Diccionario del violinista

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A lo largo de toda una vida de estudio del violn a menudo nos encontramos con
palabras o conceptos de los que no tenemos certeza de haber entendido bien su
significado, y seguimos adelante con esa inseguridad de no saber si estamos
haciendo lo correcto. Pero antes de seguir practicando quiz de forma errnea
conviene asegurarse del sentido exacto de lo que estamos leyendo. Para eliminar
esas dudas es til tener una gua que nos aclare los trminos ms usuales que nos

podemos encontrar a lo largo de nuestra vida de violinistas.

Espero que este pequeo diccionario os pueda ser til.

A
ALMA.
Pieza pequea y cilndrica, ajustada entre las tapas, cerca del puente, en el lado de
la cuerda ms fina. Ms informacin en Anatoma de un violn.

ALMOHADILLA.
Accesorio y soporte para el violn que se ajusta a su parte inferior y se coloca sobre
el hombro. Pueden ser de diversos materiales y tipos, autoajustables, de diversa
rigidez, etc. No es indispensable, y hay opiniones a favor y en contra de utilizarlo,
aunque una mayora de violinistas lo hacen.

ANILLA.
Una parte de la nuez del arco, por donde las cerdas se introducen.

ARO.
Los lados de la caja del violn. Ms informacin en Anatoma de un violn.

ARCO.
El accesorio, de madera (pernambuco, palo de rosa) o fibra de carbono que
permite, mediante su frotamiento contra las cuerdas, que estas vibren y el violn
suene. Las cerdas que lo componen suelen ser de crin de caballo. El arco barroco
era convexo hasta que Franois Tourte, en el siglo XIX, innov con la curva cncava
y mayor tensin. Ver ms informacin en Historia del violn.

ARMONICOS.

Tonos producidos al tocar la cuerda al aire muy levemente en diversos puntos. El

armnico ms fcil y claro se produce en el mismo centro de la cuerda, al roce y sin
pisarla, produciendo un sonido una octava ms alta que la misma cuerda al
aire. Los armnicos se suelen anotar con un pequeo crculo sobre la nota o en
forma de diamante.

ARMONICOS ARTIFICIALES.
Este tipo de armnico se crea presionando un dedo en la cuera y y poniendo
despus otro ms abajo. Lo ms comn es que se ponga el ndice firmemente y se
use el cuarto dedo para posarlo suavemente para producir el armnico. Podis
escuchar aqu unos espectaculares dobles armnicos artificiales del concierto n1 de
Paganini en las versiones de varios genios.

ARPEGIO.
Tocar las notas de un acorde sucesivamente, no de forma simultnea.

ATADURA.
El lazo que sujeta el cordal al botn. Ms informacin en Anatoma de un violn.

B
BARBADA.
Accesorio sujeto al violn, a un lado del cordal o sobre l, donde reposa la barbilla,
de la cual protege al instrumento. Ms informacin en Anatoma de un violn.

BARNIZ.

Recubrimiento para la madera del violn. Es importante no slo para su proteccin

y apariencia, sino tambin para el sonido y para permitir la limpieza. Ms
informacin en Limpieza del violn.

BARRA ARMONICA.
Barra de madera en el interior del violn, pegada a la tapa superior bajo las cuerdas
graves, que proporciona al instrumento solidez y un sonido con mayor proyeccin.
Ms informacin en Anatoma de un violn.

BOTON.
Como su nombre indica, es como un pequeo botn al final del violn, entre los
aros, al que se sujeta el cordal. Ms informacin en Anatoma de un violn.

C
CABEZA.
La parte del violn que est al final del mango, que incluye el clavijero y la voluta.
Ms informacin en Anatoma de un violn.

CADENZA.
Es la versin en msica clsica de los tpicos solos que realizan los solistas en los
conciertos. Podra ser improvisado, ya que su origen proviene de ornamentaciones
improvisadas al final de un movimiento y antes de comenzar el siguiente, aunque
habitualmente son variaciones escritas previamente, ya que suelen tener un
propsito de exhibicin virtuosstica.

CAJA.

La parte mayor del violn, que amplifica el sonido producido por la vibracin de las
cuerdas. Ms informacin en Anatoma de un violn.

CANUTILLOS.
Pequeos tubos cilndricos que rodean la parte de las cuerdas que estn en contacto
con el puente, habitualmente en la cuerda Mi, protegindolo de aquellas. Ms
informacin en Anatoma de un violn.

CLAVE.
Tonalidad general, escala en la que se basa una composicin.

