A horse peed on your bow hair!

and 21 more interesting violin facts. Did you know this about your violin?

The violin is over 500 years old!

Although no one knows for sure, historians believe that the very first violin was made by Andrea Amati in the 1500s. He created at least 2 three-stringed violins in the 1540s and was commissioned to create the first four-stringed violin by a wealthy family, the Medici’s, in the 1550s.

… but the violin has changed a lot since then!

Our modern violins are not the same as the ones made prior to the 18th century (the 1700s). Instruments made before this are now referred to as “Baroque violins” (the word “Baroque” refers to the time period from about 1600 to 1750). These instruments had longer necks, smaller bridges, no chinrests, and the bows held a convex (outward) curve. In 1786, Francoise Xavier Tourte created the modern bow which has a concave (inward) curve and standardized the length and weight of the bow. This invention spurred several details on the violin to be changed as well: the fingerboard was made longer so that players could play higher notes, the bridge was made larger to hold the tension of the longer strings, and the chin rest was added for comfort. It’s safe to say that the violin got a major makeover!

Violins are named after cows

The word “violin” comes from the Latin word “vitula” which means “calf” (a calf is a baby cow). It’s fun to think that the violin was named after cows, however, “vitula” has an alternate meaning: stringed musical instrument (which is probably more likely).

Violins are extremely complex

Violin making is no easy job! Violin makers, called luthiers, go to school for up to 2 years to learn how to make violins, which are typically made from over 70 pieces of spruce or maple wood.

What’s about the cat intestines?

Some violin strings aren’t vegan…

Nowadays, most violin strings are made out of steel. However, in all the violin centuries before around 1900, violin strings were made out of sheep’s gut, which was stretched, dried, and twisted. Gut strings still exist today but are most often used in Baroque period practice, which is when the players try to get as close to the original conditions of the music as possible. To do so, the performers gut strings, period instruments, and tune the instruments down.

The truth about gut core violin strings…

The name catgut is confusing. There are two explanations for the mix up. Catgut is an abbreviation of the word cattle gut. Gut strings are made from sheep or goat intestines, in the past also from horse, mule or donkey intestines. Whatever was available if you were a budding 17th century fiddler. Otherwise catgut could be from the word kitgut or kitstring. Kit meant fiddle, not kitten.

Rosin is made out of tree sap

Rosin is used to help the bow stick to the strings. When the bow hair rubs against the rosin, small particles will come off as a sticky, rubbery, white substance. This substance helps the bow hair “grab” the string by creating friction. Rosin is made by heating the tree sap until it becomes solid. On a side note, please do not lick your rosin, it does not taste good!

The horse hair on your bow may be synthetic

Yes, you read that right! Not all horse hair is created equal, and synthetic hair is often used on less expensive bows. The next time you’re in the market for a bow, be sure to ask if the horse hair is real or synthetic (which is made out of nylon).

If your horse hair is real, it is most likely that your hair came from a horse in a cold climate, such as Siberia, Mongolia, or Canada. The cold climate causes horses to produce hair that is thicker and stronger than that produced by horses in warmer climates.

And no, the hair is not taken from living horses. It is taken from horses in slaughterhouses.

No matter if your horse hair is real or synthetic, each bow is made up of approximately 150-200 strands!

A horse peed on your bow hair!

For the finest bows Mongolian stallion hair is used. Why boy horses and not girl horses? The urine of the stallion makes the hair extra resilient.

Violins come in a wide variety of sizes

The smallest violin size is a 1/64 size, which is about 23 inches long (or about the size of an adult’s arm!). Violins also come in 1/32, 1/16, ⅛, ¼, ½, ¾, ⅞ (which is commonly called the “lady’s violin”, and full size (4/4).

Got 18 million dollars lying around for your fiddle?

That’s how much the most expensive violin in the world costs! This instrument dates back to 1741, made by Giuseppe Guarneri and played by Belgian virtuoso, Henri Vieuxteumps. This instrument, aptly named the Vieuxtemps Guarneri, was anonymously donated to American violinist Anne Akiko Meyers.

