Assignment 4: Research Your Favorite Instrument On The Web It is believed that the violin originated from Italy in the

early 1500s. It evol ved from the fiddle and rebec, both were bowed string instruments from the Medieval period. The viol in also emerged from the lira da braccio, a violin-like instrument of the Renaissance period. The ear liest noted violin makers were Gasparo da Sal and Giovanni Maggini, both Italians, but it is during the 17th and early 18th centuries that the art of violin making reached its peak. The Italians Antonio S tradivari and Giuseppe Guarneri as well as the Austrian Jacob Stainer are most noted during this period . The earliest form of the violin is very different from that of today. The early violins had a neck that w as shorter, thicker and less angled. The fingerboard was likewise shorter, the bridge was flatter and the str ings were made of gut (Leroy Douglas Violins) (Oracle Thinkquest). In the 19th century, the modern violin became established. The modern bow had be en invented by Francois Tourte. Its weight, length, and balance allowed the player to produc e power and brilliance in the higher ranges. It was Louis Spohr s invention of the chin rest around 1820 that made it possible for the player to hold the violin comfortably and play in the higher positions. Spoh r s chin rest also resulted in the significant advancement of playing technique and allowed the violin reper toire to reach its virtuoso level. The invention of the shoulder rest was also an important contrib ution to the ease of playing (Leroy Douglas Violins) (Oracle Thinkquest).