Encounter Strings

Bowed instruments: from smallest to largest - violin, viola, cello, double bass; spanning range of over six octaves. The length of the bow differs for each instrument.

The violin family have a resonating wooden box made from maple and spruce timber, with an arched belly, round back, sound-post, and "f-shaped" sound holes. They have an unfretted fingerboard resting on the neck with four strings of varying in thickness from thickest (lowest pitched string) to thinnest (highest pitched string).

The string is made from gut or metal, or often gut wound with metal. Their strings are strung across an arched bridge; tuned in 5ths - except for the large double bass with tuning in 4ths for easier finger stretches. The modern bow originated from the bows made by Francois Tourte. The stick is concave, and bow hair is usually made from horsehair which is coated with sticky rosin. This assists the string to vibrate when stroked across the strings. Each instrument uses a different bow.

The violin family originated in Asia and emerged in Italy in the sixteenth century - with makers such as Gasparo de Salo, Amati, and in the seventeenth century with Stradivari. Their instruments are still in use today.

The sound is usually made by the string vibrating when the bow hair is drawn across the string. By 'stopping' the string with the fingertip the length of the vibrating string is shortened, which produces a higher pitch. Stopped notes are usually played with vibrato producing greater intensity with slight pitch 'wobble' and are capable of great variation in tone and expressive qualities. Special sound effects are produced with the mute, pizzicato, tremolo, col legno, spiccato, harmonics and double stopping.

There have been numerous works by composers throughout musical history with many by Bach - including solo works for the violin, and cello. Lionel Tertis (late nineteenth century Englishman) was significantly responsible for extending viola repertoire and virtuoso cellist Pablo Casals was important in raising profile of the cello. The virtuoso double-bass player Dragonetti (1763-1846) was also important.