Informat Foreword:

ion on The contents in the book are from extracted from the
various texts, search engine along with the knowledge and

Violin
experience of the senior musicians.

****

instrum Though there are various books available of violin. A book

covering basic information on manufacture of violin,
maintenance, origin, adaptability of violin to Carnatic

ent music, etc., to cater to the beginners of violin was

necessary. This book caters to all beginners of violin of all
styles such as western and Carnatic, FAQ.

Writer to open to accept any suggestion and ways for improvisation relevant to the
subject book.

Date :

Bangalore

Information on Violin
1. Origin of violin
2. Present structure of violin
3. Introduction of bowed instruments in India
4. Difference between Fiddle, Viola, Violin
5. Various bowed instruments

 Parts of Violin
 Manufacture of violin
 Science Physics of Violin (science Structure, Sound principles)
 Accessories of violin (Rosin, chinrest, shoulder rest, lubricant (oil))
 Delicacy maintenance of violin and bow
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  What is f hole, sound post, loosening & tightening of bow

Contents
1. Development of string instruments all over the world.................................................................1
2. The history of bowed string instruments around the world.............................................1
3. The history of bowed string instruments in India, Srilanka Ravan Hato and Dhanurveena..........2
4. Migration to the West and the basis for the violin.........................................................................3
5. Earliest evidence of violins..............................................................................................................3
6. Origin of violin.................................................................................................................................4
7. Violin makers in 1600.....................................................................................................................4
8. Improvisation and construction of the violin in the 18th century,.................................................7
9. Violin...............................................................................................................................................7
10. luthier..........................................................................................................................................8
11. Violin brands............................................................................................................................8
12. Wood used for manufacturing violin..................................................................................8
13. Size of violins...........................................................................................................................9
14. Maintenance of violin.............................................................................................................9
15. Maintenance of the bow........................................................................................................9
16. Electric Violins.........................................................................................................................9
17. Bow............................................................................................................................................11
18. Rosin..........................................................................................................................................11
19. Archetier....................................................................................................................................11
20. Bowing Techniques..............................................................................................................12
21. Violin holding position..............................................................................................................12
22. About Indian Classical Violin.....................................................................................................12
23. Advent to India..........................................................................................................................13
24. The credit for violin innovation in Carnatic music........................................................13
25. Story of the ‘Indianization’ of the Violin..........................................................................14
26. Advances in Indian Classical Violin...........................................................................................16
27. The Indian Style of Playing the Violin..............................................................................16
28. Indian Violin Today....................................................................................................................16
29. Posture for Carnatic violinist.............................................................................................17
30. Oldest violin..............................................................................................................................17
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31. Most Expensive Violin on Record / Costliest violin..............................................................17
32. Greatest western Violinist.........................................................................................................17
33. Voice of violin............................................................................................................................19
34. Tonal quality of violin.................................................................................................................19
35. Strings........................................................................................................................................19
 Table showing the string nos. to be used for different pitch..........................................................20
 Famous string brands................................................................................................................20
36. Parts of the violin.......................................................................................................................22
37. How to select violin...................................................................................................................22
38. Size of violin...............................................................................................................................23
39. Acoustic and Electric violins.......................................................................................................24
40. Violin holding position in western style.....................................................................................24
41. NEWS paper article MetroPlus Bangalore Chennai Hyderabad Kochi..........25
42. Pictures of Violin, Viola, Cello, Double Bass.............................................................................28
43. Various Bowing Instruments.....................................................................................................28
44. Sri T. Chowdiah,....................................................................................................................29
45. Chowdiah Memorial Hall in Bangalore.....................................................................................29

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 1. Development of string instruments all over the world
A lot of cultures all over the world have developed instruments akin to the violin,
in some cases pre-cursors, in others cousins, near and distant. In India we
have had the ektara, the esraj, the Ravanahatha (which is one of the oldest
stringed instruments in the world, most likely the one OP mentioned, which is
also known as ravanastron mentioned by User) and so on. Another range of
stringed instruments in terms of the veena, the old Tamilian yazh, the sitar, the
tanpura etc. evolved.

2. The history of bowed string instruments around the world

 The violin, viola, and cello were first made in the early 16th century, in Italy.

The first clear record of a violin-like instrument comes from paintings by Gaudenzio
Ferrari (1530s.)

 The history of bowed string instruments in Europe goes back to the 9th century
with the Byzantine lira (or lūrā, Greek: λύρα).
 Since their invention, instruments in the violin family have seen a number of
changes.
 The overall pattern for the instrument was set in the 17th century by luthiers like
the prolific Amati family, Jakob Stainer of the Tyrol, and Antonio Stradivari, with
many makers at the time and since following their templates.

3. The history of bowed string instruments in India, Srilanka Ravan

Hato and Dhanurveena
"Found in the inner praharam of Chidambaram Natrajar Temple. According to
Tibetian mythology dictionary by Ramson Lamba, the violin in North India called
as Ravan Hato and Dhanurveena in South India. Marco Polo, the Italian
explorer carried the instrument to Italy during 15th century. Ref: David Butler
and Keith Miles"

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 the violin in North India called as Ravan Hato and
Dhanurveena in South India.

The ravanahatha is believed by the Sinhalese to

have originated among the Hela civilization of Sri
Lanka during the time of the demon king Ravana.
The bowl is made of a cut coconut shell that is
covered with goat hide.
A Dandi, made of bamboo, is attached to this shell. The
two principle strings are made of steel and horsehair,
respectively. The long bow has jingle bells. In India, the
origin of Violin is traced into the Ravanastrom. This
instrument is said to have belonged to a sovereign of
India in 5000 BC. It is similar to the ancient instrument
called ravanhatha, which is found even today in Rajasthan.
Mythology credits this creation to Ravana from Ramayana.

