbing rods on the strings of lyres to play, it is debatable whether or not these can be considered "bows". Early bows were convex in shape (like hunting bows) and were strung with string or horsehair. Since the hair was attached or tied to the stick directly, early bows were unable to have the same amount of tension that modern bows achieve. These first European bows were often made of flexible wood or even reeds and were often held in a clenched fist. It would be practically impossible to achieve the same sound quality and technical performance with a Medieval bow as a modern …show more content…
The predominant difference between the "true" violin and its predecessors was the inclusion of a 4th string that is tuned a 5th higher and thus not a drone string. Additionally, the violin was not a single instrument, but rather a family of instruments with varying sizes. The alto violin, which would eventually evolve to be the modern viola, is debated as being the very first violin to be created, with the soprano, tenor, and bass violins coming shortly after. From examining the artwork and writings from the Renaissance, it seems that these instruments were often held and played in a variety of ways. Without shoulder or chin rests which are commonplace today, the violin had to be balanced on the shoulder or collar bone in a very relaxed manner. Other times, it was played vertically by setting in in the lap, or between the knees if it was a bass
Ancient String Instruments: String instruments have been a part of our culture for thousands of years. Based on iconographical evidence and recent excavations in the last century, the oldest known stringed instruments were harps and lyres in the Middle East. In early Egyptian culture, harps …show more content…
While there is some evidence of ancient Greeks using the friction of rubbing rods on the strings of lyres to play, it is debatable whether or not these can be considered "bows". Early bows were convex in shape (like hunting bows) and were strung with string or horsehair. Since the hair was attached or tied to the stick directly, early bows were unable to have the same amount of tension that modern bows achieve. These first European bows were often made of flexible wood or even reeds and were often held in a clenched fist. It would be practically impossible to achieve the same sound quality and technical performance with a Medieval bow as a modern …show more content…
The predominant difference between the "true" violin and its predecessors was the inclusion of a 4th string that is tuned a 5th higher and thus not a drone string. Additionally, the violin was not a single instrument, but rather a family of instruments with varying sizes. The alto violin, which would eventually evolve to be the modern viola, is debated as being the very first violin to be created, with the soprano, tenor, and bass violins coming shortly after. From examining the artwork and writings from the Renaissance, it seems that these instruments were often held and played in a variety of ways. Without shoulder or chin rests which are commonplace today, the violin had to be balanced on the shoulder or collar bone in a very relaxed manner. Other times, it was played vertically by setting in in the lap, or between the knees if it was a bass