CLAVIJAS.
Los violines se afinan con cuatro clavijas situadas en el clavijero, a menudo en
combinacin de uno o ms microafinadores situados en el cordal. Ms informacin
en Anatoma de un violn.

CLAVIJERO.
La parte del violn donde se insertan las clavijas. Ms informacin en Anatoma de
un violn.

CEJILLA.
Tira de madera sobre la que pasan las cuerdas en la parte superior del mango. Ms
informacin en Anatoma de un violn.

CEJILLA INFERIOR.
Una tira, normalmente de bano, que evita que la tapa sea daada por la atadura
del cordal. Ms informacin en Anatoma de un violn.

CERDAS.
Los cabellos del arco, que deben ser frotados con la resina para que puedan hacer
vibrar las cuerdas.

CHOP.
Golpe de arco de reciente aparicin (los aos 60) que bsicamente consiste en
realizar ritmos con la base del arco, el cual se agarra fuertemente y golpea y suelta
las cuerdas, aunque la verdad es que lo mejor es que escuchis a su inventor
explicarlo. Ms informacin en los golpes de arco.

COLLE.
Golpe de arco que se ejecuta pellizcando las cuerdas de forma breve y enrgica con
el arco. Una evolucin de este golpe llevara al tan de moda chop. Ms
informacin en los golpes de arco.

COL LEGNO (Avec le bois).

Variacin de golpe de arco que consiste en tocar con la madera en lugar de con las
cerdas. Ver artculo los golpes de arco.

CONCERTINO.
El primer violn de una orquesta. Dirige a la seccin respecto a las cuestiones
tcnicas relativas a la obra a representar (direccin de arco, digitaciones) y es el
enlace con el director de orquesta. Tambin es una especie de capitn de la
orquesta, o representante.

CONCIERTO.
Obra compuesta para uno o varios instrumentos solistas y orquesta, en principio
con forma sonata (3 movimientos), pero que en las formas ms modernas adopta
todo tipo de estructuras.

CONCERTO GROSSO.
Una variante de concierto en el que un pequeo grupo de instrumentos se combina
con otro ms grande.

CORDAL.

La pieza donde se sujetan las cuerdas, la cual a su vez va sujeta al botn. Ms

informacin en Anatoma de un violn.

CORREDERA.
Pieza ubicada al final de la nuez del arco. Ms informacin en Anatoma de un violn.

CUATRO CUARTOS (4/4).

El tamao de violn mayor y ms comn. Los otros seran 1/16, 1/10, 1/8, 1/4, 1/2 y
3/4

CUELLO.
Adems de la parte de tu cuerpo que impide que tu cabeza caiga rodando, es la
parte del mango que conecta con la cabeza del violn. Ms informacin en Anatoma
de un violn.

CUERDA.
Poco hay que decir, aunque lo ms til es que leas el artculo sobre Cuerdas de esta
pgina.

CUERO.
La vara del arco suele tener una pieza de este material, en el lugar donde se sujeta,
como proteccin y comodidad de sujeccin.

D
DETACHE.

Golpe de arco que consiste en tocar cada nota en un movimiento de arco. Ver
artculo los golpes de arco.

DIAPASON.
Pieza de madera, habitualmente de bano ubicada en el mango, contra la que
presionan las cuerdas los dedos para producir las notas. Ms informacin en
Anatoma de un violn.

DOBLES CUERDAS.
Tocar dos cuerdas a la vez.

E
EFES.
Los agujeros en la tapa del violn, que tienen esa forma.

ENTONACION.
Precisin a la hora de afinar las notas.

ENTORCHADO.
El hilo o alambre enrollado alrededor de casi todas las cuerdas. Tambin hay un
entorchado en el arco, junto al cuero, como proteccin contra el desgaste de la
madera. Ms informacin, Elegir las cuerdas del violn

ESCALA MAYOR.

La escala con intervalos de semitono entre la 3 y 4 notas y entre la 7 y la 8. La

ms usada en msica occidental.

ESCALA MENOR.
Una escala con un semitono entre las 2 y 3. Muchos coinciden en que suena
triste en comparacin con un tono mayor. Adems del grado rebajado en la
tercera: una escala menor natural tiene rebajados los tonos sexto y sptimo; una
escala menor armnica tiene rebajado el sexto y el sptimo grado elevado;, y
una escala menor meldica tiene un grado elevado el sexto y sptimo
ascendente y rebajado el sexto y sptimo grado descendente.