The violin in the form we know and use it today in Indian

Classical Music most certainly did not originate immediately
before in India, as Amar Prabhu proves beyond
doubt. I just thought I would add this interesting fact that
while the violin as we know it today did not originate in India, like all things Indian/
Indianized, the violin too crept into Indian music by taking on a unique character: there
is something "original" about the use of violin in India, in that the Indian style of
playing a violin is unique

The Ravanahatha (variant names: ravanhatta, rawanhattha, ravanastron, ravana hasta

veena) is an ancient bowed violin, once popular in Western India and Sri Lanka. It is
2
an ancient Indian stringed musical instrument on which western stringed musical
instruments such as the violin and viola were later based.[1][2]

4. Migration to the West and the basis for the violin

Arab traders to India carried the ravanhatha with them between the seventh and the
tenth centuries. Through these trading routes, it reached Arabia, and subsequently the
Mediterranean.[7] In Spain, Italy and Europe, it served as the basis for stringed
instruments used in western classical music, the viola and the violin. [8][2][9]

5. Earliest evidence of violins

The earliest pictures of violins, albeit with three strings, are seen in northern Italy around
1530, at around the same time as the words "violino" and "vyollon" are seen in Italian
and French documents. One of the earliest explicit descriptions of the instrument,
including its tuning, was in the Epitome musical by Jambe de Fer, published in Lyon in
1556.[13] By this time, the violin had already begun to spread throughout Europe.
The violin immediately became very popular, both among street musicians and the
nobility, illustrated by the fact that the French king Charles IX ordered Andrea Amati to
construct 24 violins for him in 1560.[14] One of these instruments, now called the Charles
IX, is the oldest surviving violin. The finest Renaissance carved and decorated violin in
the world is theGasparo da Salò (1574 c.) owned by Ferdinand II, Archduke of
Austria and later, from 1841, by the Norwegian virtuosoOle Bull, who used it for forty
years and thousands of concerts, for his very powerful and beautiful tone, similar to
those of a Guarneri. It is now in the Vestlandske Kustindustrimuseum
in Bergen (Norway). "The Messiah" or "Le Messie" (also known as the "Salabue") made
by Antonio Stradivari in 1716 remains pristine. It is now located in the Ashmolean
Museumof Oxford.[15]

6. Origin of violin
The origins of the violin are uncertain and open to debate, but it is generally agreed
the instrument we know today in western music as the violin had its origin in the
Arabic rabab.

There are stringed instruments from many different cultures and times that each,
indirectly or directly, have had a part in the development of the instrument now known
as the violin. These instruments, such as the Greek kithara dating from the 7th century
3
BC or the Chinese erhu dating from the middle 8th century AD, while important to the
development of stringed instruments and bowed stringed instruments, do not directly
relate to the violin.

The violin, viola, and cello were first made in the early 16th century, in Italy. The
earliest evidence for their existence is in paintings by Gaudenzio Ferrari from the 1530s,
though Ferrari's instruments had only three strings. The Academie musicale, a treatise
written in 1556 by Philibert Jambe de Fer, gives a clear description of the violin family
much as we know it today.

A violin generally consists of a spruce top (the soundboard, also known as the top
plate,table, or belly), maple ribs and back,

7. Violin makers in 1600

The two most famous tite violin makers, Antonio Stradivari (1644–1737) and Giuseppe
Guarneri del Gesù (1698–1744), both used an open string length of 12.8 in (327 mm)
for their violins, which had already been established a generation before by Jacob
Stainer (c. 1617–1683). Later makers have been unwilling to deviate from this.

………………………………………………………..
The most famous violin makers (luthiers) between the 16th century and the 18th century
include:
1658 Baroque violin by Jacob Stainer

 The school of Brescia, beginning in the late 14th with liras, violettas, violas and
active in the field of the violin in the first half of 16th century

 The Dalla Corna family, active 1510–1560 in Brescia andVenice

 The Micheli family, active 1530–1615 in Brescia

 The Inverardi family active 1550–1580 in Brescia

 The Gasparo da Salò family, active 1530–1615 in Brescia andSalò

 Giovanni Paolo Maggini, student of Gasparo da Salò, active 1600–1630 in

Brescia

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 The school of Cremona, beginning in the half of the 16th century with violas and
violone and in the field of violin in the second half of the 16th century

 The Amati family, active 1550–1740 in Cremona

 The Guarneri family, active 1626–1744 in Cremona and Venice

 The Stradivari family, active 1644–1737 in Cremona

 The school of Venice, with the presence of several makers of bowed instruments
from the early 16th century out of more than 140 makers of string instruments
registered between 1490-1630.[16]

 The Linarolo family, active 1505-1640 in Venice

 Matteo Goffriller, known for his celli, active 1685-1742 in Venice

 Pietro Guarneri, son of Giuseppe Giovanni Battista Guarneri and from

Cremona, active 1717-1762 in Venice

 Domenico Montagnana, active circa 1700-1750 in Venice

 Santo Serafin, active before 1741 until 1776 in Venice

……………………………………………………………………………….

Instruments of approximately 300 years of age, especially those made by Stradivari and
Guarneri del Gesù, are the most sought after instruments (for both collectors and
performers). In addition to the skill and reputation of the maker, an instrument's age can
also influence both price and quality.
The most famous violin makers, between the early 16th century and the 18th century
included:

 Micheli family of Italian violin makers, Zanetto Micheli 1490 - 1560, Pellegrino
Micheli 1520 - 1607, Giovanni Micheli 1562 - 1616, Francesco Micheli 1579 - 1615,
and the brother in law Battista Doneda 1529 - 1610

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 Bertolotti da Salò (Gasparo da Salò) family of Italian violin and double bass
players and makers: Francesco 1513 - 1563 and Agostino 1510 - 1584 Bertolotti,
Gasparo Bertolotti 1540 - 1609 called Gasparo da Salò

 Giovanni Paolo Maggini 1580 - 1630 pupil of Gasparo da Salò

 Amati family of Italian violin makers, Andrea Amati (1500–1577), Antonio Amati
(1540–1607), Hieronymous Amati I (1561–1630),Nicolo Amati (1596–1684),
Hieronymous Amati II (1649–1740)

 Guarneri family of Italian violin makers, Andrea Guarneri (1626–1698), Pietro of

Mantua (1655–1720), Giuseppe Giovanni Battista Guarneri (Joseph filius Andreae)
(1666–1739), Pietro Guarneri (of Venice) (1695–1762), and Giuseppe Guarneri (del
Gesu) (1698–1744)

 Antonio Stradivari (1644–1737) of Cremona

 Jacob Stainer (1617–1683) of Absam in Tyrol

However, violins are also frequently used in jazz, a number of different forms of rock
and roll and metal, and descendants of folk including country music and bluegrass
music. Further, the violin has come to be played in many non-Western music cultures all
over the world. The violin is sometimes informally called a fiddle, regardless of the type
of music played on it.

