Stringed musical instruments. Stringed bowed instruments: description of the group

Stringed instruments are musical instruments whose sound source is the vibration of the strings. In the international classification, they are referred to as chordophones. The most famous and popular instruments of this class are: guitar, violin, viola, harp, dombra, balalaika, kobyz, gusli, cello and many others.

Classification of stringed instruments

Music is formed by vibrating one or more highly stretched threads, which are a kind of bowstring. This device is called a string. It is stretched between the jumpers on the tool body. Such threads differ in the material from which they are made. It can be copper, silver, and nylon.

Today, the following types of stringed instruments are distinguished:

1. Plucked. Examples are guitars, harps, balalaikas, harps, dombras, sitars, ouds, ukuleles and more. Here, the main way to get sound is a pinch. This action is carried out either with a finger or with a special plectrum. It is worth noting that some keyboard instruments are sometimes included in this classification. A striking example is the harpsichord, where a plastic reed vibrates along the string.

2. Bowed. The most famous representatives of this group are such stringed musical instruments as violin, kobyz, double bass, viola and cello. To obtain sound, a special bow made of wood and stretched hairs at the ends of the structure is used. Leading such a device along the strings causes a short-term melodic vibration.

3. Drums. These stringed musical instruments require additional accessories to play. This is the little hammer. The piano is rarely considered a percussion string instrument. However, the most famous example would be cymbals. It is noteworthy that all actions with a hammer are performed by the player himself.

4. The rest. All other stringed musical instruments that do not fall into the generally accepted classification belong to an indefinite species. For example, the aeolian harp. For sound extraction, the bowstring will need to oscillate caused by air flow.

Varieties of stringed plucked instruments

Al-oud, or simply oud, is a real cultural asset of the Medieval East. Translated from Arabic, the name of the instrument means "tree". The body has a rounded shape. The neck is relatively short, with no frets. That is why al-oud has such a unique sound. The combination of strings consists of 5 pairs. All of them must be tuned in unison. There are also alternative versions of the instrument with 13 strings. A bowstring is made of nylon, in ancient times - from the intestines of an animal.

The harp is a musical instrument that is known to the world from medieval poems and legends. This is one of the most popular and beautiful representatives of the plucked string group. Currently, there are many varieties of harps that differ in shape, number of strings and sound. The instrument was most widely used in the UK. It is a curved frame with many parallel strings. It strikes with melody and soft overflow of tones.

Another interesting plucked instrument is the dombra, or dambur. It is considered a national treasure of Kazakhstan. It is a kind of guitar with two heavily stretched nylon strings. It is tuned either in fifths or in fourths. The frets must be veined. Located at the very top of the neck.

The most popular Western stringed instrument is the mandolin. The sound is achieved by plucking the four double strings. Such instruments differ in shape: elongated, lute-shaped, flat-bottomed. An unusual representative is the Florentine mandolin, as it has five strings.

Guitar Features

It is the most widely used instrument in the world. It is used both for solo performance and for accompaniment. Suitable for absolutely any direction and style of music, from blues to rock. For example, the Spanish guitar is a stringed instrument that combines the national sound of Western European and Arab peoples. It consists of only five strings. Widespread since the 15th century.

Also, it would not be superfluous to recall the national Russian guitar. Its fundamental difference is the number of strings - seven. It appeared only at the beginning of the 19th century. At that time, this instrument had no equal in popularity. It was played by such virtuosos of their craft as Mikhail Vysotsky, Semyon Aksenov, Andrei Sikhra and many other great musicians.

Nevertheless, today the classical guitar is considered the most common. It comes in different sizes, it can differ in neck fasteners, but one thing remains the same - the number of strings. There should be six of them in a classical guitar. In addition, it has a peg mechanism design. The classical guitar is acoustic and electronic.

The uniqueness of balalaikas

These are musical Russian folk instruments (strings by category, plucked by typology). The balalaika has a triangular body and three strings. To produce sound, it is necessary to hit the stretched threads with your finger at the same time. Such an action in ancient times was called rattling.

The balalaika is a musical instrument that is a symbol of Russian culture along with the accordion. The body can be from 60 to 170 cm. The shape of the instruments is slightly curved or oval. The body consists of six separate segments. The top of the neck is slightly bent back. Frets can be from 16 to 31. The strings on modern balalaikas are carbon. Thanks to this, such a sonorous sound is achieved.

Bandura design

This stringed plucked instrument is considered a folk instrument in Ukraine. The body is always oval, there is a short neck. Bandura is a musical instrument with a huge number of strings. In modern models, there can be up to 64 of them, in old variations - from 12 to 25. The bowstring is stretched from the edge of the neck to the deck. The higher you pluck the neck, the lower the sound will be.

In addition, the bandura is a musical instrument that has a distinctive timbre. It is achieved by a mixed system in registers. To play the bandura, the strings must be plucked. Special thimbles must be worn on the fingers.