ETIQUETA.
El papel pegado en la parte interior del violn, que se puede leer (a duras penas) a
travs de la efe izquierda. Informa del fabricante y ao de construccin, aunque a
veces falsamente. No dejes de leer Tengo un violn con una etiqueta que pone
Stradivarius

F
FIDDLE.
As le llaman al violn en el entorno folk tradicional en la cultura anglosajona. En
rigor es el mismo instrumento. Pero si tocas el fiddle, tocas de otra manera.

FILETE.
Decoracin estrecha de las tapas, que las protege. Ms informacin en Anatoma de
un violn.

FLAMEADO.
No se trata del Flameado de Moe. Muchos violines tienen el fondo y el aro como si
hubieran sido lamidos por las llamas. La madera flameada es normalmente ms
cara. El dibujo que hace la madera se llama tambin rizo o aguas. Ms informacin
en Escoger un violn.

FLAUTANDO.
Producir un sonido como el de la flauta, lo cual se consigue produciendo muchos
armnicos, tocando sobre el diapasn por ejemplo.

FONDO.
La tapa trasera de la caja del violn. Ms informacin en Anatoma de un violn.

GLISANDO.
Deslizar la mano izquierda a lo largo de la cuerda mientras se toca, produciendo un
tono cambiante continuo. Ver artculo los golpes de arco.

G
GRAN DETACHE.
Golpe de arco. Como el Detach, pero empleando todo el arco. Ver artculo los
golpes de arco.

GUARNICIONES.
Las partes metlicas de un arco.

I
INTERVALO.
Distancia entre dos notas.

J
JETTE.
Golpe de arco. Ver Ricochet. Ver artculo los golpes de arco.

L
LEGATO.
Ligado. Tocar las notas ligadas entre s en un mismo golpe de arco.

LOURE.

Golpe de arco, parecido al Stacatto, pero ms suave y redondeado, como un nfasis

en cada nota. Ver artculo los golpes de arco.

LOBO (QUITALOBOS).
Un lobo es una nota falsa que es muy rara en el violn, pero no tanto en el
violonchelo. Los lobos pueden eliminarse con un quitalobos, que elimina el efecto
de tartamudeo.

LUBRICANTE.
Lquido especial para clavijas. Ms informacin en Cmo mantener el violn

LUTHIER.
Profesional que construye y/o repara los instrumentos de cuerda. Puedes ver
algunos en la seccin en construccin Luthiers.

M
MANGO.
Parte del violn que une la caja con la cabeza del violn, y donde va sujeto el
diapasn. Ms informacin en Anatoma de un violn.

MARTELE.
Golpe de arco de mucha fuerza realizado con el brazo y todo el arco. Ver artculo los
golpes de arco.

METRONOMO.

Aparato que marca el tempo con pulsaciones rtmicas ajustables.

MODOS.
Las distintas maneras o reglas compositivas en que se ordena una escala. Hay 7
principales que toman su nombre de los sistemas modales griegos: jnico, drico,
frigio, lidio, mixolidio, elico y locrio.

N
NOTA PEDAL.
La nota que, en un pasaje de variolaje, no cambia.

NUEZ.
Las cerdas del arco se sujetan con la nuez, que puedes mover hacia delante y hacia
atrs con el tornillo. Al final de la nuez est la corredera. Casi todas las nueces
llevan una placa metlica. Ms informacin en Anatoma de un violn.

O
OJO, OJO PARIS.

Es un elemento puramente decorativo. Consiste en un crculo de madreperla con un

pequeo anillo metlico alrededor, que se suelen poner en clavijas, cordales, nueces
y tornillos. Ms informacin en Anatoma de un violn.

P
PASTILLA. (PICK UP).
Accesorio sensible a la vibracin que convierte la vibracin de las cuerdas en
seales elctricas, para conectar el violn acstico a un amplificador. Se suelen
colocar en el puente.

PERNAMBUCO.
La madera ms habitual y adecuada para construir arcos para instrumentos de
cuerda. Ms informacin en Anatoma de un violn.

PIZZICATO.
Este nombre tan gracioso indica que ha de tocarse no con el arco, sino pellizcando o
punteando con los dedos, ya sea de la mano izquierda, o de la derecha. Ver
artculo los golpes de arco.

PORTAMENTO.
Es el efecto de transicin entre dos alturas de sonido, sin discontinuidad, ya sea
ascendente o descendente. Su utilizacin es a menudo denostada porque puede
esconder deficiencias tcnicas de entonacin. Cuando la diferencia entre nota
inicial y final es de varias alturas se llamara glisando.

POSICIONES.

