Human history is incomplete and dull without music. We’ve been composing music since the beginning and along the way we invented some musical instruments that eternally revolutionized our taste for it and the violin is one of them.
It has been an important instrument since classical times. It’s been one of the favorite leading instruments in classical orchestral symphonies. In fact, it is the violin part of those symphonies that made them very popular all around the globe. As prominent its role was in those symphonies it is still popular in the modern-day music industry.
In the modern music industry, the work of many classical composers is beautifully recomposed with a hint of modern music.
The popularity of the violin is also seen in other musical genres such as jazz, folk, country, and bluegrass music. Due to its considerable invasion in the folk music industry, the folk musicians generated their own term “fiddle” for it. And the one who plays it is called “fiddler”.
Some musician groups even consider it the “mother” or even “king” of all instruments because it is said that it can channel all human emotions there are.
About the instrument
In addition to a hollow body, it has four strings that stretch from its upper side to all the way down its body.
As per music theory, their strings are tuned in perfect fifths (the notes are E5 A4 D4 G3). The strings are played with a drawing bow usually with a wooden back. The musical tones are produced when the bow is drawn across the strings.
They are considered the most expensive instruments. The slightest error in its manufacturing can destroy the instrument. To make a perfect violin needs tools, experience, great craftsmanship, and real talent.
There are different types of violins in the market and you wouldn’t even need to have the professional experience to tell the difference between bad ones and good ones. They are expensive because they are highly sensitive to make.
Playing and learning the instrument
Violin is among the top choices for anyone who wants to learn a musical instrument. Its popularity and likeness do not change the fact that it is indeed the hardest one to learn. There are many reasons for that.
Not only the drawing bow is very hard to master but it is also difficult to maintain. To keep the hair on the bows good, the violinist has to use rosin over their bows. If not used then eventually it will be able to generate the desired notes.
To learn a violin is comparatively harder as you can hold a guitar loosely or you can sit on a piano any way you want and it will not make a difference. But for a violin it should be held in a specific manner otherwise the tone will not be nice enough.
If you’re so eager to learn the violin then you need motivation and lessons. For motivation, you can hear the listed violin concertos of famous classical composers and for the lessons, if you’re in Atlanta you can get private violin lessons in Atlanta from the guys at https://lessonsinyourhome.net/. With the right amount of practice and motivation, you’d be able to make some nice music out of it.
What is a violin concerto?
A concerto generally is a work of music that is either made for solo instruments or even for an orchestra. During an orchestral symphony, with a soloist, they may play a concerto. If that piece of music (concerto) has a violin solo instrument it is called violin concerto. Similarly, if it consists of the piano solo instrument then it will be called a piano solo instrument.
Prominent composers in classical music
It is said that innovation and originality in classical music are unprecedented. And that era was the golden age of music. There are a lot of names out there which left a huge impact in the music industry but we are going to enlist the best ones out of them.
Ludwig van Beethoven
When we talk about classical music, we’re usually referring to the work of this musical composer. Ludwig van Beethoven composed one of the best symphonies ever heard.
His work is unparalleled to this day. There are a lot of compositions that left a distinguishable mark on the music industry but we’re just going to name the ones where the violin is the leading instrument.
Even though in some symphony’s violin was not the leading instrument but in modern-day musicians recomposed it with violin as the prominent instrument.
Some of his best work included Symphony no 3, symphony no 5 and his notable work in Violin concerto.
Johann Sebastian Bach
It would not be wrong if we say Bach was way ahead of his time. He composed music that people didn’t quite understand and he was considered old-fashioned. But later in the 19th century his work was composed again and after that, he was considered among one of the best composers the world has ever seen.
His prominent work included marvelous Violin Concertos such as Concerto for Two Violins in D minor is praised to this day.
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Classical symphonies are incomplete if we don’t consider this name. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart is known as the greatest symphony composer of western classical music.
It is said that he was able to play instruments at the age of 3 and write musical notes at the age of 5. He is the only known musical composer to work on all music genres existed in his era.
His notable violin concertos were written in between 1773-1775. Nobody has ever used the instrument as skillfully as Mozart did. He created beautiful symphonies and concertos; his five best violin concertos are listed below:
- Violin concerto no 1 B major 207
- Violin concerto no 2 D major 211
- Violin concerto no 3 G major 216
- Violin concerto no 4 D major 218
- Violin concerto no 5 A major 219
Johannes Brahms
He’s also a big name in classical music. He wrote many symphonies, concertos and composed music in many genres. In his work hint of folk music is also found as he was very much impressed by classical folk.
He’s best known for his famous violin concerto “The Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 77”