The world’s biggest and smallest violins

The world’s smallest violin was created by Chen Lianzhi, and measures just one centimeter (or 0.4 inches) long! It is impossible to play on because its strings are so thin.
The world’s largest violin was created by 15 violin makers from the Vogtland Masters of Violin and Bow Making. The violin is 14 feet long (or 4.3 meters) and four and a half feet wide (or 1.4 meters). The bow is 17 feet long (or 5.2 meters), and the violin sounds three octaves below a normal-sized violin.

Left-handed violins

Typically, violins sit on a player’s left shoulder and are fingered with the left hand and bowed with the right. However, there are such things as left-handed violins, which sit on the right shoulder, are fingered with the right and bowed with the left. Contrary to popular belief, lefties can play a normal violin just fine (and may even have a slight advantage over right-handed people due to their increased left-hand dexterity!)

Before conductors, violinists were the leaders of the orchestra.
The concertmaster (who is the first chair violinist) would lead the orchestra from their position. This gradually changed as orchestras got larger, and the role of the conductor was officially established in the 1900s. It’s no surprise that orchestras delegated another leader besides the concertmaster; playing the challenging repertoire while leading the orchestra is no easy feat!

Is it a violin or a fiddle?

They’re the same instrument! Violin and fiddle are typically used to describe the type of music one plays. If a player plays more classical music, they will most likely call the instrument a violin, but if a player plays more fiddle or folk music, they will most likely call the instrument a fiddle.

Playing the violin burns approximately 170 calories per hour

Although playing the violin is not typically seen as exercise, it does require a good amount of right and left-hand movement. Burning 170 calories is about the same as walking for an hour, or drinking one soft drink! Personally, I think playing the violin should be counted towards music and PE credit 😉

Like fine wine, violins get better with age

The more a violin is played, the better it will sound. Dr. David G. Hunt from the University of London found that continuous forced vibrations to pieces of spruce change the nature of the wood. The wood increases in stiffness and decreases the dampening coefficient, which in turn helps the tone become sweeter and notes to be heard for longer (which is a good thing!)

Violinists are smarter than the average person

Based on research measuring the different levels of cognitive processing, violinists have shown to develop faster processing speeds compared to the average person. String players have also been shown to have larger brains. This is due in part to the complex motor skills and reasoning required to play the instrument. A study from Harvard University found that early training in violin improves several cognitive skills, such as memory, nonverbal reasoning, and attention.

Do you feel smart now?

I’m just trying to imagine how silly and chaotic I would’ve been without the violin.

If you want to outsmart your friends on social media, share this article on Twitter:

Did you know that violins come in a variety of sizes?

Selecting the correct size for you (or your child) is absolutely vital for fostering a happy and healthy violin journey.

Playing on a violin that is too big forces the player to contort their body into unnatural positions, possibly leading to injury (namely carpal tunnel and tendonitis); and playing on a violin that is too small can cause the player to feel very cramped and limited in their bowings and finger placements. Keep reading this article to discover what violin size is best for you or your child.

How do I know what violin size I need?!

The size of violin you need is based on your height and arm length. Age is also taken into consideration, however, all children grow at different rates, so when in doubt, choose a violin compatible with the child’s size rather than their age.

What if my child is between two violin sizes? Do I choose the larger or the smaller one?

If you find that you or your child are right on the cusp between two sizes, choose the smaller size to prevent any risk of injury. It might not seem economical and you might be afraid that your child can’t enjoy that size for a long time. In that case, choose to rent a violin or inform about the options to size up the violin you bought later. Lots of violin shops offer these possibilities. 

Note that the exact measurements of violin sizes are not very standard. There are for example larger and smaller 1/8 violins. If your child is between violin sizes, see if the violin shop has a relatively larger or small version of the size you’re looking it. That can be just right. Full sized 4/4 violins are usually consistent in measurement. The variety is in children’s sizes.

There are nine different violin sizes to choose from

Full size 4/4 violin

A full-size violin is 59 centimeters (or 23 inches) long, from scroll to endpin. If you are an adult learner, you will more than likely need a full-size violin (with the exception of shorter adults, under five feet). Children typically graduate to a full-size instrument around 11 or 12 years old. In order to comfortably play a full size, your left arm should be 58.5 centimeters (or 23 inches) long, from the base of your neck to the middle of your palm.