Some historians consider the Russian gusli to be the ancestor of the instrument, others consider the kobza. In some chronicles of the XIV century, references and drawings have been preserved that characterize a certain musical subject, which is extremely common in the Kyiv province.

Varieties of the bowed group

These are mainly ancient folk stringed musical instruments. The names of the most common of them are: violin, viola, double bass and cello. All these instruments are the foundation of any symphony orchestra today. Another type of group is the octobas. In the parties, he appears quite rarely because of the low sound. To produce sound, it is necessary to draw a bow along one or more strings. The range of such instruments covers about seven octaves.

Popularity for bowed strings came in the 17th century. Even then, street musicians learned to combine instruments of different timbres into a homogeneous sound. Most often, such impromptu orchestras consisted of violinists and cellists. Interestingly, both the bow and the finger can be used to extract sound from the double bass.

Drum group features

Getting a melody when playing such instruments is achieved by lightly hitting the strings with a special hammer. The cymbals are the most prominent example of the group. In addition, sometimes the piano is used as a percussion instrument, where there is a special autonomous mechanism for this.

Another notorious representative of the group is the clavichord. The principle of playing on it is reduced to pressing on the strings with brass tangenots. The result is a specific sound. The tone depends on the strength and frequency of the impact. A similar procedure can be done with a guitar or violin. Sometimes, to enhance the organic sound, musicians lightly strike the strings with a finger or a bow.

Gut-resonating instruments are considered a separate subspecies of the group. Examples are the didjiridu and the jew's harp.

"Free" string instruments

The aeolian harp is not included in any of the above groups, since the main method of its sound extraction is the vibration of the string caused by the movement of air. Thanks to this, the most soulful and subtle melody is achieved. In ancient times, such a harp was considered the object of the gods.

There is a separate type of string instruments to which keys are attached. In this case, the musician interacts indirectly with the sound design. An example of an instrument is the harpsichord. In it, the strings cling to small reeds.

Some instruments are a combined type. In the Middle Ages they were revered by itinerant musicians. They could simultaneously play a plucked stringed instrument with a bow in the form of a wheel.

Extracting sounds

For this procedure, the string must be stretched to a certain limit. Any touch to it produces a sound. The strings are tuned so that in the end the musician can hit the desired notes. It is possible to influence the bowstring by means of a pinch, a blow, a bow, a stream of air.

The stronger the tension of the string and the smaller its thickness, the thinner the sound will be. The tonality is also affected by the length of the bowstring, the number of frets, the size of the body and drum, and the length of the neck. The melody depends on the material of the string. Copper ones sound louder, silver ones sound thinner, nylon ones sound dull and rough, etc.

The extraction of notes is also affected by pinching certain frets with your fingers or an object. When playing the guitar, this action is called a chord.

Impact on the strings

The most difficult and painstaking procedure for sound extraction is considered to be that of the violin. To play this instrument, the bow must move along the strings, centered between the low threshold and the fretboard. The position is perpendicular to the face of the violin. To change the timbre, move the bow closer to the lower threshold of the body.

Playing plucked instruments requires knowledge of a certain sequence of notes. The touch with the string occurs in the middle of the drum. And it makes no difference whether it is a guitar or Russian stringed musical instruments, such as a balalaika or a gusli.

To play the keyboard, you should first choose the object of manipulation: a tongue, a hammer or a tangenot. There is no direct influence of the musician on the strings.

acoustic instruments

The string during vibration will always make a quiet sound. Therefore, special designs were invented to enhance the tonality. In plucked instruments they are called drums. During oscillation, sound enters a closed space, creating an echo, and leaves it amplified several times. The larger the drum, the higher the volume of the melody.

Acoustic stringed musical instruments are always made only from high-quality wood: spruce or maple. These materials are durable, flexible and lightweight. Some instruments can be made from carbon fibers (cello).

electronic sound

To increase the volume at the beginning of the 20th century, so-called diaphragm resonators or bells were used in violins. Similar designs were previously used in mechanical gramophones.

By the 1920s, resonators were slowly disappearing as electronic sound amplifiers took their place. Their principle of operation was based on a magnetic pickup that received vibrations, converted them into a powerful signal and gave out notes through the speakers.

Over time, solid-body instruments appeared, in which unnecessary noise, squeaks and echoes were eliminated. Modern amplifying musical equipment allows not only to increase the sound volume, but also to give it additional effects.

The basis of a symphony orchestra is a group located in the center, directly in front of the audience and the conductor. These are string instruments. The vibration of strings is the source of sound. In the Hornbostel-Sachs classification, bowed stringed instruments are called chordophones. When two violins, viola and cello play together, a string quartet is formed. This is a chamber

predecessors

Double basses, cellos, violas and even violins were not the first to appear, they were preceded by violas, which became popular in the fifteenth century. Their sound was soft and gentle, so very soon they became favorites of all sorts of orchestras. Bowed string instruments as such appeared long before the viola, but they are still much younger than plucked instruments.