The earliest stringed instruments were mostly plucked (e.g. the

Greek lyre). Bowed instruments may have originated in the equestriancultures of
Central Asia, an example being the Tanbur originated in modern-
day Uzbekistan or Kobyz (Kazakh: қобыз) (kyl-kobyz) - an ancient Turkic, Kazakh string
instrument or Mongolian instrument Morin huur:
Turkic and Mongolian horsemen from Inner Asia were probably the world’s
earliest fiddlers. Their two-stringed upright fiddles were strung
with horsehair strings, played with horsehair bows, and often feature a
carved horse’s head at the end of the neck. The violins,violas, and cellos we play
today, and whose bows are still strung with horsehair, are a legacy of the
nomads.[7]

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 It is believed that these instruments eventually spread to China, India, the Byzantine
Empire and the Middle East, where they developed into instruments such as
the erhu in China, the rebab in the Middle East, the lyra in the Byzantine Empire,
and the esraj in India. The violin in its present form emerged in early 16th-Century
Northern Italy, perhaps from the popular medieval European vielle, also called
a fidel orviuola, which was itself derived from the aforementioned Byzantine lyra.

8. Improvisation and construction of the violin in the 18th century,

Significant changes occurred in the construction of the violin in the 18th century,
particularly in the length and angle of the neck, as well as a heavier bass bar. The
majority of old instruments have undergone these modifications, and hence are in a
significantly different state than when they left the hands of their makers, doubtless with
differences in sound and response.[17] But these instruments in their present condition
set the standard for perfection in violin craftsmanship and sound, and violin makers all
over the world try to come as close to this ideal as possible.
To this day, instruments from the so-called Golden Age of violin making, especially
those made by Stradivari, Guarneri del Gesù and Montagnana are the most sought-
after instruments by both collectors and performers. The current record amount paid for
a Stradivari violin is £9.8 million (US$15.9 million), when the instrument known as
the Lady Blunt was sold by Tarisio Auctions in an online auction on June 20, 2011.[18]

9. Violin
The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the
smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which
includes the viola and cello.

The violin is sometimes informally called a fiddle, regardless of the type of music played
on it. The word violin comes from the Middle Latin word vitula, meaning stringed
instrument; this word is also believed to be the source of the Germanic "fiddle".

A person who makes or repairs violins is called a luthier, or simply a violin maker. The
parts of a violin are usually made from different types of wood (although electric violins
may not be made of wood at all, since their sound may not be dependent on specific
acoustic characteristics of the instrument's construction), and it is usually strung with
gut, nylon or other synthetic, or steel strings.

7
Someone who plays the violin is called a violinist or a fiddler. The violinist produces
sound by drawing a bow across one or more strings (which may be stopped by the
fingers of the other hand to produce a full range of pitches), by plucking the strings (with
either hand), or by a variety of other techniques. The violin is played by musicians in a
wide variety of musical genres, including Baroque music, classical, jazz, folk music, and
rock and roll. The violin has come to be played in many non-western music cultures all
over the world.

 Players of bowed string instruments rub cakes or blocks of rosin on their bow
hair so it can grip the strings and make them speak, or vibrate clearly.
 The hair must be frequently rubbed with rosin in order to grip the strings and
cause them to vibrate.

 Sound and tonal quality : The distinctive sound of a violin is the result of
interactions between its many parts. Drawing a bow across the strings causes
them to vibrate. This vibration is transmitted through the bridge and sound post to
the body of the violin (mainly the top and back), which allows the sound to
effectively radiate into the surrounding air. The tension and type of strings,
placement and tension of the sound post, quality of the bow, and the construction
of the body, all contribute to the loudness and tonal quality of the sound.

Playing note;
For the beginning player, the highest note available on a violin is made by
pressing the fourth finger down on the E-string, sounding a B.

10. luthier
A luthier (/ˈluːtiər/ LOO-ti-ər)[1] is someone who makes or repairs string
instruments generally consisting of a neck and a sound box. The word luthier comes
from the French wordluth, which means lute. The term originally referred to makers
of lutes and is now used interchangeably with any term that refers to makers of a
specific, or specialty, type of stringed instrument, such as violin maker, guitar
maker, lute maker, but excluding makers of instruments such as harps and pianos,

11. Violin brands

Amati, Stainer, Stradivari, Höfner , Guarneri

12. Wood used for manufacturing violin

8
The wood used included spruce for the top, willow for the internal blocks and linings,
and maple for the back, ribs, and neck. There has been conjecture that this wood was
treated with several types of minerals,
Wood

 ebony colored poplar (purfling)

 ebony colored poplar or persimmon (fingerboard)

 maple and spruce (top and back)

 plywood ½" A/C (rib mold)

 plywood ¾" A/C (rib mold)

 spruce or willow (ribs)

13. Size of violins

Smaller scale instruments are used extensively to teach younger players. The size of
these is described by a "conventional" fraction that has no mathematical significance.
For example, a 7/8 violin has a scale of about 317 mm, a 3/4-size instrument a scale of
307 mm, a half-size one 287 mm, and a quarter-size one 267 mm. 1/8, 1/10, 1/16 and
1/32 and even 1/64 violins also exist, becoming progressively smaller, but again in no
proportional relationship. (A full-size instrument is described as 4/4.)

14. Maintenance of violin

With careful maintenance, a violin can last and improve for many years. A well-tended
violin can outlive many generations of players, so it is wise to take a curatorial view
when caring for a violin. Most importantly, if the collected rosin dust is not wiped from
the varnish, and left for long enough, it will fuse with the varnish, and become
impossible to remove without damage.