⅞ size violin

A ⅞ size violin is 57 centimeters (or 22 inches) long and is geared towards those with an arm length of 57.5 centimeters (or 22 inches). ⅞ violins are sometimes referred to as the “ladies violin” because they are just ever so slightly smaller than the full size and therefore thought to be more suited towards women (but men can use them too!). Adults may choose to try a ⅞ size instrument if they experience any pain or discomfort when playing a full size, and children who are too big for a ¾ but not quite ready for a full size may also benefit from using a ⅞.  ⅞ violins are not very common, so you may have to look a little harder to find one.

Important note: fractional violins (which are any size violin beside a full size) will not sound as full (or loud) as a full size. 

¾ size violin

A ¾ size violin is 55 centimeters (or 22 inches) long. To comfortably fit a ¾ size violin, your arm should be about 56 centimeters (or 22 inches) long. Students around ages 9-11 typically use a ¾ size violin, but they can also be used by small adults. 

½ size violin

A ½ size violin is 52 centimeters (or 20 inches) long and best suited for players with an arm’s length of 51 centimeters (or 20 inches). Children around ages 7-9 typically use half-size violins. In my experience, the jump from ¼ to ½ size is typically the biggest of the fractional sizes, so err on the side of caution when bridging this gap. Remember: it’s far worse to play on a violin that is too big than one that’s too small!

¼ size violin

A ¼ size violin is 48 centimeters (or 19 inches) long. To use a ¼ size violin, a child’s arm should be around 47 centimeters (or 18 inches) long, and they will most likely be around 6-7 years old. 

⅛ size violin

A ⅛ size violin is 43 centimeters (or 17 inches) long and is best suited for children with an arm’s length of 42 centimeters (or 16 inches). This is usually around 5-6 years of age.

Sometimes it might make sense to start a 4 year old on a relatively small 1/8 violin. The sound is a lot better than the smaller sizes, which is motivating for your budding little fiddler. Also very small sized violin have a tiny bridge and the strings are close together, which makes it difficult to bow on one string and to cross strings.

1/10 size violin

A 1/10 size violin is 39 centimeters (or 15 inches) long. Children around ages 4-5 typically use this size, and their arm’s length should be about 38 centimeters (or 15 inches) long.

The step from 1/16 to 1/8 is quite big, so a size in between might be very convenient. Unfortunately when you order a 1/10 online often a 1/16 is delivered. Before buying check what the measurements are or (best!) try the instrument out, so you know it’s the right fit.

1/16 size violin

A 1/16 size violin is 36 centimeters (or 14 inches long). 1/16 size violins are typically best suited for children with an arm’s length of 35.5 centimeters (or 14 inches), generally under the age of 5.

Note that the sound of this size usually isn’t that good as the soundbox is simply too small for a pitch that’s meant for a 4/4 violin. If your child still plays a lot of open strings, sometimes it can make sense to start on a larger size (a 1/10 or maybe a small 1/8). By the time they play with all fingers, they might also be big enough for that larger size.

1/32 size violin

A 1/32 size violin is 33 centimeters (or 13 inches long). These are meant for extremely young children (between the ages of 2-5). Their arms-length should be 35 inches (or 14 inches) or under.

This size isn’t used that much as (frankly) they sound awful, it’s extremely difficult to bow an open string without hitting neighboring strings due to the small bridge and usually two and three years old can already handle a 1/16 violin.

What violin bow size do I need?

The violin bow corresponds in size to the violin size. Smaller violins come with shorter bows. This is all related to your arm length: with a bow that’s too long, you wouldn’t be able to bow at the tip. Also a longer bow is heavier and difficult to handle for small children.

The only exception to this is that with a 7/8 violin, adults usually choose for a 4/4 bow as there’s much more choice in full sized bows. 7/8 bows do exists, but are even more rare than 7/8 violins.

