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Transcript

Ep277: All about Violin! · Kidcast Daily

• 0:41
  Welcome to Kick Ass Daily, where we bring news, trivia, fun
• 0:45
  facts, and more just for curious kids like you.
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  Today we are exploring the violin, a small but powerful
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  musical instrument with a big voice in concerts, classrooms,
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  and recordings all over the world.
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  By the end, you will know what a violin is, how it is made, how
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  musicians use it, who writes music for it, and how it fits
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  into different music traditions. First, what makes a violin a
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  violin? It is part of the string family,
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  which means it makes sound from strings stretched across a
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  wooden body. You hold it on your shoulder and
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  under your chin, and you move a bow across the strings to make
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  them vibrate. You can also pluck the strings
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  with your finger. The violin's body has a curved
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  top and back, 2F shaped sound holes, and a neck with a
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  Fingerboard where your fingers press the strings to change the
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  pitch. There's a tail piece that holds
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  the strings at one end, pegs at the other end for tuning, and a
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  small piece called the bridge that stands up on the top and
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  lifts the strings. When the strings vibrate, the
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  hollow body helps make the sound louder.
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  Now let's walk through how violin is made.
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  Skilled makers called looters shape thin pieces of wood for
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  the top and the back, arching them carefully.
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  The sides, called ribs, are bent into the violins outline and
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  glued to a frame. The top gets a base bar, and a
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  sound post is placed inside to connect the top and back in just
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  the right spot. The neck and Fingerboard are
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  fitted and the bridge is carved so the strings sit at good
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  heights for bowing. Finally, the instrument is
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  varnished to protect it and give it a warm color.
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  The bow is a separate tool, a long stick with stretched hairs
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  that grip the strings when you add rosin, a sticky substance
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  that helps the hairs catch and release the string.
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  Here's a question. How many strings does a modern
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  violin have? The answer is 4.
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  They are ranged from low to high and are tuned in steps called
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  fifths, which keeps the notes even and helps with smooth
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  playing. Here is a yes or no question.
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  Is the bow traditionally strung with horsehair?
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  Yes, many bows use horsehair because it grips the string well
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  when you apply rosin. There are also synthetic hair
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  options, which some players and makers choose for different
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  reasons, including durability and personal preference.
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  Let's travel back in time for a quick history tour.
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  The violin took shape in northern Italy in the early 16th
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  century. Early makers like Andrea Ahmadi
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  built instruments in the 1500s. Later famous Ludius, Antonio
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  Stradivari and Giuseppe Garneri made instruments that are still
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  celebrated today for their sound and craftsmanship.
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  Violin spread across Europe and became a main voice of Baroque
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  music in the 1600s and 1700s. Orchestras formed sections of
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  violins, often divided into first and 2nd violins, to play
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  melodies and harmonies. Over time, composers wrote solo
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  pieces that let violinists shine, as well as quartets and
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  quintets that join violins with violas and cellos.
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  Who wrote music that made the violin a star.
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  Antonio Vivaldi wrote many concertos, including a famous
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  set called The Four Seasons. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and
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  Ludwig Van Beethoven wrote violin concertos that are played
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  by students and professionals. Felix Mendelssohn wrote a
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  bright, singable violin concerto that appears on many concert
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  programs. Later composers like Pyotr
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  Tchaikovsky, Johannes Brahms, and John Sebelius wrote large
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  and dramatic concertos that challenge even expert players.
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  In the 20th century, Igor Stravinsky and Baila Bartok
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  wrote violin music with new rhythms and sounds.
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  Violinists also crossed into jazz, with artists like Stephen
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  Grapelli improvising solos that swing.
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  In American folk and bluegrass. Players often call the
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  instrument a fiddle and use quick bow strokes and foot
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  tapping rhythms. In movie music, composers use
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  violins to add excitement or tenderness in soundtracks.
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  Now let's zoom to India, where the violin found a special role
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  in both Carnatic music of the South and Hindu standing music
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  of the North. In Carnatic concerts, the violin
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  often sits beside the main vocalist, matching phrases and
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  adding answers. The instrument is usually played
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  while seated on the floor, with the scroll resting near the
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  ankle or foot for support. Musicians use smooth slides and
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  ornaments called gamacas to shape each note.
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  Here is a trivia question. Which one is commonly used for
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  the top plate of many fine violins?
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  The answer is spruce. It is light and strong.
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  Many makers choose a different wood for the back and sides,
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  often a hardwood that helps shape the tone.
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  Here is a yes or no question. Does an electric violin need a
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  hollow wooden body to make sound?
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  No, Electric violins use pickups to turn string vibrations into
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  an electrical signal, which goes to an amplifier.
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  Some electric violins have a solid body or a thin frame, and
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  they can be very quiet without the amp.
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  Here is another trivia question. In Carnotic concerts, what drone
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  instrument often plays a steady pitch behind the violin?
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  The answer is the tambora or an electronic tambora.
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  The drone gives a reference pitch so the violinist can shape
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  ragas with accurate intonation. Let's look at where you might
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  hear violins in everyday life. In a school orchestra, you often
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  see two rows of violins at the front, reading sheet music and
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  following a conductor. In a string quartet, 2 violins
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  join a Viola and a cello for music that fits in a small hall
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  or classroom. At community festivals, you
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  might hear fiddle tunes played fast and cheerful.
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  At weddings, A violinist might perform a gentle melody as
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  people enter in video game soundtracks and cartoons.
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  Recording studios often hire violin sections to create
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  memorable themes. If you want to learn violin,
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  there are many sizes so the instrument fits your arm length.
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  Teachers use methods that start with simple bow holds, open
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  string rhythms, and short melodies.
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  Practice can include long, steady bow strokes, scales to
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  learn finger patterns, and etudes to build speed and
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  control. Rosin is important because it
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  adds grip to the bow hair. Fine tuners on the tail piece
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  help you make tiny pitch adjustments.
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  A shoulder rest can help support the instrument and keep it
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  stable. Did you know that violins can
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  last for hundreds of years if they are cared for properly?
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  Makers and repairers can adjust the bridge, the sound post, and
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  the strings to keep the tone clear.
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  Another fun fact is that string choice changes the sound.
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  Some strings have a synthetic core for warmth and stability,
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  while others use steel for brightness and focus.
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  Players test different bows too, because bow weight and balance
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  affect the sound. Before we wrap up, let's do a
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  quick recap. The violin is a string
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  instrument played with a bow or by plucking.
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  It's parts work together to make vibrations turn into sound.
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  Makers use careful carving and setup to shape the tone.
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  The violence history began in northern Italy in the early 16th
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  century and grew through orchestras, solo concertos and
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  many musical styles, including jazz and folk.
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  Composers from Vivaldi to Sibelius wrote famous pieces for
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  it. You can hear violins in schools,
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  concerts, recordings, and celebrations.
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  With practice, careful setup, and listening, anyone can start
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  exploring music on the violin. Thanks for joining today.
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  Keep your ears open for violin sounds around you and maybe try
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  a beginner lesson if you're curious.
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  See you next time on Kit Cast Daily.