History

of the Violin

The shape of the violin became standard around 1550 in Italy. 3 different
instruments inspired the violin: the rebec, the Viola Da Braccio, and the lira da
braccio. Gasparo da Solo and Andrea Amati were the first people to make violins.
Over the years the shape of the violin has changed slightly. Now there is a longer
and more tilted
fingerboard and a
longer, thinner neck.

Range: G3-A7
Size: 14-23 inches










History of the Viola
It is unsure unsure, but the viola probably came around before 1530. Andrea Amati
was also one of the first makers of the viola. At first the viola was called the alto-
tenor violin. Then in the 18th century the
word viola was introduced. Over the years
the make of the viola has changed as well.
It now has a different neck, fingerboard,
bride, bass bar, and is bigger. A violinist
named Lionel Tertis created the 16 inch
viola, which is the size we use today.

Range: C3-E6
Size: 21-27 inches











History of the Cello
The cello started as something called the bass violin, which was
known to exist around 1527. There were two different sizes of
bass violins. They also had wirewound string. It is known that
Francesco Rugeri and memebers of the Amati family created a
cello before 1700.
Range: C2-C6
Size: 26-48 inches

History of the Bass
It is debated over whether the bass originated from the violin
family or the viol family. The bass started with 3 strings, and
the number of strings changed overtime ranging from 3 to 6.
The shape of the bass has also changed as well as the size. The
bass used to be 13 to 15 feet, and it
required two people to play them.
Today, two bow styles are used to
play the base: the German bow and
the French bow. The German bow
style uses a more underhanded
approach.

Range: C2-C5
Size: 61-74 inches


Purchasing Instruments
- Purchase the best quality
that you can afford
- Go to multiple stores
- Possibly have a repair technician look at the quality of the instrument
- Negotiate the price of the instrument
- If renting rent from local dealer

Care for String Instruments
- Only you or your teacher should touch your instrument
- Keep your instrument in its case when youre not using it
- Keep away from sunlight
- Keep at room temperature
- If something breaks, fix it immediately
- Do not touch the bow hair
- Hold the instrument by the neck
- Clean the strings with rubbing alcohol and a soft cloth, make sure not to
touch the wood
- Clean wood and bow stick with professional string instrument cleaner
- Annually replace bow hair