The bow was invented in India, even the ancient Greeks did not know about it yet. Arabs, Persians, Africans passed it from country to country like a baton, and gradually (by the eighth century) the bow came to Europe. Stringed bowed instruments were formed there, which, changing, gave life first to the viola, and then to the violin.

Viola

Violas were of different sizes and with different voices, some stood between the knees, others - on their knees, others - larger - stood on the bench and they had to be played while standing. There were also small violas, which, like the violin, were held on the shoulder. Viola da gamba is still in orchestras, she has a very peculiar and beautiful "voice". She victoriously existed until the eighteenth century, then for some time the cello performed her parts. Only in 1905 did the viola da gamba return to the orchestra. Bowed strings have greatly enriched their sound thanks to her return.

In general, viols were more acceptable for aristocrats for a long time: they have an exquisite, as if muffled sound, music sounds organically by candlelight, when the musicians are in velvet robes and powdered wigs. Violins first conquered folk music, so they were not allowed into palaces and salons for a long time, viols and lutes reigned there.

Musical violas were made from the most valuable materials and were also very beautiful, even the heads were often with artistic carvings in the form of flowers, animal or human heads.

Masters

In the fifteenth century, with the advent of violins, lute and viol makers began to retrain as folk fair instruments supplanted the old aristocratic ones, as they had much more opportunities to produce a sound that was expressive and technically skillful. The famous school of Andrea Amati was founded in Cremona, which became hereditary. His grandson succeeded in making violins, in which the sound was extremely enhanced, while the warmth, softness and variety of timbre were preserved.

Violins began to be able to do everything: express human feelings and even imitate the intonations of the human voice. A century later, another master - Antonio Stradivari, a student opened his own workshop and also succeeded. Also an outstanding master was Giuseppe Guarneri, who came up with a new design of the violin, more perfect. All these schools were family-run, and children and grandchildren continued the business. They made not only violins, but also all other bowed stringed instruments.

Names of orchestral instruments

The violin has the highest register of bowed strings, and the double bass has the lowest. Closer to the violin sound - a little lower - the viola sounds, even lower - the cello. In their form, all stringed bowed instruments resemble a human figure, only of different sizes.

The body of the violins has two soundboards - lower and upper, the first is made of maple, and the second is made of spruce. It is the decks that are responsible for the quality and power of the sound. On the top there are curly cuts - effs, and they look like the letter "f". A neck is attached to the body (on which the violinist's fingers "run"), usually it is made of ebony, and strings are stretched over it - there are four of them. They are fastened with pegs, twisting on them and stretching. Here the pitch depends on the tension, twisting the pegs.

How they are played

The viola is larger than the violin, although it is also held on the shoulder. The cello is even larger and is played while sitting on a chair, placing the instrument on the floor between the legs. The double bass is much larger than the cello, the bass player always plays standing up, in rare cases he sits down on a high stool.

A bow is a cane made of wood, on which thick horse hair is stretched, which are then smeared with rosin - pine resin. Then the bow slightly sticks to the string and, as it were, pulls it along. The string vibrates and therefore sounds. All bow-string instruments of a symphony orchestra work exactly on this principle. When the score requires it, the bowed strings can be plucked (pizzicato) and even struck with the wooden part of the bow.

Alto

The viola looks very much like a violin, it's just wider and longer, but its timbre is special, the sound is lower and thicker. Not every violinist will be able to play the viola with a body length of forty-six centimeters plus a neck. The fingers should be strong and long, the hand should be wide and also strong. And, of course, you need special sensitivity. All these qualities together are quite rare.

Although the viola is not as popular with composers as the rest of the group of bowed string instruments, it is still very important in a symphony orchestra. And when he plays solo, for example, the value of this instrument is especially well felt.

Cello

There is no instrument better adapted to express feelings such as grief, sadness, sadness, even despair. The voice of the cello has a special timbre that pierces the soul, unlike any other instrument. in his "Scarlet Sails" he compared the violin with a pure girl named Assol, and the cello with the passionate Carmen. Indeed, the cello can very deeply convey strong feelings and a vivid character.

Cellos were made simultaneously with violins by the very first masters, but Antonio Stradivari brought it to perfection. This instrument was not noticed in the orchestra for a long time, leaving the accompaniment parts to it, but when this voice was truly heard, the composers wrote a lot of solo and chamber music for the cello, and the performers improved the technique of playing this instrument more and more.

double bass

This is the lowest register string instrument. The shape of the double bass does not look too much like a violin: a more sloping body, its shoulders are close to the neck. His sound is booming, thick, low, and without the bass register the orchestra will not sound good, so the double bass is simply irreplaceable there. Moreover, it takes root in almost any orchestra - even jazz. You can't do without it.

If we compare the orchestral score with the human body, then the bass part is a skeleton, on which, respectively, “meat” is accompaniment, and the melodic line is “skin”, everyone can see it. If we imagine that the skeleton is removed from the body, what happens? Yes, the bag is shapeless. Bass is just as necessary, everything rests on it. What string-bowed instruments can keep the rhythm of the whole orchestra? Contrabass only.