15. Maintenance of the bow

For the bow, the only real maintenance is regular cleaning of the stick with a cloth, and
re-hairing. In the course of playing the violin, hairs are often lost from the bow, making it
necessary to have it re-haired periodically, which is done by professionals

Loosening the hair when the bow is not being used helps keep the bow from becoming
"sprung," or losing its camber, and the hair from becoming stretched.

9
There are now bows available made from fiberglass or carbon composite which are less
fragile.

16. Electric Violins

Although the violin is an instrument used extensively in classical music, electric violins
are generally employed by classical performers only in the performance
of contemporary classical music. The electric violin is more frequently used by non-
classical musicians in popular genres such as metal, rock, hip hop, pop, jazz/jazz
fusion, country, new-age, and experimental music.

A Stradivarius is one of the violins, violas, cellos and other string instruments built by
members of the Italian family Stradivari (Stradivarius), particularly Antonio Stradivari,
during the 17th and 18th centuries. According to their reputation, the quality of their
sound has defied attempts to explain or equal it, though this belief is disputed. [1][2] The
name "Stradivarius" has become a superlative often associated with excellence; to be
called "the Stradivari" of any field is to be deemed the finest there is. The fame of
Stradivarius instruments is widespread, appearing in numerous works of fiction.

10
 17. Bow

A violin is usually played using a bow consisting of a stick with a ribbon of horsehair
strung between the tip and frog (or nut, or heel) at opposite ends. A typical violin bow
may be 75 cm (29 inches) overall, and weigh about 60 g (2.1 oz). Viola bows may be
about 5 mm (0.20 in) shorter and 10 g (0.35 oz) heavier.

The hair of the bow traditionally comes from the tail of a grey male horse (which
has predominantly white hair), though some cheaper bows use synthetic fiber.
18. Rosin

 Rosin, also called colophony or Greek pitch (Pix græca), is a solid form
of resin obtained from pines and some other plants, mostlyconifers, produced by
heating fresh liquid resin to vaporize the volatile liquid terpene components. It is
semi-transparent and varies in color from yellow to black. At room temperature
rosin is brittle, but it melts at stove-top temperature. It chiefly consists of
various resin acids, especially abietic acid.[1] The term "colophony" comes
from colophonia resina or "resin from the pine trees of Colophon," an
ancientIonic city

Occasional rubbing with rosin makes the hair grip the strings intermittently, causing
them to vibrate. Originally the stick was made out of snakewood, but modern day bows
are now traditionally made of brazilwood, although a stick made from a more select
quality (and more expensive) brazilwood is called pernambuco. Both types come from
the same tree species. Some student bows are made of fiberglass or various
inexpensive woods. Some recent bow design innovations use carbon fiber for the
stick, at all levels of craftsmanship.

Bowing

19. Archetier
A bow maker/archetier is a person who builds, repairs or restores ancient or modern
bows for instruments of the violin family. These include violins, violas, cellos, double
basses,viola d'amore, viola da gamba, etc.

11
 20. Bowing Techniques

The violin produces louder notes when the player either moves the bow faster or
pushes down harder on the string. The two methods are not equivalent, because they
produce different timbres; pressing down on the string tends to produce a harsher, more
intense sound.

The location where the bow intersects the string also influences timbre. Playing close to
the bridge (sul ponticello) gives a more intense sound than usual, emphasizing the
higher harmonics; and playing with the bow over the end of the fingerboard (sul tasto)
makes for a delicate, ethereal sound, emphasizing the fundamental frequency.

Occasionally the strings are struck with the back of the bow (col legno). This gives a
much more percussive sound, and is most effective when employed by a full orchestral
violin section, since it produces little volume.

A second, more modern percussive technique is called the "chop," in which the hair
near the bottom of the bow is struck against the strings

21. Violin holding position

The jaw and the shoulder must hold the violin firmly enough to allow it to remain stable
when the left hand goes from a high position to a low one. (In the Indian posture the
stability of the violin is guaranteed by its scroll resting on the side of the foot).
While all authorities insist on the vital importance of good posture both for the sake of
the quality of the playing and to reduce the chance of repetitive strain injury, advice as
to what good posture is and how to achieve it differs in details. However all insist on the
importance of a natural relaxed position without tension or rigidity. Things which are
almost universally recommended is keeping the left wrist straight (or very nearly so) to
allow the fingers of the left hand to move freely and to reduce the chance of injury and
keeping either shoulder in a natural relaxed position and avoiding raising either of them
in an exaggerated manner. This, like any other unwarranted tension, would limit
freedom of motion, and increase the risk of injury.

22. About Indian Classical Violin

The violin is one of the most popular instruments in the world. A simple four-stringed
instrument played with a bow, its bright, dynamic tone and the infinite variety possible
on its fretless fingerboard makes it suitable for almost any kind of music. The origins of

12
the violin are difficult to determine, since bowed string instruments have been
played in many parts of the world for millennia, but the violin in its modern form
was developed in Europe in the 1500s, towards the end of the Renaissance
period. Over the next few centuries, the violin became one of the principal instruments
in Western music, and it was introduced to Indian classical music from the West in the
19th century.
23. Advent to India
From the 16th century onwards, India had experienced extensive influence from
various European powers. In the early 1800s, a prominent Carnatic (South Indian
classical) musician and composer, Baluswamy Dikshitar (1786-1859), brother of the
illustrious Muttusvami Dikshitar of the Carnatic trinity, underwent some training in
Western violin and then began to play Indian music on the instrument. The violin
proved perfectly suited for the music, as the gamakas (glides and oscillations
through the notes – the lifeline of Carnatic music) were not only possible, but
natural and intuitive on the violin. Thus Baluswamy Dikshitar is considered the
father of Indian classical violin. Following him, many other artistes, such as the
famous Tanjavur Vadivelu in the court of Maharaja Swati Tirunal, took to the violin and
helped establish it in the field of Carnatic music.

24. The credit for violin innovation in Carnatic music

However, when it comes to Carnatic music, the basic shortcoming of the veena as the
stringed instrument of choice was its inability to bring out brigas (gamaks). The
quavering middle notes cannot be played on the veena with such finesse as on the
violion, as the veena movement is discrete, while the violin fiddlestick movement is
continuous, a guitar v/s violin analogy. (The veena can play brigas with some technical
mastery but not the full range and extent of a violin).

