Violin: Across the musical genres

The violin is a string instrument, which was developed in the early 16th century, in Italy. Violin comes from vitula, a Medieval Latin word, which means stringed instrument.

While the violin has ancient origins, most of it’s characteristics were acquired in the 16th century, and some of them in the 18th and 19th centuries.

The person who plays violin is called a violinist or a fiddler. This instrument is played by drawing a bow across its strings.

The violin is used in multiple musical genres, like jazz, classical, rock and roll, and soft rock. It’s also a very popular instrument all around the world, not only in countries who have western music culture.

A violin with four tailpieces, and the other one with a tailpiece in the E string.

Fiddle.

Mostly when it’s played as a folk instrument, the violin is ordinarily referred in English as a fiddle. There is no difference between a violin and a fiddle, but some folk fiddlers use to alter their instrument for many reasons. For example, in American fiddling, some musicians have the violin’s bridge shaved down, making it less curved. This makes it easier to play two or three notes simultaneously, allowing the musician to play chords with less effort. Also, many fiddlers prefer to use a tailpiece with tuners in all four strings instead of only one in the E string as many classical players do.

Violinist performing with an orchestra.

The popularity of this instrument reminds on its tone, because it stands out above other instruments, which makes it appropriate for playing the melody. Since the 17th century is used in classical music because of that fact.

Beethoven's Violin Romance No.2

The first documents used as a reference of violin being used in jazz performances as a solo instruments are from the first decades of the 20th century. In this genre, the violin is used to improvise and perform using scales and chord progressions unique to compositions of jazz musicians.

Ray Brown Trio feat. Regina Carter - Lady be good

It’s also used in popular music, such as several subgenres of rock and metal.

The violin appears prominently in songs of the Spanish folk metal group Mägo de Oz, for example, in in their 1998 hit “Molinos de Viento”.

Mägo de Oz - "Molinos de viento"

This instrument is also used in symphonic metal, particularly by bands such as Therion, Nightwish, Within Temptation, Haggard and Epica. It can be found also in gothic metal bands, such as Tristania and Theater of Tragedy.

Nightwish - "Siren"

Electric violin.

Electric violins have a magnetic or piezoelectric pickup that converts string vibration to an electric signal. A cable or 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. There are also some types of electric violins which come with a silent option that allows the player to use headphones that are hooked up to the violin.

This kind of violin can have more than four strings, since electric violins do not rely on string tension and resonance to amplify their sound.

Electric violins are used often in many musical genres, such as alternative rock and jazz.

An electric violin with headphones hooked up to it, next to a conventional violin.

From my view.

Personally, I like violins a lot. They can be used in almost every musical genre, and always gives the piece or song a nice touch, this instrument can bring joy or even melancholy to it, and to our hearts.

I hope you enjoyed the examples of this instrument in every genre named before.

Thank you for reading.