Violin

Stringed bowed instruments rightfully consider her the queen when the violin sings, the rest can only sing along. The sound is extracted in a tricky way that no other instrument of this group can do. A bow with hard, rough, coarse horsehair, rubbed with rosin, is almost a file, because strong rosin is poured into powder. When the bow touches the string, it immediately sticks and pulls the string along for as long as its elasticity is enough, then it breaks off to immediately stick again. This is the movement of the string - uniform when the bow pulls it, and sinusoidal on return - and gives that unique timbre.

There is also such subtlety: in other instruments, in guitars, for example, the strings are stretched on hard metal nut, and in the violin they rest on a wooden, rather flimsy stand, which oscillates when played in both directions, and transmits these vibrations to all strings, even those that the bow does not touch. So subtle overtones are added to the overall picture, which further enrich the sound of the instrument.

Tool Features

The intonation freedom of the violin sound is simply endless. She can not only sing, but also whistle, and mimic the creak of a door and the chirping of a bird. And once on television they showed an April Fool's humor, where the violinist made the audience laugh by imitating sounds that were completely unrelated to music. For example, the unintelligible voice of the dispatcher at the station, announcing the arrival of the train. The word "pavtaryaaaayu" was pronounced by the violin. The mastery of this instrument most of all depends on the quality of the performer's hearing, and the training should be long. It is not in vain that children begin to be taught as early as three or four years old, so that the results are worthy.

Stringed bowed instruments - a group of musical instruments with sound extraction, carried out mainly in the process of conducting a bow along stretched strings. There are a large number of folk bowed instruments. In modern academic music-making, four bowed stringed instruments are used: Violin, Viola, Cello, Double bass. The range of the entire bow group covers almost seven octaves from up to the counteroctave up to the fifth octave. Bowed bows were formed and improved around the end of the 17th century, only the bow in its modern form appeared by the end of the 18th century. Despite the timbre differences between the individual instruments of the group, in the mass they sound uniform. This is due to the unity of the design and the general principle of sound production. The source of sound for all instruments is strings, the sound is produced with a bow (arco) or fingers (pizzicato). Violin- bowed stringed musical instrument of high register. It has a folk origin, acquired a modern look in the 16th century, and became widespread in the 17th century. It has four strings tuned in fifths: g, d1, a1, e² (salt of a small octave, re, la of the first octave, mi of the second octave), range from g (salt of a small octave) to a4 (la of the fourth octave) and higher. The timbre of the violin is thick in the low register, soft in the middle and brilliant in the high. Violin structure. The violin consists of two main parts: the body and the neck, along which the strings are stretched. The body of the violin has an oval shape with rounded notches on the sides, forming a "waist". The roundness of the outer contours and the "waist" lines ensures the convenience of playing, in particular in high registers. The lower and upper planes of the body - decks - are connected to each other by strips of wood - shells. Lower deck or “bottom”, Upper deck or “cover”, Shells, Dushka, Neckboard, or string holder, Loop, Button, Stand. Vulture. The neck of the violin is a long bar of solid hardwood (black ebony or rosewood). Over time, the surface of the neck either wears out or becomes uneven. The lower part of the neck is glued to the neck, which passes into the head, consisting of a peg box and a curl. The nut is an ebony plate located between the neck and the head, with slots for the strings. The recesses in the nut are rubbed with graphite grease or graphite (graphite pencil) to reduce friction on the strings and extend their life. The holes in the nut distribute the strings at an equal distance from each other. The neck is a semicircular part that the performer covers with his hand during the game. A neck and a nut are attached to the top of the neck. Strings. The strings run from the neck, through the bridge, over the surface of the neck, and through the nut to the pegs, which are wound around the headstock. The violin has four strings:

first ("fifth")- upper, tuned to mi of the second octave. The metal solid string "mi" has a sonorous, shiny timbre.

second- tuned to la of the first octave. Vein (intestinal or from a special alloy) solid "la" has a soft, matte timbre.

third- tuned to D of the first octave. Vein (intestinal or artificial fiber) "re", entwined with aluminum thread has a soft, matte timbre.

fourth ("bass")- lower, tuned to the salt of a small octave. Vein (intestinal or artificial fiber) "salt", entwined with a silver thread, harsh and thick timbre. Bow- A wooden cane, passing into the head on one side, a block is attached on the other. A ponytail hair (artificial or natural) is stretched between the head and the block. Horse hair, especially thick, has large scales, between which there is a rubbing rosin, which favorably affects the sound. Chinrest. Designed for the convenience of the musician. Lateral, middle and their intermediate arrangement is selected from the violinist's ergonomic preferences. Bridge. It is also intended for the convenience of the musician's playing. Attaches to the back of the violin and is designed to be mounted on the musician's shoulder. It consists of a stand (straight or curved, hard or lined with soft cloth, wood, metal or carbon), and fasteners on each side. The metal structure often hides the necessary electronics, such as a microphone amplifier. The main brands of modern bridges are WOLF, KUN, etc. The strings are pressed four fingers of the left hand to the neck (thumb excluded). The strings are led with a bow in the right hand of the player. By pressing with a finger, the length of the oscillating region of the string decreases, due to which the frequency increases, that is, a higher sound is obtained. Strings that are not pressed with a finger are called open strings and are indicated by zero when indicating the fingering.