The credit for violin innovation in Carnatic music therefore goes to one of the
Trinity of Carnatic Music, Muthuswami Dikshitar. He is already revered as one of three
greatest composers ever in this genre. What is little known is his influence in making the
violin a very native, desi instrument in our concerts. MD hails from a family of veena
players, so his composition style was known as "vainika", and came with a lot of brigas,
as such the violin garnered his natural attention. Muthuswami Dikshitar was also the
first of the Indian musicians to actively be inspired by Western tunes heard in and
around cantonments of East India Company circa early 1800s. He was instrumental in
sending his brother Baluswami Dikshitar to those cantonments to learn the "violin", and

13
to aid him he even composed carnatic songs to Western tunes like voulez-vous danzer
etc! This collection known as Nottuswara (literally swaras based on "notes") could be
played perfectly on the violin. Baluswami Dikshitar went on the play even in European
orchestras of his time in India.

Then of course there is the stalwart Vadivelu, mentioned elsewhere in answers here
too, who further refined violin playing in Indian recitals. While there is a whole legacy of
contributions to dance, music and literature from the Thanjavur Quartet of four brothers
of whom Vadivelu is one, it is perhaps unsurprising that the Quartet were disciples of
none other than Muthuswami Dikshitar!

25. Story of the ‘Indianization’ of the Violin

Introduction of violin to Carnatic music

Violin as solo and accompanying & orchestra instrument

luthier, fiddler.

About two hundred years ago, during the British rule over India, the Violin first made its
entry into the annals of South Indian classical music, that is, Carnatic music, chiefly
through the following three persons

Varahappa Iyer

Baluswami Dikshitar

Vadivelu

Also read about the above authors in the section ‘Musical personalities, composers,
Carnatic Tinity’

Indian musical instruments were classified into 5 classes, of which Tara, or string
instrument, played with the bow is of relevance in this context. In those days, though
bowed instruments like Ek Tar, Dilruba, and Esraj were prevalent, only instruments like
Flute [called as Venu in Sanskrit], Sarangi, Vil-yazh, and Veena were used in South
India to provide support to the voice. The timbre, potentiality of the violin, and its ability
to blend with the voice gave the instrument an edge over all other instruments as the
most ideal accompanying instrument.

After the introduction of the violin by Baluswami Dikshitar and others, the efforts of the
next generation of violinists, like Tanjavur Sivaramakrishna Iyer, Annaswamy Sastri
(grandson of Shama Sastri), Fiddle Subbarayar etc. helped the role of the violin to grow

14
further. Gradually the violin took precedence over all others as the main melodic
accompanying instrument to vocal music and has come to stay.

The European violin has been Indianized in many ways during the past 200 years to
produce South Indian classical music.

The Indian classical violinist’s playing posture is different from that of his Western
counterpart. The Western violinist stands with his feet at a right angle and holds the
violin between the left collarbone and chin, the instrument at a perpendicular slant to the
body. The left hand provides the other support to the instrument.

The South Indian violinist sits cross-legged on the floor and balances the instrument
between chest and the ankle bone of right foot, on which rests the scroll of the violin.
This posture facilitates the free movement of the left hand along the fingerboard,
particularly in producing the gamakas (graces) integral to the Carnatic mode. It also
necessitated appropriate changes in bowing technique, the changes being duly made.

In the Western system, the four strings are tuned in the order E A D G from right to left,
each five tones apart. However, in the Carnatic system, the tuning is not absolute but
relative. Beginning with the fourth string (the E string being the first string) the tuning is
as follows: tonic, dominant, tonic octave higher, dominant octave higher (the tonic being
variable in Carnatic music).

Carnatic music system revolves around vocal music. Therefore, any instrument with
unique qualities can best complement vocal music. The violin, because of its unique
qualities, has earned its place as an accompanying instrument and also as a solo
instrument. The instrument can be tuned to any pitch that the vocalist chooses. The bow
lends continuity to the instrument, a necessary ingredient for vocal music.

The tonal quality and the volume that it produces enable it to blend with the human
voice. The area of operation is small, thus making it possible to play any speed to match
the vocalist with ease. Its range includes 3 octaves, which is the normal range for a
good vocalist. It can produce all subtle nuances, graces (gamakas), modulations, and
all the microtones (srutis) which characterize our music. It can paint any musical phrase
evoked by any other instrument.

The phenomenal potentialities of the instrument enable it to approximate the human

voice very closely. In other words, it can kindle the bhava that the voice produces with
the same intensity. So it has inspired and helped the vocalist and other instrumentalists.
All these qualities have earned the violin the place it deserves and enjoys.

It must be noted that these are additional merits in comparison to other instruments, so
over the years, apart from being an accompanying instrument, the violin has emerged
as a solo instrument in the hands of virtuosos in no less measure than when compared
to any other solo instrument.
15
 26. Advances in Indian Classical Violin
The violin quickly dominated the role of accompaniment, as it proved very capable of
following and responding to the music of the voice and of other instruments. In this
respect, many great violinists flourished. However, another pioneer, Dwaram
Venkataswamy Naidu (1893-1964), brought the violin into center stage and exhibited its
vast potential as a lead instrument as well. Since, many great soloists and duettists
emerged, contributing in their own ways to the art of playing the violin.
27. The Indian Style of Playing the Violin
Although the construction of the violin is the same in Indian and Western music, the
tuning, playing posture, and techniques are quite different. Firstly, the strings are tuned
in the following pattern to suit the tonic note (shruti) based approach to melody in Indian
music:

Thus, if the tonic note were D, for instance, the string arrangement would be A & D in
two octaves.

The next major difference in playing the violin in Indian music is the posture. Indian
music is performed seated on the ground, and violinists have also followed suit. The
violin leans vertically on the neck or chest, with the scroll resting on the right foot. Chin
rests in the Western fashion are not needed, due to the difference in posture. The bow
is gripped by the wooden shaft with the thumb between the shaft and the hair, again
necessitated by the change in posture.
28. Indian Violin Today
Today, the violin is not only ubiquitous in Carnatic music, but has also become a
popular instrument among North Indian classical (Hindustani) musicians. Since the
violin was adopted into Hindustani music in the early 20th century, many stalwart
Hindustani violinists have emerged and captivated many an audience with their unique
style of playing the violin. Indian violin has also gained worldwide popularity, with
legends from Yehudi Menuhin onwards expressing their admiration for the way Indian
musicians have handled the instrument.

