A-Z about the members of the Viol Family

April 22, 2011 - PRLog -- Newton Center, USA April 22, 2011: One of the most important members of the viol family are the Violins. In order to play the violin properly we need to understand the instrument and its parts properly. There are basically ten main parts in regular Violins. The first part is the scroll, right on top of the instrument, which has no use and is only a decorative part. The next is the peg box, where pegs are inserted to tune the violin. Nut and strings are the some other parts of the violin. The fifth part is the bridge which maintains the tension in the strings and monitors the sound production. Finger board and sounding post are other important parts of a violin. F-holes are another part and they are so called as they are in the shape of an F and it works as the speaker of the violin. Tail piece and chin rest are the last two parts of a violin.

A violin which produces an electronic output of its sound is known as an Electric Violin. It is a latest inclusion in the viol family. It is actually a modified violin which is also known as acoustic violin or electro-acoustic violin. Electric Violin is widely used to play music like rock, hip hop, jazz, jazz fusion, metal, classical, experimental and New Age music.

Violas are sting instruments and make an important part of the viol family. It is an instrument which comes in the middle of a cello and violin, in voice quality and pitch. This instrument is similar to a violin in terms of looks but the size is larger than a violin. They are referred to as the alto members of the viol family. The range of the Violas is also lower than the violins.

A proper and appropriate Violin Case is very essential to keep your instruments of the viol family in proper shape. You will be required to carry the instrument to different places and if the case does guard the instrument against bumps it is of no use. The market is flooded with different Violin Case made of different materials and of different quality. It is for you to decide which one to buy according to your own requirements. The best choice would be cases made of hard shell. They would be very protective and adequate. Suspension cases are also there, which suspend the instrument inside the case to protect it from touching the edges.

Violin Bows are used to play all the instruments of the viol family. Make sure you invest on a good bow as a good bow will produce better sounds. Brazilian wood called Pernambuco is used to make the stick of the bow. The frog is made of ebony. Hair from a grey male horse’s tail is used to make the string. The string uses up to 150 hairs on a single bow. Today, Violin Bows are also made using synthetic fibers. Although these are cheap, they do not produce a very good sound.

       The instruments of the viol family are growing in popularity and are used in producing music almost everywhere.

For more information kindly visit our website: http://www.johnsonstring.com/

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We at Johnsonstring.com served the Greater Boston string-playing community since 1976 and is New England's largest violin shop. Our instruments are exceptional and acquired from a variety of local and international sources, including the major auction houses, collectors, private sale, and consignment.