What You NEED to Know about Playing the Violin

The classic violin: whether played solo or in a full orchestra, the sound of the violin is instantly recognizable. But if you ever think of picking up the instrument yourself, there are a few basics you need to know. Keep reading to learn about the fundamentals of the violin and where you can hire a professional violinist for your next event.

The Parts of the Violin

There are a few parts of the violin that you need to get accustomed to before picking up the instrument. While there are many technical parts of the violin, here are the main parts that you need to know for your first lesson.

The Bow

The bow is what you hold to make contact with the strings of the violin. As a result, sound is made as the bow moves perpendicular across a string. The bow is made of two parts: the stick and the hair. The hair is made from horse hair, and you should be careful not to touch it directly to your skin, as the oil from your skin can harm the hair.

Fingerboard/Neck

The neck of the violin is where you’ll place your fingers to create different pitches. Holding your finger closer to the center of the violin will result in a higher frequency/pitch.

Pegs

The pegs at the top of the violin tighten and loosen the strings. Over time, the violin strings loosen, resulting in the strings being off pitch. By tightening them, you can get them back to their original pitch.

Chin Rest

The chin rest is, obviously, where you rest your chin while playing the instrument. By using your chin to hold the instrument up, you can more freely move your left hand to play notes.

Next time you watch a trained violinist rest their chin on their instrument, know that they aren’t being lazy…they actually have great technique!

There are 4 strings

There are 4 strings on a violin: the G string, the D string, the A string, and the E string. When played as an “open string” with no finger on the string altering the pitch, the string will vibrate and resonate as that note.

You Need to Read Treble Clef

For the violin, you will need to learn how to read music written in the Treble clef. This is because the lowest note that you can play on a violin is a G3, meaning most of the can be written without the bass clef register.

In Most Orchestras, There Are Two Violin Parts

In a professional orchestra, especially one that accompanies a dance performance, there will be at least 4 violinists. The violin track of the score is broken into two parts: first violin and second violin. The first violin often plays the melody of the piece and the instrumentalist is usually playing in a higher register. The second violin usually plays the harmonies and lower notes to complement the melody.

Now if you have a violin soloist for events, they will likely play the melody or first violin part of a score.

Leave it to the Pros and Hire a Professional Event Violin Player

Looking to hire a professional violin player for a New Jersey event? Then look no further! At Deya Events, we can connect you to an excellent violinist for your wedding or corporate event. Make your event even more special by hiring our amazing dancers.

Contact us today!