From touching the string with almost no pressure in certain places, harmonics are obtained. Some harmonic sounds go beyond the standard violin range in their pitch. The location of the application of the fingers of the left hand is called fingering (from the word applique). The index finger of the hand is called the first, the middle - the second, the ring - the third, the little finger - the fourth. A position is a fingering of four adjacent fingers spaced one tone or semitone apart. Each string can have seven or more positions. The higher the position, the more difficult it is to play cleanly in it. On each string, excluding fifths, they go mainly only up to the fifth position inclusive; but on the fifth or the first string, and sometimes on the second, higher positions are used - up to the twelfth. Alto(English and Italian viola, French alto, German Bratsche) or violin viola - a bowed stringed musical instrument of the same device as the violin, but somewhat larger, which makes it sound in a lower register. The viola strings are tuned a fifth below the violin and an octave above the cello - c, g, d1, a1 (to, salt of a small octave, re, la of the first octave). The most common range is from c (to a small octave) to e3 (mi of the third octave), in solo works it is possible to use higher sounds. Notes are written in alto and treble clefs. How to play the viola: Viola playing techniques are slightly different from violin playing techniques in terms of sound production and technique, however, the playing technique itself is slightly more limited due to the larger size, and as a result, the need for more stretching of the fingers of the left hand. Alto Timbre- less bright than violin, but thick, matte, velvety in the lower register, somewhat nasal in the upper register. Such a timbre of the viola is a consequence of the fact that the dimensions of its body (“resonator box”) do not correspond to its system: with an optimal length of 46–47 centimeters (such violas were made by old masters of Italian schools), a modern instrument has a length of 38 to 43 centimeters [source not indicated 592 days]. Larger violas, approaching the classical ones, are played mainly by solo players with stronger hands and developed technique. Cello(Italian violoncello, abbr. cello, German Violoncello, French violoncelle, English cello) is a bowed stringed musical instrument of the bass and tenor register, known from the first half of the 16th century, of the same structure as the violin or viola, but significantly larger sizes. The cello has wide expressive possibilities and carefully developed performance technique, it is used as a solo, ensemble and orchestral instrument. Cello playing technique. The principles of playing and strokes when performing on the cello are the same as on the violin, however, due to the larger size of the instrument and the different position of the player, the technique of playing the cello is complicated. Flageolets, pizzicato, thumb bet and other game techniques are used. The sound of the cello is juicy, melodious and tense, slightly compressed in the upper register on the lower strings. Cello strings: C, G, d, a (do, salt of a large octave, re, la of a small octave), that is, an octave below the alto. The range of the cello, thanks to the developed technique of playing on the a string, is very wide - from C (to a large octave) to a4 (A of the fourth octave) and higher. Notes are written in bass, tenor and treble clefs according to the actual sound. double bass(Italian contrabasso or basso, French contrebasse, German Kontrabass, English double bass) - the largest in size (about two meters in height) and the lowest in sound of the widely used bowed stringed musical instruments, combining the features of a violin families and families of viols. It has four strings tuned in fourths: E1, A1, D, G (mi, la contra-octave, re, salt of the big octave), the range is from E1 (mi contra-octave) to g1 (salt of the first octave) and higher. Double Bass Playing Technique. The double bass is played standing (as a rule, soloists) or sitting on a high stool (mainly in an orchestra), placing the instrument in front of them. The height of the tool is regulated by the length of the spire. The techniques of playing the double bass and the strokes are the same as on the violin, however, due to its large size and the less convenient position of the bow (on the weight), the technique of playing the double bass is significantly limited: a large stretch of the fingers and frequent changes of positions make it difficult to perform fast passages, jumps , gamma. Pizzicato sounds good on double bass. Practically the applicable double bass range is relatively small: from E1 (mi contra-octave) to h1 (si first octave). In solo virtuoso compositions, higher sounds can also be used. Notes for double bass are written in bass, tenor, less often - treble clef an octave higher than the actual sound. Main scope applications of the double bass - a symphony orchestra, in which the double bass group plays the most important role of the bass foundation. The double bass is also occasionally used in chamber ensembles and in jazz and related genres. In rockabilly and psychobilly, the double bass is used instead of the bass guitar, and they almost always play slap - due to the “clicks”, the double bass complements the rhythm section, and in groups without a drummer, it successfully replaces it. Double bass has thick, low and very juicy timbre. Since low frequencies spread over a relatively short distance, the double bass is rarely used as a solo instrument. Nevertheless, there are many virtuoso double-bass players who masterfully master the technique of playing it and reveal its rich expressive possibilities. For solo performances, ancient master instruments with a velvety, soft sound are often used.