When getting used to a bigger size it can make sense to keep playing with the smaller sized bow for a little while. In this way your child doesn’t need to get used to a new size violin AND a new size bow at the same time.

How do I measure myself to see which size violin I should get?

Great question! There are two ways of measuring yourself (or your child) to see which violin size would work best. The first is to just take a tape measure, place it at the nape of your neck, and extend it to the middle of your left palm. When doing this, your arm should be held out so that it’s parallel to the ground. Once you have your measurement, you can use the chart here to determine which size would fit best. This method works great if you’re just starting out and don’t have an instrument to compare your arm’s length to.

The second way works best if you already have an instrument and are trying to figure out if it’s too big or too small. Place your violin in playing position (on your shoulder) and extend your left arm out so that it is straight. Notice where the violin makes contact with your arm. Ideally, the tip of the violin scroll should sit at your wrist. If you notice that the scroll is in your palm, you need to size down, and if the scroll stops anytime before your wrist, you need to size up. 

If you’re feeling uncertain about choosing the right size, many shops will size you or your child for you. It never hurts to ask!

How to handle sizing up: changing to a bigger violin size for kids

Changing the size of your violin can throw everything out of whack! When switching to a bigger instrument, the spacing between your fingers will feel bigger, your bow will feel longer and more unwieldy, and the instrument may feel heavier as well. For at least the first week of playing on a bigger size, stick to pieces that you know well so that you just need to focus on getting used to how this new instrument feels and sounds!

Look up your right violin size based on age and (most important) arm length:

Violin buying tips from a violin teacher

Once you’ve figured out the size, it’s time to buy your violin! Here are two violins I’ve tested and approve as a violin teacher. Please note that the sizes are a bit different per shop and maker, so I’ve added size charts specifically for these makers.

Fiddlerman Concert Violin Outfit

Fiddlershop violin sizing

What about the viola?

The viola has different sizes than the violin. Find my viola size chart right here.

What size violin do you play?

I hope this article has given you some clarity about all the different violin sizes. Make sure to bookmark this page, so you’ll always have this handy violin size chart at hand.

What size violin do you currently play? Let me know in the comments!

Learn all the parts of your violin, so you can maintain your instrument, know how the violin works and can create a beautiful sound:

Understanding the different parts of the violin and their purposes is important for violinists of every level to understand in order to protect and maintain their instrument, and to learn how to work with the instrument to produce the best sound. In this article, you will find a detailed description of each part of the violin and bow.

How many parts does a violin have?

Depending what you count (tailpiece as one or each fine tuner separately) a violin has about 90 separate parts. Wow!

Overview of the violin parts

Violin parts and their function

The scroll is the decorative carving at the end of the neck of the instrument. The curved nature of the scroll is an ancient symbol used in art from around the world, and the violin scroll actually mimics the shape of a written scroll. Don’t believe me? Take a piece of paper and roll it up and see for yourself! Most often, scrolls are carved in this curved shape, but sometimes they are carved into animal heads, people’s heads, or other decorative designs. The eye of the scroll is the section of the scroll that is facing the player while in playing position.

The curves of the scroll directly flow into the pegbox, which is where the violin pegs are housed. The top of the pegbox is open, and there are four holes on each side where the pegs are placed. There are two pegs on each side; the pegs for the A and E strings are on the right and the pegs for the D and G strings are on the left. The pegs are round, wooden devices that have a small hole in them where the strings are attached. The pegs are used to adjust the pitch of the strings. Tightening a peg (turning it away from you or backward) raises the pitch, and loosening a peg (turning it towards you or forward) lowers the pitch.

The nut, which is a small strip of wood, lies directly under the pegbox. There are four grooves in the nut for each of the four violin strings to sit on to help them remain evenly spaced. The nut also supports the strings so that they are at a good height from the fingerboard.

The violin has four strings tuned in intervals of fifths. From lowest to highest (left to right), the strings are G, D, A, and E. The strings can be made from a variety of materials, but are most often made of either steel (most common) or gut (less common but used frequently in Baroque performance practice). The strings vary in thickness and tension, and this creates variations in pitch. The lower strings (like G and D) are thicker and are under less tension, while the higher strings (like A and E) are thinner and under more tension.