Las diferentes alturas en relacin al mstil en las que la mano izquierda se coloca
para tocar las notas. Hay 10 posiciones, desde la primera al final del diapasn y
progresivamente contando hacia el puente. Tambin est la llamada media
posicin, que es un medio tono ms bajo que la primera.

PUENTE.
Importante pieza sobre la que pasan las cuerdas, que se sujeta sobre la tapa con dos
patas. El puente es el encargado de transmitir la vibracin de las cuerdas a la caja
de resonancia. Ms informacin en Anatoma de un violn.

R
RESINA.
Lo que necesitan las cerdas del arco para sonar.

RUBATO.
Tocar con rubato consiste en hacer la goma, alargando o atrasndose con el
tempo escrito, para dar expresividad personal a la composicin. Muy usado en el
romanticismo.

RICOCHET.
Golpe de arco. Consiste en una serie de spiccatos siempre hacia abajo, utilizando el
rebote natural del arco sobre las cueras. Ver artculo los golpes de arco.

S
SALTILLO (SAUTILLE).
Golpe de arco que utiliza el rebote natural de las cuerdas para tocar las notas a
mayor velocidad que el Spicatto. Ver artculo los golpes de arco.

SONATA.
Una composicin para un instrumento solista, aunque hay para 2, 3, o ms
instrumentos. Adems, le da su nombre a una estructura musical determinada que
ha dominado la msica de conciertos occidental.

SPICATTO.
Golpe de arco que utiliza las falanges para hacer levantar el arco de las cuerdas. Ver
artculo los golpes de arco.

STACATTO.
Golpe de arco. Destacar las notas utilizando un mismo golpe de arco, sin separar
el arco de las cuerdas. Ver artculo los golpes de arco.

STACATTO VOLANTE.
Golpe de arco. Destacar las notas utilizando un mismo golpe de arco, separando el
arco de las cuerdas. Ver artculo los golpes de arco.

SORDINA.
Este accesorio apaga el sonido, en diferentes niveles segn su tipo y calidad.

STRADIVARIUS.

Instrumento fabricado por Antonio Stradivari, el ms famoso luthier de la historia,

y el ms influyente. No os perdis el porqu de su leyenda en El mito Stradivarius

SUL PONTICELLO.
Sobre el puente. Golpe de arco que se realiza con el arco colocado casi encima del
puente. Ver artculo los golpes de arco.

SUZUKI.
Mtodo pedaggico, de violn, creado por Shinichi Suzuki, que ha popularizado
tremendamente su aprendizaje. Est basado en las reflexiones sobre cmo los nios
aprenden naturalmente a hablar. Para profundizar en el mtodo, Leed este artculo.

T
TALON.
Parte semicircular del fondo del violn, donde el mango se une a la caja. Ms
informacin en Anatoma de un violn.

TAPA.
La parte superior de la caja y una de las piezas de madera ms importantes. Ms
informacin en Anatoma de un violn.

TENSORES.
Pequeas piezas para afinar las cuerdas que se colocan en el cordal. Cmo afinar el
violn?

TREMOLO.

Golpe de arco que se realiza repitiendo rpidamente la misma nota y cambiando la

direccin del arco despus de cada repeticin. Ver artculo los golpes de arco.

TRINO.
Rpida sucesin de dos tonos distintos, realizado con la mano izquierda.

TORNILLO.
Es la parte del arco que se utiliza para tensar y aflojar las cerdas del arco. Ms
informacin en Anatoma de un violn.

TRIPA.
El primer material que se utiliz para las cuerdas del violn. Para saber ms Las
cuerdas del violn.

V
VARA.
La parte del arco que es de madera.

VARIOLAJE.
Alternancia rpida entre una nota esttica y notas cambiantes, que forman una
meloda por encima o por debajo de la nota esttica. Esta tcnica implica
generalmente repetidos cruces de cuerdas y es comn en la msica de violn
barroco. Un buen ejemplo se encuentra en las partitas de J. S. Bach.

VIBRATO.

Ay, el vibrato. En rigor sera la oscilacin en torno a un tono realizado con los dedos
de la mano izquierda, para producir un efecto expresivo y calidez que proporciona
profundidad y brillo en el sonido. Hay diversas tcnicas para producirlo, poniendo
en juego la mueca, el brazo, las falanges, o una combinacin de todos ellos.

VOLUTA.
Figura decorativa en la parte superior del mango.