Currently, the following bowed instruments are used in symphonic and operatic music: violin, viola, cello and double bass, which are the result of a long development of various previous types of bowed stringed instruments.
It is difficult to determine the time of occurrence of bowed instruments. There is an assumption that the East was their cradle and that the so-called rebab and kemancha were imported into Spain by Arab musicians in the 8th century. But at the same time, in Europe in the 8th century, a five-stringed bowed instrument, the crotta, was already known. The oldest bowed instruments were without frets. Frets appeared only in the 14th century after the spread of the lute, which was also brought to Europe by the Arabs and revolutionized the design of bowed instruments.
Subsequently, bowed instruments underwent major structural changes, and, in the end, the instruments called viols established a shape with carved sides.
According to the method of performance, the violas fell into two groups: hand violas (viola da braccio), closest to the violin and viola, and foot or knee violas (viola da gamba).
Manual viols were divided into treble, alto and tenor; foot viols - on bass and contrabass. The latter sounded an octave below the bass ones.
All these violas were very different from the modern violin, viola and cello in external form, the number of strings and the shape of the sound holes.
The resonance box of the viols in the upper part (toward the neck) is not
sharpened a lot, the side cutouts had the shape of a regular semicircle, both soundboards were almost completely flat, and the sound holes had the shape of two sickle-shaped cutouts located like this: () or like this:) (.
The number of strings for the viols ranged from five (French treble viola) to seven.

Sometimes, along with the playing gut strings, the underlying resonant (aliquot) metal strings were also stretched on the viols. The strings on the viols were placed at short distances from each other and very close to the fretted fretboard; as a result of this, and also because of the small curvature of the bridge, it was not possible to play any loudly on one of the middle strings
As artistic demands increased and performance techniques developed, bowed instruments also improved. The final design of instruments, which provided the most noble, full tone and much wider artistic and technical possibilities, developed by the 16th century, first for the violin, and then was extended to larger instruments. Gradually, the ancient bowed instruments - viols - were replaced by new, more advanced instruments, which were created slowly, in an evolutionary way. Viola, cello and double bass much later violins replaced violas corresponding to their size.
In the 16th-17th centuries, entire schools of craftsmen were already working on the construction of bowed instruments of a new type. The most famous of the violin schools of this time were: Brescia (Gasparo da Salo, Magini family), Cremonese (Amati, Stradivari, Guarneri families), Tyrolean (Jacob Steiner).
Of the Brescia masters, the Magini family stood out in particular; the best violins were created by Giovanni Magini (1580-1651).
The most prominent representative of the Amati family was Nicola Amati (1596-1684), teacher of Andrea Guarneri and Antonio Stradivari. This latter (1644-1737), in turn, was the most famous of the masters of the Stradivari family. The best Antonio Stradivari violins are still considered unsurpassed for their exceptional sound qualities.
The Guarneri family worked in the 17th-18th centuries. The most prominent of the violin makers of this family was Giuseppe Guarneri1 (1698-1744), who created a number of instruments that rivaled the best works of Stradivari. One of the remarkable masters of bowed instruments was the Russian master Ivan Batov (1767-1841), the serf of Count Sheremetev, who created a number of violins, violas and cellos of exceptionally high quality.
Of the masters of the 19th century, the Frenchman J. B. Vuillaume (1798-1875) must first be mentioned. His imitations of Stradivarius violins became widely known.
In the 20th century, violinists began to pay great attention to the bow instruments of Russian masters - A. I. Leman, E. F. Vitachek, T. F. Podgorny.
Modern bowed instruments. Like the old ones, modern bowed instruments, depending on the size, are divided into 2 groups: manual tools and foot.
The hand string instruments include the violin and viola, the foot instruments include the cello and double bass.
1 - top deck and 2 - lower deck - the main resonating parts (together with the shell they make up the body of the instrument); inside between the decks there is a darling (stick-strut) for transmitting vibrations from the top deck to the bottom; 3 - shell, 4 - neck - a place for pressing the strings (has a curvature); 5 - sub-neck or semi-neck (hanging freely) - serves to secure the strings; 6 - neck - carries a neck; 7 - peg box - to strengthen the pegs; 8 - a curl - the end of a peg box (there are curly ones; ancient masters often made a curl in the form of a human or lion's head); 9 - pegs - serve to stretch the strings (wooden, unlike metal pegs of plucked instruments); 10 - nut - serves to limit the sounding part of the strings (has a curvature similar to the fretboard); 11 - stand - limits the sounding part of the strings, supports them, forms a curvature in the arrangement of the strings, transmits their vibrations to the decks; 12 - button - serves to secure the semi-neck (the cello and double bass also have a spire-emphasis); 13 - efi - vents; 14 - mustache - frame decks; 15 - chin rest (available only for hand tools); 16 - spire (available only for foot instruments).