Thus the violin, an amazingly versatile instrument, is now a true part of India’s rich
musical heritage.

16
 29. Posture for Carnatic violinist
The Carnatic violinist, sitting cross-legged, braces the instrument lightly between chest
and hollow of the right ankle, where the scroll of the violin rests. The left hand is thus
freed from having to support the instrument as in the Western hold, and the player
moves with ease among the various positions. (The term "position" on the violin refers
to the placement of the left hand relative to the end of the fingerboard. In first position
the index finger is at an interval of a second above the open string; in second position it
is a third above the open string; and so on.)

The violin is first known in 16th-century Italy, with some further modifications occurring
in the 18th and 19th centuries.
30. Oldest violin
The oldest confirmed surviving violin, dated inside, is the "Charles IX" by Andrea
Amati, made in Cremona in 1564, but the label is very doubtful. The Metropolitan
Museum of Art has an Amati violin that may be even older, possibly dating to 1558 but
also this date is very doubtful.

31. Most Expensive Violin on Record / Costliest violin

A rare Stradivari viola, considered to be one of the finest in existence, is expected to

fetch more than $45 million in a sealed bids sale which set a world record for the most
expensive musical instrument ever sold - March 2014

The world auction price for a musical instrument is $15.9 million, which was set in an
online auction in June 2011 for the 'Lady Blunt' Stradivari violin of 1721.

In May of 2006, a violin made by Antonio Stradivari, known as "The Hammer", was sold
by Christie's auction house for the record sum of $3,544,000. Based on the current
exchange rate (0.692501), that's €2,454,223!

32. Greatest western Violinist

Yehudi Menuhin (1916-1999) was a violinist, conductor and child prodigy. Only seven
years of age, Menuhin performed at Carnegie Hall in New York. Although open to
debate, Yehudi Menuhin is today considered to be the greatest violinist of all time.

17
 Amati, Stradivari, Guarneri and others were created in France, Germany and
throughout Europe.

18
 33. Voice of violin

The voice of a violin depends on its shape, the wood it is made from, the graduation
(the thickness profile) of both the top and back, and the varnish that coats its outside
surface. The varnish and especially the wood continue to improve with age, making the
fixed supply of old violins much sought-after.

34. Tonal quality of violin

Achieving a tonal characteristic that is effective and pleasing to the player's and
listener's ear is something of an art, and the makers of string instruments often seek
very high quality woods to this end, particularly spruce (chosen for its lightness, strength
and flexibility) andmaple (a very hard wood). Spruce is used for the sounding boards of
instruments from the violin to the piano. Instruments such as the banjo use a drum,
covered in natural or synthetic skin as their soundboard.

The neck is usually maple with a flamed figure compatible with that of the ribs and back.
It carries the fingerboard, typically made of ebony, but often some other wood stained or
painted black. Ebony is the preferred material because of its hardness, beauty, and
superior resistance to wear.

The bridge is a precisely cut piece of maple

Thesound post, or soul post, fits precisely inside the instrument between the back and
top, below the treble foot of the bridge, which it helps support. It also transmits
vibrations between the top and the back of the instrument.

35. Strings

Strings usually have a colored silk wrapping at both ends, for identification and
to provide friction against the pegs.

19
Strings were first made of sheep gut (commonly known as catgut), or simply gut, which
was stretched, dried, and twisted. In the early years of the 20th century, strings were
made of either gut, silk, aluminum, or steel. Modern strings may be gut, solid steel,
stranded steel, or various synthetic materials, wound with various metals, and
sometimes plated with silver. Most E strings are unwound, either plain or gold-plated
steel. Currently, violin strings are not made with gut as much, but many performers use
them to achieve a specific sound especially in historically informed performance.

 Table showing the string nos. to be used for different pitch

Pitch /String E A D G

½ to 1 28 25 22 19

1 to 1½ 29 26 23 20

2 to 2½ 29½ 27 24 21

2½ to 3 30 28 25 22

4 to 4½ 31 29 26 23

5 to 5½ 32 29½ 27 24/25

6 to 6½ 33 30 28 25/26

 Famous string brands

 Karuna Electrometal Violin Strings – Economical, basic & advanced

level
 Pirastro Chromocor German Violin Strings - advanced level

20
21
36. Parts of the violin

37. How to select violin

22
 38. Size of violin

Size of the violin Measurement in mm Age group

4/4 356mm about 14inches
3/4 335 mm (about 13 inches),
1/2 size is 310 mm (about 12 inches).

Apart from the standard, full (4/4) size, violins are also made in so-called fractional sizes
of 7/8, 3/4, 1/2, 1/4, 1/8, 1/10, 1/16, 1/32 and even 1/64. These smaller instruments are
commonly used by young players, whose fingers are not long enough to reach the
correct positions on full-sized instruments.
While related in some sense to the dimensions of the instruments, the fractional sizes
are not intended to be literal descriptions of relative proportions. For example, a 3/4-
sized instrument is not three-quarters the length of a full size instrument. The body
length (not including the neck) of a full-size, or 4/4, violin is 356 mm (about 14 inches),
smaller in some 17th-century models. A 3/4 violin's body length is 335 mm (about
13 inches), and a 1/2 size is 310 mm (about 12 inches). With the violin's closest family
member, the viola, size is specified as body length in inches or centimeters rather than
fractional sizes. A full-size viola averages 16 inches (40 cm).