VIOLINIST.COM - NEWS & ADVICE - TEACHING

Laurie Niles

The Violinist.com Glossary of Violin-Related Terms

December 15, 2012, 10:29 AM We've

compiled a glossary of terms used when talking

about the violin, to help everyone understand our common vocabulary. We've
given short definitions so readers may get a quick answer, then in many cases,
we've linked to more information. Here and there you'll find a few definitions
that simply illustrate the quirks and history of the Violinist.com community. If
you would like to add a term to this glossary, you are welcome to e-mail editor
Laurie Niles with the term and your suggested definition.

***
Appoggiatura: an ornamental note that is added before a principal note,
usually a step higher or lower than the principal note. The appoggiatura note is
leaned on, then it resolves to the principal note.
Arpeggio: sounding the notes of a chord in succession, rather than
simultaneously.
Artificial harmonics: harmonics created by holding down one finger (thus
"shortening" the string) and then putting another finger down lightly. On the
violin, one usually holds down the first finger and touches the fourth lightly to
the string. "Czardas" by Monti has a section with all artificial harmonics, as does
the "Pe loc" movement from Bartok's Rumanian Folk Dances.
Avec le bois: French: "With the wood." See "col legno."
Bariolage: the quick alternation between a static note and changing notes,
which form a melody either above or below the static note. This technique

usually involves repeated string crossings and is common in Baroque violin

music. A good example is in the Preludio from Bach's Partita No. 3.
Bow: a flexible wooden (or carbon fiber) stick with horse hair stretched from
the bent tip, or point, to a moveable frog, or nut. The hair is drawn over the
strings to set them vibrating. A Baroque bow has more convex curve to the
stick; the modern bow, developed in the late 18th c. by Francois Tourte, has a
more concave curve and more tension applied to the hair. (Here is an article on
the parts of the bow.)
Bow holds: see Franco-Belgian, Russian and Galamian.
Brazilwood: later-growth Pernambuco wood used to make bows. Here is an
article about Brazilwood vs. pernambuco
Bridge: the ornate, raised wood that holds up the strings in the middle of the
fiddle. It is not glued down; it stays in place only because of the pressure of the
strings.
Buri: Stephen Brivati
Cadenza: Look carefully and you can find the word "cadence" in this term. A
"cadence" is the conclusion of a phrase, and a "cadenza" is simply a very fancy
one. Usually occurring toward the end of a concerto movement, it is a place
where the orchestra drops out and the soloist plays a virtuosic cadence, which
can be written by someone else or improvised by the soloist. Rachel Barton Pine
has spoken extensively about how to write your own cadenzas.
Chin rest: a wooden device attached to the bottom-front of the violin that
separates the chin from direct contact with the violin surface. There are many
different kinds. See also: Shoulder rest
Coffee: common elixir among fiddle players

Coll: "pinched" bowing at the frog done with fingers only; often assigned by
teachers to help students cultivate finger flexibility while still balancing the
weight of the bow. (Here is a discussion about it.)
Col legno: striking the strings with the wood of the bow instead of the hair. To
avoid messing up their expensive bows, sometimes professional musicians use a
spare bow or even a pencil when music calls for col legno.
Conductor: evolved from the concertmaster position -- Ideally, he or she
works to resolve issues of pitch, balance, articulation, pulse, etc. with orchestral
musicians during rehearsals and keeps a steady and clear beat during
performances.
Con sordini: played with mute. (See "mute")
Concertmaster: the first-chair first violinist of an orchestra, often charged
with leading the section, deciding all bowings, translating the wishes of the
conductor to the orchestra and vice-versa, listening to auditions, and serving as
a representative of the orchestra to its larger community.
Concerto: a composition for solo instrument(s), with orchestral
accompaniment. Typically, it's in a three-movement sonata form, with cadenzas
in the first and last movements, though a number of violin concertos, especially
more modern ones, use different ideas to organize movements. Before 1650, the
term referred only to a work for voices with organ or continuo. In a nutshell, it's
a vehicle for a soloist, or group of soloists, to show off!
Concerto grosso: a kind of concerto in which a small group of instruments
alternates with a larger group. Corelli wrote many of these, most famously his
Christmas Concerto.
Daempfer: German word for mute.
Demisemiquaver: the European word for a 32nd note. If you say it loud
enough you'll always sound precocious.