The fingerboard is the black surface where a player places his fingers. The fingerboard is glued onto the neck of the violin, underneath the strings, and is generally made out of ebony, which is wood that comes from trees in tropical climates. The neck of the violin is the part of the instrument between the pegbox and the body. The neck allows violinists to hold the instrument. The heel of the violin (not to be confused with the heel of the bow, which is the lower part of the bow near the frog) is the curved piece of wood that connects the neck to the body. The nose of the violin (who knew that violins had noses just like us?!) is the rounded part of the instrument on its back connected to the heel that secures the connection of the neck and body of the instrument.

The table (or top) of the instrument refers to the side of the instrument that faces upwards while playing (and hopefully while resting, too!) The top is made up of a top plate, which describes the piece of wood that makes up the top of the instrument.

The purfling is a thin strip of three-ply wood inlaid around the edge of the violin to protect the instrument from damage. The purfling may just look like lines around the edges, but it is absolutely vital for the construction and protection of the instrument.

The F-holes (or sound holes) are two holes in the middle of the violin surrounding the bridge. They are called F-holes because they look like the cursive letter F. After the string vibrates the body of the violin, the sound waves are directed out of the body through the F-holes, thus, altering either the length or width of the F-holes has a direct impact on the sound.

The bridge supports the strings on the lower end of the violin. The bridge is held in place by the tension of the strings, which put about 90 pounds of pressure onto it! When the strings vibrate, the bridge also vibrates, thus, the placement of the bridge directly affects the sound of the instrument. Violin bridges also come in varying degrees of curvature. A more curved bridge makes it slightly easier to play on one string at a time but may make double stops (playing two strings at once) slightly more difficult. A less curved bridge does the opposite: playing on one string at a time may be more challenging, but double stops may be easier. 

The tailpiece is an almost triangular piece of wood that holds both the ends of the strings and the fine tuners.

The fine tuners are little metal screws that are either built into the tailpiece or attached with an extra device. The purpose of the fine tuners is to help the player tune the strings in small increments, much smaller than the pegs (which is very helpful for beginning players).

The tailpiece connects to the endpin via the tail loop, which holds the tailpiece up slightly and allows for free vibrations of the body of the instrument. The endpin is the button at the bottom of the violin.

The chinrest is attached to the end of the violin, near the tailpiece. This is where the player rests his chin (or jaw) and what allows him to support the weight of the violin with his head, thus freeing up his left hand. The chin rest also helps to preserve the varnish of the violin by preventing exposure to the acidity of sweat.

The varnish is a liquid comprised of sun-thickened oils, oxidized resins, and color. The varnish gives each violin its beautiful coloring and protects its wood from environmental damage (heat, humidity, etc.).

Additionally, the chinrest is attached to the saddle, a block on the inside of the violin that helps support the tension of the strings.

The back of the violin is the part of the instrument that faces downward when playing. The back (and top) of the violin is comprised of the upper bout, waist, and lower bout. The upper bout describes the upper section of the instrument, where the neck connects to the body. The waist is actually a very necessary indentation in the middle of the instrument that allows the bow to move across the strings without bumping into the body. The lower bout is the lower section of the instrument, where the tailpiece and chin rest are located. 

What’s inside your violin?

Here’s an overview of a violin opened up, so you can take a peek at it’s anatomy and construction:

The soundpost is a small wooden post located on the inside of the violin on the right side of the bridge. The soundpost plays an important role in transferring the vibrations of the strings into the body of the instrument, and therefore its placement can greatly affect the sound quality and volume.

The ribs of the violin make up the sides of the instrument. They are pieces of wood that stand vertically and connect the table (or top) and back of the violin.

Violin linings are little boards used to increase the surface area for gluing sections of the body to the ribs and thus increase stability.

Violins have top-end blocks, corner blocks, and bottom-end blocks which are additional pieces of wood that increase stability.

The violin also has a bass bar inside. The bass bar is an additional piece of wood that supports the top of the instrument and distributes the vibrations to the top of the instrument.