By: Lyra Wilson
When I think of violins, not going to lie, my first thought is the film/play Fiddler on the Roof. But I also think about the beauty and grace it brings to pieces, songs, or situations. That being said, it’s National Violin Day! I want to bring you a little insight into the instrument. Now, after I tell you these details, maybe don’t go on a roof to play the violin - just to be safe.
A violin is a hand-crafted piece with pegs on the top to tune the strings, the bridge to play the notes, the fingerboard to indicate the notes to be played, and the lovely curvature holes to produce the sound. It’s magnificent to realize that a simple thing made of wood and metallic strings can produce various sounds.
Now, I’m an orchestra girl at heart. I grew up listening to classical music when I was little, but I also played the larger version of the violin - the cello, in my chamber sinfonia orchestra for 15 years. The cello has the same design as a violin, but a deeper sound. That being said, the violin has a higher-pitched sound that works really well in music suites that don’t pertain to just classical music. You also might know it best in country music, some folk/rock pieces, dance performances like Lindsey Sterling, the Nutcracker, and jazz.
A little fact on the subject of violins:
Did you know that Paul McCartney from the Beatles, and producer George Martin, revolutionized pop/rock music by adding strings in the song Yesterday? So thank the two of them for some of your favorite songs being inspired by this contribution to art.
Violins produce a sound that can be very melancholy. Think of the SpongeBob clip, where Mr. Krabs plays the world’s tiniest violin. But it can also make a sound that is promising and optimistic. There are so many ways it can be interpreted and that’s why it is such a beautiful instrument to get your hands on.
Here are some recommended albums or songs that utilize the violin well:
- Positions album: by Ariana Grande
- Yesterday by: The Beatles
- Eleanor Rigby by The Beatles
- The Car album: by Arctic Monkeys
- Livin Thing by ELO
- Georgia On My Mind by Ray Charles
- 2009 by Mac Miller
- Strangers In The Night by Frank Sinatra
- Nat King Cole by Alicia Keys
- Damien Escobar