Dtach: detached, with separate bow strokes, but not staccato (or short)
Double stops: playing on two strings at the same time. (FYI: "Stopping" is
simply putting your finger down on the string, to produce a note other than an
open string. So technically, it refers to using your fingers on both of those
strings.) And yes, there are "Triple stops," playing on three strings at once, and
even "Quadruple stops," playing on four strings at once.
Drone: a single tone that is sustained for a period of time while a melody is
being played. (A teacher might play a "drone" on the tonic while a student is
playing a scale, to help keep the student on-pitch) Bagpipes have a built-in
drone.
F-hole: This sounds bad, but it's not. It describes one of the openings in the
face of the violin, on either side of the strings, that is shaped like a cursive "F"
but really looks more like an "S."
Fiddle: same exact thing as a violin. That doesn't mean we can't argue about it on
Violinist.com.
Fingered octaves: alternating using fingers 1-3 and 2-4 in a passage of
double-stop octaves, rather than playing them all with fingers 1-4, or all with
fingers 1-3. (Here's a discussion on practicing fingered octaves.)
Flautando: a "sul tasto" (over-the-fingerboard) bow stroke that creates a flutelike sound.
Franco-Belgian bow hold: holding the bow with rounded and flexible
fingers, including a rounded pinkie which takes some of the weight of the bow.
Here's a nice V.com flame war we had back in 2011 on the subject of 'bow holds'! (See
Russian bow hold and Galamian bow hold)
Frog: a removable device at the lower end of the bow stick that secures the hair
and permits the regulation of its tension. Also called the "nut" or the "heel."

Haiku: a Japanese form of poetry, and a great way to write about the violin.
Hair: on the violin bow, the hair comes from a horse's tail and is rubbed with
rosin to make it sticky.
Galamian bow hold: a modified Franco-Belgian bow hold in which the wrist
is flatter and fingers slightly closer together.
Glissando: to glide or slide the fingers along the string, usually to create a
special effect. The late Ruggiero Ricci wrote a book called Ricci on Glissando
about a kind of violin technique that makes more frequent use of the glissando
for shifting.
Heel: the frog of the bow
Hooked bowing: hooking two notes into one bow, usually with a stop
between.
Intervals: the distance between two notes. Here are some examples of ways to
teach, identify and remember different intervals.
Intonation: the degree to which something is "in tune," or to which something
is the correct pitch. (Pythagorian, Just and Equal Temperament)
Jet: French for "thrown," a bouncing bow stroke that involves two to six
ricochets in a row.
Just temperament (or "pure intonation): a tuning system that produces
harmonic intervals tuned to eliminate all beats. (Here is a discussion thread on
just temperament).
Key: the tonal center of a composition -- the scale that a composition is built
upon. The "key" is named after the first note of the scale. For example, "G
major" is built on the major scale that starts on the note "G." That first note is
also called the "tonic."

Label: Found on the inside of the violin by looking through the left "f"-hole,
this tells who made the violin, where it was made, and in what year. Except
when the label is fake!
Legato: smooth, connected bow stroke
Limerick: more entertaining poetry about the violin.
Luthier: maker of a stringed instrument such as a violin, viola, cello, bass or
guitar. The term comes from the word "lute," a basic stringed instrument.
Major scale: a scale with half-steps between the 3rd and 4th and the 7th and
8th degrees. (My students like to chant, "whole-whole-half-whole-whole-whole
half," to remember the intervals in an ascending major scale) Here is a Nice,
wonky discussion thread on scales and modes and their history.
Martel: "martellato" in Italian means "hammered." A detached and strongly
accented bow stroke.
Measurements for violins: This seems like a fairly amazing website, with an
encyclopedic catalogue of precise measurements of violins by makers from the
17th through 20th centuries. For each of 305 instruments, they list 250
measurements: The Luthier's Library.
Minor scale: a scale with a lowered third degree. Many agree it sounds "sad"
compared to a major key. In addition to the lowered third degree: a natural
minor scale has a lowered sixth and seventh degrees; a harmonic minor
scale has a lowered sixth and raised seventh degree; and a melodic minor
scale has a raised sixth and seventh degree ascending and a lowered sixth and
seventh degree descending.
Modes: There are a total of seven different ways to pick 7 pitches out of the
available pitches to form an eight-pitch scale which ends on the same pitch it
started with. These seven different ways to arrange the scales are known as
modes, and their names are: Ionian, Dorian, Phrygian, Lydian, Mixolydian,
Aeolian and Locrian. The major and minor scales are actually two of those seven

