33
votes
Is it spelled "violincello" or "violoncello"?
... part of the violin family...
Actually, as baroque violists love to point out, during the early evolution of these instruments, both violin and cello were part of the viola family. The viola was ...
- 18.6k
20
votes
Is it spelled "violincello" or "violoncello"?
tl;dr
It's violoncello.
Language considerations
Lots of classical music words usually have a specific language as their origins (mostly Italian), so, unless an extended literature can confirm standard ...
- 7,111
14
votes
Why don't violins have geared tuners?
Maybe you just never noticed them?
I would suspect that someone trying to sell a violin with a head like a classical guitar wouldn't be able to sell them into a very, very traditional market.
So... ...
- 27.9k
10
votes
Accepted
Are there any violin family instruments built without a left shoulder?
As far as double basses are concerned, it's not uncommon to see a body with something like this:
Just a normal double bass body, with a left shoulder cutaway (if it is really called like that). They ...
- 31.5k
9
votes
Is there a name for a violin with five strings?
They are simply called "five-string violins" in the English language, and usually combine the viola and the violin's ranges.
Other stringed instruments that have 5 strings are generally of the viol ...
- 356
8
votes
Accepted
How to tell whether the soundpost of a violin needs adjustment?
Does the fact that the soundpost is standing indicate that the soundpost does not require any extra adjustment?
No. The soundpost basically transfers vibrations from the top plate to the bottom plate ...
- 5,630
8
votes
When people say that viola and double bass are too small for their range, what does it mean?
A violin doesn't resonate to just ONE particular pitch. The wood and the air in the body cavity certainly have resonant peaks, but there are lots of them, and a good violin is designed so that any ...
- 94.7k
7
votes
Do left handed violinists play in orchestras?
Do left handed violinists play in orchestras?
Well... I do... (cello).
I don't think I've ever seen any orchestra that uses left handed violinists
It sure isn't a common sight. The vast majority ...
- 35.6k
7
votes
Why don't violins have geared tuners?
Some reasons why people don't use geared tuners on violins:
I haven't tested in personally, but there us usually some discussion on how using heavier material in metal geared tuners reduces some of ...
- 7,534
7
votes
Can a smaller viola be used as a violin?
Yes, it is absolutely possible to restring a smaller size Viola into a Violin. You will not damage the instrument by doing so.
Fractional size violins can roughly correspond with smaller size violas,...
- 7,534
7
votes
Accepted
Is it worthwhile to buy good accessories for a cheap violin
I'm a self-teaching violinist.
That's really the crux of the problem. If you had a teacher they would be able to give you far and away the best advice. I'm guessing you don't play in the school ...
- 5,630
7
votes
Is it spelled "violincello" or "violoncello"?
If you consult a monolingual Italian dictionary (e.g. Devoto-Oli), you'll find that violoncello derives from viola plus an augmentative suffix (accrescitivo in Italian, abbreviated acc.) (i.e., a &...
- 1,549
6
votes
Pitch and Volume Compensations for Different Instruments
As a brass instrumentalist, I can only speak for that family of instruments.
But the difference required to play in extreme registers is often explained with a simple sentence:
Low notes require ...
- 84.9k
6
votes
Are there any violin family instruments built without a left shoulder?
The "electric family" of string instruments are often designed without any shoulders. The below photos come from Wikipedia's entries for electric cello and electric upright bass, and an ...
- 92.4k
6
votes
Are there any violin family instruments built without a left shoulder?
Aside from electric instruments like @Aaron mentioned, this is not unheard of but extremely rare. I have seen a few upright basses over the years in bass shops with a cutout in the upper bout like ...
- 28.1k
6
votes
When people say that viola and double bass are too small for their range, what does it mean?
The explanation of instrument size with relation to pitch is mostly relevant for the lowest notes it plays, not as much for overlapping notes. Also instrument size goes hand in hand with instrument ...
- 28.1k
5
votes
Pizzicato notation
@feetwet Right hand pizzicato is, as you wrote, indicated with "pizz.". There is no reason to make any other symbol for that; you can say that the word "pizz." has become the ...
- 4,755
5
votes
Can a violin imitate the sound of an Erhu?
Yes and no. Yes, you can imitate the erhu style of playing on the violin: lots of glissandi, lots of vibrato on certain notes, very quick appoggiaturas, pentatonic melodies, and so forth. What you ...
- 6,532
5
votes
Is it a bad idea to learn both violin and viola?
But how is it with the intonation?
My violin teacher is primarily a viola player. He started off playing the violin and switched after a year or two to viola. He brings his violin along to lessons ...
- 5,630
5
votes
Accepted
How long does a violin bow technique last?
The first thing to note is that "Sul Tasto" means something entirely different from "sul D", "sul A", "sul G", etc.
"Sul Tasto" means "over the ...
- 5,630
4
votes
How to notate fingerings on chords/double stops?
I'm used to seeing this for chord fingering:
Image source
In case it's not clear, as spacing requires, sometimes the numbers are above the staff rather than below, but they are always arranged ...
- 57.7k
4
votes
Why is the double bass the only instrument in the violin family tuned in fourths?
I play the double bass and I know if it were tuned in fifths it would require a lot more shifting. No double bass player has the finger span to have the strings tuned in fifths. I say no double bass ...
- 41
4
votes
What is the difference between a 14" Viola and a 4/4 Violin?
The rib height on a 14" Viola is bigger.
Here is a short YouTube video on the matter:
- 4,755
4
votes
Why don't violins have geared tuners?
Some electric violins do come with geared tuners, such as this 1990's Jensen 5-string.
- 5,888
4
votes
Why don't violins have geared tuners?
As already answered, the force of violin string does not require gears. If you asked due to the possibility of finer tuning granularity, there are fine tuners instead, which are much cheaper, but also ...
- 11.3k
4
votes
Pitch and Volume Compensations for Different Instruments
Physics tells us that higher pitches have more energy. So if we apply the same amount of energy--bow pressure and speed for strings, air for winds--then low notes will naturally be louder.
However, ...
- 22.5k
4
votes
Is it a bad idea to learn both violin and viola?
Once you learn how to play violin, viola will come easily, assuming that you can stretch your fingers a little bit more. The techniques to play violin and viola are nearly identical (although ...
- 161
4
votes
How to tell whether the soundpost of a violin needs adjustment?
Chiming in because although Brian’s answer is good it spreads a for some reason rather common misconception about the soundpost. The purpose of the soundpost is not to transfer vibration to the ...
- 22k
3
votes
Pizzicato notation
I dropped in to say "Indicating LH pizz with an open circle? Baloney! I've never seen that," but I thought I'd do my homework first. Indeed, it looks like Paganini did that himself in the ...
- 18.6k
3
votes
Alternatives to gut for fretting a viol(a)
I have two options that both work pretty well, the first being zip ties and the second being electrical wire. Zip ties are probably the easiest since they're cheap and easy to tighten, but the ...
- 1,863
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