23
 39. Acoustic and Electric violins

Electric violins have a magnetic or

piezoelectric pickup that converts string
vibration to an electric signal. A patch cable or
wireless transmitter sends the signal to an
amplifier. Electric violins are usually
constructed as such, but a pickup can be
added to a conventional acoustic violin. An
electric violin with a resonating body that
produces listening-level sound independently
of the electric elements can be called an electro-acoustic violin. To be effective as an
acoustic violin, electro-acoustic violins retain much of the resonating body of the violin,
and often resemble an acoustic violin or fiddle. The body may be finished in bright
colors and made from alternative materials to wood. These violins may need to be
hooked up to an instrument amplifier or PA system. Some types come with a silent
option that allows the player to use headphones that are hooked up to the violin. The
first specially builtelectric violins date back to 1928 and were made by Victor Pfeil,
Oskar Vierling, George Eisenberg, Benjamin Miessner, George Beauchamp, Hugo
Benioff and Fredray Kislingbury. These violins can be plugged into effect units, just like
an electric guitar, including distortion, wah-wah pedal and reverb. Since electric violins
do not rely on string tension and resonance to amplify their sound they can have more
strings. For example, five-stringed electric violins are available from several
manufacturers, and a seven string electric violin (with three lower strings encompassing
the cello's range) is also available.[31] The majority of the first electric violinists were
musicians playing jazz and popular music.

40. Violin holding position in western style

The standard way of holding the violin is with the left side of the jaw resting on
the chinrest of the violin, and supported by the left shoulder, often assisted by
a shoulder rest (or a sponge and an elastic band for younger players who struggle with
shoulder rests). The jaw and the shoulder must hold the violin firmly enough to allow it
to remain stable when the left hand goes from a high position to a low one. (In the
Indian posture the stability of the violin is guaranteed by its scroll resting on the side of
the foot).
While all authorities insist on the vital importance of good posture both for the
sake of the quality of the playing and to reduce the chance of repetitive strain
injury, advice as to what good posture is and how to achieve it differs in details.

24
However all insist on the importance of a natural relaxed position without tension or
rigidity. Things which are almost universally recommended is keeping the left wrist
straight (or very nearly so) to allow the fingers of the left hand to move freely and to
reduce the chance of injury and keeping either shoulder in a natural relaxed position
and avoiding raising either of them in an exaggerated manner. This, like any other
unwarranted tension, would limit freedom of motion, and increase the risk of injury.

in the course of a shift in low positions, the thumb of the left hand moves up or down the
neck of the instrument so as to remain in the same position relative to the fingers
(though the movement of the thumb may occur slightly before, or slightly after, the
movement of the fingers). In such positions, the thumb is often thought of as an 'anchor'
whose location defines what position the player is in. In very high positions, the thumb is
unable to move with the fingers as the body of the instrument gets in the way. Instead,
the thumb works around the next of the instrument to sit at the point at which the neck
meets the right bout of the body, and remains there while the fingers move between the
high positions.

41. NEWS paper article MetroPlus

Bangalore Chennai Hyderabad Kochi

 The violin in Carnatic music

 Innovative musicians adapted the violin, primarily a Western instrument, to

Carnatic music and developed a whole new technique of playing,
indistinguishable from its original sound patterns.
 Perfectly attuned to Indian style of playing.

 TO A Carnatic musician, the violin, after the Indian Railways, is the important
contribution bequeathed by the British Raj. In fact, the introduction of the violin
preceded the Indian Railways by a good half century.

 Voice has been (and still is) central to both Hindustani and Carnatic music. Not
that India had a dearth of bowed string instruments to accompany the voice.
Ektar, dilruba, esraj, and sarangi were used as accompanying instruments,
mostly in the North. The styles differed a lot, and the sarangi was not the perfect
match for a South Indian voice. The violin changed all that. There were four great
musicians of the 18th and 19th Centuries who are credited with the introduction
of the violin in India.

25
 Balaswami Dikshitar (1786-1859), brother of Muthuswami Dikshitar, was
patronised by Manali Muthukrishna Mudaliar, interpreter to the British Governor,
Pigot. Introduced by Mudaliar to Western music at a performance of the
European orchestra (or band as it was called), attached to the East India
Company, Balaswami trained for three years on the violin. A gifted musician, he
contributed much towards adapting the instrument for use in Carnatic music. It
resulted in his appointment as State Vidwan of Ettayapuram in 1824.

 Varahappa Iyer, a minister in the Tanjore Maratha court and a musician himself,
was close to the British Governor in Madras. He took an interest in various
instruments in the Governor's band. Curiously, his first choice was the piano with
its seven octaves, but settled down to learn the violin, which he felt could be best
adapted to Carnatic music traditions. You could not play gamaka on a piano.

 In time, he started playing so well that the Governor presented him with a violin.
He too, like Balaswami Dikshitar, adapted the violin for accompaniment to the
human voice. There is a road named after him in Tanjore in his honour.
Krishnaswamy Bhagavathar also learned the instrument around the same time
and attained a degree of proficiency.

 The person who really popularised the violin to the extent that it became a totally
accepted instrument in the rendition of Carnatic music was Vadivelu (1810-1845),
of the Tanjore Quartet (all of whom were students of Muthuswami Dikshitar).
Vadivelu had the good fortune of being appointed the Asthana Vidwan in the
court of none other than the composer-king Swati Tirunal. His encouragement
and patronage saw the violin being performed not only as an accompaniment to
the voice, but also as an instrument that even played solo passages during a
dance performance.

 Significantly, in spite of being a Western instrument with technique developed to

suit playing Western classical music, the instrument could be adapted to the
needs of Carnatic music. Many Western techniques redundant in Carnatic music
were simply overlooked and later discarded.

26
 The first of these was the basic way the violin was tuned, held and played.
Carnatic music required the violinist to sit cross-legged on a platform. The violin
was, therefore, balanced between the chest and the scroll held by the anklebone
of the right foot.

 The posture felicitated the free flow of the left hand along the fingerboard. This
necessitated appropriate changes in the bowing technique, which were duly
innovated. Western techniques like colegnio (using the wooden side of the bow
instead of the horse hair), marcellato (hammering), and even pizzicato (plucking)
were not of much use to the Indian violinist.

 Double stopping was more for showing off rather than for any musical use,
because a note not conforming to the domain of the raga crept in. The technique
that was most useful and modified to perfection was the glissando (sliding).

 The changed bowing and posture produced all subtle nuances, gamakas,
modulations and all the srutis.

 It also shifted the emphasis from arm movement and dropping down of the
fingers on the right note to more emphasis on the wrist movement and "reaching"
for the note and expertly tackling the gamakas.