modes. Major is Ionian mode and minor is Aeolian mode. (Definition taken
from this discussion.)
Mute: a small device that fits over the bridge to mute the sound of the violin. It
makes it sound like the violin is singing with its nose plugged. Not that a violin
has a nose. A "practice mute" is usually a bit bigger and heavier and makes the
violin very quiet, for times such as practicing in a hotel room. Here are some
examples of various mutes.
Natural harmonics: overtones produced by touching the open string very
lightly at various points from the bridge. Generally the clearest harmonic occurs
in the very middle of the string, which, when touched lightly without depressing
the string, sounds an octave above the string's open-string pitch. Harmonics are
usually notated with a small circle over the note or a diamond-shaped note, and
they tend to sound open and ring-y.
Nut: On the bow: the frog. On the violin: the grooved ridge of wood near the
scroll where the strings pass over from the fingerboard into the peg box.
Passage: a section of music
Pedagogy: the art of how to teach something. A "pedagogue" is an expert in
teaching techniques and often teaches teachers. Here are the names of some
violin pedagogues, past and present: Leopold Mozart, Leopold Auer, Jascha
Brodsky, Carl Flesch, Otakar evck, Eugne Ysae, Josef Gingold, Ivan
Galamian, Dorothy DeLay, Shinichi Suzuki, Simon Fischer, Roland Vamos, Stanley
Ritchie.
Pernambuco: the rare South American wood from which many bows are
made. Here is an article about Brazilwood vs. pernambuco and here is an article
about a bowmaker who participates in re-forestation efforts for pernambuco.
Pedal tone or pedal point: a sustained note held under the other musical
goings-on, as with an organ "pedal." For us string players, it sometimes refers to
the repeated (unchanging) note in bariolage.

Pizzicato: an indication for string players to pluck, rather than bow, the string.
Ponticello: the bridge of the violin. "Sul ponticello" is a direction to play very
near the bridge, which creates a nasal sound.
Portamento: an effect done by sliding into a note with the left hand. The
violinist Fritz Kreisler was a master of this technique. Here are tips for when to use
this effect.
Portato: as opposed to up-bow or down-bow staccato, in which each note
marked with a bow stop -- each note in a "portato" bowing is re-articulated very
gently, with the bow continuing to move between notes. Think "wah-wah-wahwah." (btw if you type "portato," spell-check will likely change it to "potato.")
Positions: This refers to the position of your left hand on the violin. "First
position" is the first one most people learn, with the hand resting near the end
of the fingerboard, toward the scroll. Typically, students next learn third
position, in which the hand is moved forward so that the first finger is now
where the third finger was in first position. There are 10 positions, moving
progressively up the fingerboard, and also half-position, which is a half-step
lower than first position, with the first finger generally positioned right by the
nut.
Practice: The devotion you show your instrument by playing it every day and
repeating actions accurately until they come naturally. Shinichi Suzuki
suggested that it takes 10,000 repetitions to truly learn a piece. That's a lot of
practicing! (the verb form, in Europe, is "practise.")
Prunes: dried plums, which aid in late digestion. Ideal snack for string players
who may occasionally suffer bouts of rigidity of mind or bowel, due to their
high-strung nature. First recommended in 2004 by V.com member Stephen
Brivati, aka "Buri."
Purfling: an inlaid, protective border around the perimeter of a stringed
instrument. On a violin, viola or cello, it looks like a painted double line -- but it
better not be just paint!

Pythagorian tuning: tuning based on the use of pure fifths. It uses Greek
philosopher Pythagorus' theories of physics and sound.
Relative minor: Every major scale has a relative minor that uses its same key
signature. The relative minor is located 1 1/2 steps down from the relative
major. For example, the relative minor of C major is A minor.
Rhythm: the organization of silence and sound in time.
Ricochet: a bouncing bow stroke in which the bow is dropped or thrown on the
string and allowed to rebound and bounce again, several times. (V.com member
Drew Lecher wrote an excellent article on developing ricochet bowing)
Rosin: a small cake of solid resin from a tree (often pine) that we rub onto the
bow hair in order to make it sticky, to make the string sound. No rosin on the
bow = no sound from violin! Light rosin tends to produce a smoother sound,
and dark rosin (used more often on lower instruments like the viola or cello)
tends to produce a grittier, bigger sound. (Here is a nice informational page on
rosin, from Shar.)
Russian bow hold: a bow hold in which the right hand is extremely pronated,
leaning toward the index finger, with the pinkie quite straight. The right wrist
also tends to be very high. Jascha Heifetz was its most famous adherent.
S & P's: Sonatas and Partitas, for solo violin, written by Johann Sebastian
Bach. (Here's a long chat we had about them.)
Sautill: very fast spiccato, done usually with the hand.
Scale: See major scale, minor scale, modes.
Schoenburger: Hilary Hahn's 2008 challenge, suggested by V.com member
Stephen Brivati, to create a Schoenburger recipe in honor of the composer Arnold
Schoenberg's 134th birthday in 2008. This was the winning recipe.

Scroll: the decorative "head" of the violin. Generally it is carved to look like
rolled parchment, but occasionally a luthier gets creative and makes a scroll that
looks like a face or animal head. (Here are some wonderful pictures and
description of the making of a typical scroll, from luthier Jonathan Hai and his
wife.)
Second violin section: a highly essential and underrated part of the orchestra
that often plays harmony to the first violins' melody.
Senza sord: without mute (that means if you have it on, take it off)
Shoulder rest a contraption -- praised by many, vilified by others -- to help
hold up the violin. There are many, many different kinds. Choosing one involves
matching your body type to the right rest: see our article, How to Hold a Violin.
Violinists argue rather vociferously about whether a person really needs a
shoulder rest or not. A majority of violinists use a shoulder rest, as evidenced by
the results of the first poll we ever took on V.com. Playing without a shoulder rest
involves special technique; please refer to Stanley Ritchie and his book called
Before the Chinrest. Also, there are many articles on V.com about the topic: for
example, this one by Emil Altschuler. Above all, either way you choose, please do
not injure yourself.
Solfege: a language that assigns a syllable to each step in a scale. For an
ascending major scale, the solfege syllables are: Do Re Mi Fa Sol La Ti Do.
Sonata: Officially, this refers to an instrumental work in 2-4 movements. As
related to the violin, there are many works we refer to as "violin sonatas" which
are actually written for the violin and piano, to be played as chamber music.
There are also "solo sonatas" for just violin, written by Bach and by Ysaye.(In
this thread, people write about their favorite violin sonatas).
Soundpost: a wooden post, set under the bridge, to transmit the bridge's
vibrations to the soundboard. Adjusting the soundpost can change the sound of
a violin, thus sometimes violinists take their fiddles to a luthier to "have the
soundpost adjusted."

Sounding point: the point on the string between the bridge and the
fingerboard where the instrument responds most readily and most resonantly.
Shinichi Suzuki called this the "Kreisler highway," the place where one must
bow on the string, neither too close to the bridge nor too close to the
fingerboard. More refined: Dorothy DeLay, and subsequently Simon Fischer,
spoke of five sounding points, from the bridge to the fingerboard -- sort of like
five lanes on that highway. Each of of the five "lanes" or sounding points, has a
different characteristic and is used for various kinds of bowing.
Spiccato: bouncing bow stroke (Here's an article about a class Barbara Barber
gave on spiccato.)
Staccato: a short note, which can be produced with several kinds of bow
strokes, including spiccato, sautille, martele, jete, ricochet, up-bow and downbow staccato and more. (Here is a thread that describes the "staccato" concept
well.)
Strings: There are so many of them! Find some guidance at
ViolinStringReview.com as well as a string color ID chart to help you figure out
what kind of strings you have, based on their colors, all made by V.com member
Shawn Boucke.
Suzuki Method: A music education philosophy pioneered by the Japanese
violin pedagogue, Shinichi Suzuki (1898-1998) and used especially in the
training of young children. Here is a detailed description of its philosophy and
history.
Tasto: The fingerboard. "Sul tasto" is a direction to play over the fingerboard,
creating a soft, whispery sound.
Tonic: The first note, or degree, of a major or minor scale. In the key of G
major, the "tonic" is the note "G."
Tremolo: extremely rapid repetition of a note, usually accomplished by playing
at the tip and using a hand motion.

Trill: rapid alternation of two tones either a whole or a half tone apart.
Vibrato: a fluctuation of pitch to warm the tone of a note, achieved by
oscillating the left hand. Vibrato can originate in the fingers, hand, and arm, or a
combination of all three. (Here are several articles by Anna Heifetz about
vibrato: defining types of vibrato; developing vibrato and vibrato and tension.)
Viola: A most beloved instrument, looking like a violin only larger, with a lower
register whose strings include C, G, D and A. Sometimes people tell viola jokes,
but it's only because violists are our siblings and we love them.
VSO: "Violin-Shaped Object." Don't buy one.
Wolf tone: when one note gets a wooffy, fuzzy sound, no matter what you do.
The note is usually on the G string and becomes a bother mostly if you are
playing something like Zigeunerweisen or the last movement of the Brahms
Sonata in A. Here's a Long discussion we had on the topic; also, Augustin Hadelich
talks in detail in this interview about how to deal with them.
***