 To top it all, the tuning itself was changed to suit the lower pitch in which the
vocalists sang.

 In short, a whole new technique now almost indistinguishable from its Western
counterpart was perfected to suit a totally new type of music. Therein lies the
greatness of the Indian innovations and, of course, the versatility of the violin as
an instrument.

 SATISH KAMATH
27
 42. Pictures of Violin, Viola, Cello, Double Bass

Violin Viola Cello (violoncello) Double bass

43. Various Bowing Instruments

28
 Esraj Dilruba
violin Sarangi

Electric violin

29
 44. Sri T. Chowdiah,
Tirumakudalu Chowdiah was a violin maestro from India in the Carnatic classical
tradition.

Tirumakudalu Chowdiah, who’s also known as T. Chowdiah, was a gifted violinist and
was considered as a legend in the realm of Carnatic music. He was born in 1895 in a
village named Tirumakudalu near Mysore.

Born: 1895, Tirumakudal Narsipur

Died: January 19, 1967

Genres: Carnatic music

Movies: Vani

Awards: Sangeet Natak Akademi Award for Carnatic

Music - Instrumental (Violin)

Chowdiah composed many varnas, kirthana's and

thillanas.

He was awarded the Sangeetha Kalanidhi title

by Madras Music Academy in 1957. He also received
the Sangeetha Kalasikhamani award conferred on him by The Indian Fine Arts Society
in 1958.

The unique violin shaped Chowdiah Memorial Hall in Bangalore stands in memory of
this great personality.

Kannada film star, politician Ambareesh is the grandson of Chowdiah.

45. Chowdiah Memorial Hall in Bangalore

30
 . .
s s

arohana n n avarohana

d d

p p

m m

g g

r r

s s

**********

31
32
Bowing techniques[edit]

The most essential part of bowing technique is the bow grip. It is usually with the thumb bent in the
small area between the frog and the winding of the bow. The other fingers are spread somewhat
evenly across the top part of the bow. The pinky finger is curled with the tip of the finger placed on
the wood next to the screw.

The violin produces louder notes with greater bow speed or more weight on the string. The two
methods are not equivalent, because they produce different timbres; pressing down on the string
tends to produce a harsher, more intense sound. One can also achieve a louder sound by placing
the bow closer to the bridge.

The sounding point where the bow intersects the string also influences timbre. Playing close to the
bridge (sul ponticello) gives a more intense sound than usual, emphasizing the higher harmonics;
and playing with the bow over the end of the fingerboard (sul tasto) makes for a delicate, ethereal
sound, emphasizing the fundamental frequency. Dr. Suzukireferred to the sounding point as
the Kreisler highway; one may think of different sounding points as lanes in the highway.

Various methods of attack with the bow produce different articulations. There are many bowing
techniques that allow for every range of playing style and many teachers, players, and orchestras
spend a lot of time developing techniques and creating a unified technique within the group. These
techniques include legato-style bowing, collé, ricochet, sautillé,martelé, spiccato, and staccato.

Pizzicato[edit]

A note marked pizz. (abbreviation for pizzicato) in the written music is to be played by plucking the
string with a finger of the right hand rather than by bowing. (The index finger is most commonly used
here.) Sometimes in virtuoso solo music where the bow hand is occupied (or for show-off
effect), left-hand pizzicato will be indicated by a + (plus sign) below or above the note. In left-hand
pizzicato, two fingers are put on the string; one (usually the index or middle finger) is put on the
correct note, and the other (usually the ring finger or little finger) is put above the note. The higher
finger then plucks the string while the lower one stays on, thus producing the correct pitch. By
increasing the force of the pluck, one can increase the volume of the note that the string is
producing. Pizzicato are used in orchestral works and in solo showpieces. In orchestral parts,
violinists often have to make very quick shifts from arco to pizzicato, and vice versa.

33
Col legno[edit]

A marking of col legno (Italian for "with the wood") in the written music calls for striking the string(s)
with the stick of the bow, rather than by drawing the hair of the bow across the strings. This bowing
technique is somewhat rarely used, and results in a muted percussive sound. The eerie quality of a
violin section playing col legno is exploited in some symphonic pieces, notably the "Witches' Dance"
of the last movement of Berlioz's Symphonie Fantastique. Saint-Saëns's symphonic poem "Danse
Macabre" includes the string section using the col legno technique to imitate the sound of dancing
skeletons. "Mars" from Gustav Holst's "The Planets" uses col legno to play a repeated rhythm in 5/4
time signature. Benjamin Britten's The Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra demands its use in
the "Percussion" Variation. Dmitri Shostakovich uses it in his Fourteenth Symphony in the movement
'At the Sante Jail'. Some violinists, however, object to this style of playing as it can damage the finish
and impair the value of a fine bow, but most of such will compromise by using a cheap bow for at
least the duration of the passage in question.

Martelé[edit]

Literally hammered, a strongly accented effect produced by releasing each bowstroke forcefully and
suddenly. Martelé can be played in any part of the bow. It is sometimes indicated in written music by
an arrowhead.

Tremolo[edit]

Tremolo is the very rapid repetition (typically of a single note, but occasionally of multiple notes),
usually played at the tip of the bow. Tremolo is marked with three short, slanted lines across the
stem of the note. Tremolo is often used as a sound effect in orchestral music.

Mute or sordino[edit]

Attaching a small metal, rubber, leather, or wooden device called a mute, or sordino, to the bridge of
the violin gives a softer, more mellow tone, with fewer audible overtones; the sound of an entire
orchestral string section playing with mutes has a hushed quality. The conventional Italian markings
for mute usage are con sord., or con sordina, meaning 'with mute'; and senza sord., meaning
'without mute'; or via sord., meaning 'mute off'. Larger metal, rubber, or wooden mutes are widely
available, known as practice mutes orhotel mutes. Such mutes are generally not used in
performance, but are used to deaden the sound of the violin in practice areas such as hotel rooms.
(For practicing purposes there is also the mute violin, a violin without a sound box.) Some
composers have used practice mutes for special effect, for example, at the end of Luciano
Berio's Sequenza VIIIfor solo violin.

34