Strings. All bowed instruments have four strings. The strings used are metal (steel) and intestinal (core), including those entwined with aluminum or silver thread. Recently, along with intestinal strings, nylon strings have also become widespread.
Thin metal strings, not entwined with a gimp, are used only for the 1st string of the violin.
Intestinal 3 strings of various thicknesses are used: for the 2nd and 3rd strings of the violin (now out of use),
for the 1st and 2nd viola strings (now also obsolete),
for the 1st and 2nd strings of the cello (the intestinal second strings of the cello are almost never found today),
for the 1st and 2nd strings of the double bass.
Metal strings entwined with aluminum thread are used:
for 2nd violin string,
for 1st viola string,
for 1st cello string.

1 - shaft, or cane (springs in the opposite direction from the hair); 2 - a block for fixing the hair (the other end of the hair is fixed at the end of the cane or shaft), moves along the cane by rotating the screw; 3 - a screw for tensioning the hair by moving the block; 4 - hair (horse), rubbed with rosin to avoid silent sliding along the string; 5 - the end of a cane, or shaft.

Intestinal (nylon) strings entwined with aluminum thread are used:
for the 3rd string of the violin, for the 2nd string of the viola, for the 2nd string of the cello.
Intestinal1 strings entwined with silver thread are used:
for the 4th string of the violin, for the 3rd and 4th strings of the viola, for the 3rd and 4th strings of the cello, for the 3rd and 4th strings of the double bass.
At the same tension, a thinner string sounds higher than a thicker one, and a longer string sounds lower than a shorter one.
A string entwined with a gimp sounds lower than a string of the same diameter not twirled with silver or aluminum gimp.
The length of the strings is determined by the size of the instrument. This refers to the length of the sounding segment of the string - between the threshold and the stand.
Vibration of strings. The strings, fixed at two points (on the peg and on the neck) and stretched by the peg to the desired degree, have a sounding part between the nut (lower limit) and stand (upper limit).
The pitch of the sound depends on the tension of the string. The tighter the string is stretched, the higher the sound.
The sound is obtained as a result of the oscillation of an elastic body (the source of sound - in this case, the string), which is taken out of equilibrium and seeks to restore this equilibrium:

A stretched string - an elastic body A-B - brought out of equilibrium into position a "tends to return to its original position a, but due to inertia it passes the boundary a and reaches position a". Then, trying to return to position a again, it also, thanks to inertia, reaches almost position a "then back almost to position a" ... So the string will oscillate, gradually calming down, until the oscillations completely stop, that is, until the moment when it again takes position a.
The distance between points a" and a" is called on a grand scale or oscillation amplitude.
The time during which the body will cover the distance from a" to a" and back to a "is called the duration or period of full oscillation.
In the process of calming the vibrations of the string, the sound gradually dies out and completely stops when the string returns to position a.
The place of the greatest amplitude of the vibrations of the string (its middle) is called the antinode, and the place where the string is fixed (where the amplitude is zero) is called the node.
The sound a is obtained as a result of 440 double oscillations (880 simple) 1 per second. Twice the number of vibrations produces a sound one octave higher, half the number produces a sound one octave lower.
So a has a number of double oscillations equal to: 440:2 = = 220.
A -220: 2=110,

A 1 - 110: 2 \u003d 55,

A 2 - 55: 2 \u003d 27.5
Accordingly, a 2 has the number of double vibrations equal to: 440*2=880.
and 3 -880 * 2 \u003d 1760, and 4 - 1760 * 2 \u003d 3520.
The lowest sounds are given by long and thick strings (entwined with a cantle). High sounds give strings short, thin. These conditions are maintained under relatively equal tension. Strings that are artificially weakened (i.e., strings that are loosely stretched), although they will approximately give the desired tone, are flabby, weak and not stable in pitch. On the contrary, overstretched strings give a booming and inexpressive tone.
Left hand technique. A variety of pitch possibilities is achieved on stringed instruments by shortening the stretched strings with the fingers of the left hand and thus obtaining sounds higher than those produced by strings that are not shortened by pressing the fingers to the fretboard.
Strings are called open if the sound is obtained from the vibration of the entire string, not shortened by pressing the fingers of the left hand. The sounding part of the open (empty) string is located between the nut and the stand. The fingers of the left hand shorten the string, pressing it against the fretboard in various places. Then the sounding part of the string will be between the pressing place and the stand.
If you shorten the string by 1/2 (twice), that is, press it in the middle, then the sounding part of it will become half as long as that of the open string, and the sound will turn out to be an octave higher than the sound of the open string.
If you shorten the string by 1/3, that is, press it at a distance of 1/3 from the nut, then the sounding part will be equal to 2/3 of the length of the open string, and the sound will turn out to be a fifth higher than that of the open string.
If you shorten the string by 1/4, then the sounding part will be equal to 3/4 of the open string and the sound will turn out to be a quart higher than that of the open string.
If you shorten the string by 1/5, then the sounding part will be equal to 4/5 of the open string and the sound will turn out to be a major third higher than that of the open string 2.
If you shorten the string by 1/6, then the sounding part will be equal to 5/6 of the open string and the sound will turn out to be a minor third higher than that of the open string.
If you shorten the string by 1/9, then the sounding part will be equal to 8/9 of the open string and the sound will turn out to be a large second higher than that of the open string.
If you shorten the string by 1/16, then the sounding part will be equal to 15/16 of the open string and the sound will turn out to be a small second higher than that of the open string.
Overtones. A string, like any elastic body, experiences a complex oscillatory motion, consisting of a number of simple ones. It oscillates not only in its entire length, but simultaneously in separate parts: two halves, three thirds, four quarters, five fifths, six sixths, etc.
Each partial vibration gives its own sound. Therefore, when the string vibrates, in addition to the fundamental tone corresponding to the vibration of the entire string, we hear a whole series of higher overtones, called partial tones, or overtones, corresponding to the vibrations of the halves of the string (2nd overtone), the third string (3rd overtone), quarter strings (4th overtone), etc.
These oscillatory movements of the string can be represented by the following scheme:


Thus, each part of a vibrating string gives a corresponding ordinal overtone. The successive series of overtones is called natural or acoustic rock.
Suppose that when vibrated, the whole string gives the sound (fundamental tone) C. In this case, when the string is successively divided into two halves, three thirds, four quarters, etc.
flageolets. A harmonic is an overtone isolated from the composition of the timbre of a sounding string. Harmonics arise as a result of the division of a sounding string into a series of equal in length and therefore equally sounding segments. This is achieved by a light touch (and by no means a firm pressure!) of the finger to any place where the string is divided into one or another number of equal parts. It is clear that with such a light touch, not the usual shortening of the string will occur, but only the selection of one overtone


(namely, having a node here) at the expense of all the others (having antinodes in this place). It does not require special explanation that the place of the greatest amplitude of oscillation - the antinode - cannot be formed where this is prevented by a light touch of the finger; on the contrary, it is the best way to promote a strong knot formation.
If you lightly touch your finger in the middle of the string, then it will be divided into two equally sounding parts (from the nut to the place of touch and from it to the stand). Each of these parts will be equal to 1/2 of the open string, and we will hear the 2nd natural sound (harmonic), that is, the sound, an octave above the open string. With full pressing in this place, only half of the string will sound, that is, a normal (non-flag) sound will appear an octave higher than that of an open string. In this case, the sound of the harmonic corresponds in pitch to the usual sound of the string, but differs from it in timbre.
If you touch in a place corresponding to 1/3 or 2/3 of the length of the string, then it will be divided into three equal, identical-sounding segments, and each of them will be equal to 1/3 of the open string. The 3rd natural sound (harmonic) will sound, that is, the sound is an octave + fifth above the open string.
When fully pressed at 1/3 of the string length, a fifth sound is obtained higher than the open one, and when pressed at 2/3 of the string length, a fifth through an octave will sound, that is, a non-flag tone, corresponding in height to the 3rd overtone.
If you touch the string in a place corresponding to 1/4 or 3/4 of its length (but not in 2/4 = 1/2, since the 2nd natural sound is obtained here), then it will be divided into four equal, equally sounding segments , and each of them will be equal to 1/4 of the open string. The 4th natural sound (harmonic) will sound, that is, the sound is two octaves above the open string.
When fully pressed at 1/4 of the string length, a sound is obtained by a quart above the open one, and when pressed at 3/4 of the string length, an octave through an octave will sound, that is, a non-flag tone corresponding to the 4th overtone.
Sequential division of the string into parts (for extracting harmonics). If we take the sound of the whole string as C, then:
The 2nd natural sound is an octave harmonic (it can be obtained in the place where an octave is obtained with a normally pressed string):

3rd natural sound - fifth harmonic (it can be obtained in the place where, with a normally pressed string, a fifth is obtained):

The 4th natural sound is a fourth harmonic (it can be obtained in the place where a quart is obtained with a normally pressed string):

The 5th natural sound is a large third harmonic (it can be obtained in the place where a large third is obtained with a normally pressed string):

The 6th natural sound is a small third harmonic (it can be obtained in the place where a small third is obtained with a normally pressed string):

The 7th natural sound arises as a result of dividing the string into seven parts (it can be obtained in the place where, with a normally pressed string, an interval is obtained slightly less than a minor third):

The 8th natural sound arises as a result of dividing the string into eight parts (it is possible to treat it in the place where, with a normally pressed string, an interval is obtained even slightly less than a minor third):

On short strings, the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, sometimes 5th overtones are used, on long strings, sometimes the 6th and 8th overtones.
It is better to extract high overtones of the 6th and 8th in places 5/6 and 7/8 of the string length (that is, closer to the stand, to the bow) than at 1/6 and 1/8 of the string length (that is, closer to the nut). ). Under this condition, these overtones also come out on shorter strings.
The timbre of harmonics differs sharply from the timbre of the same sounds extracted in the usual way, since it is not colored by overtones. The harmonics sound very quiet and gentle, they are removed carefully because of the danger of accidentally turning the touch of a finger into a simple pressing, in which the harmonic is destroyed.
Vibration is impossible on natural harmonics.

Note. Vibration is a slight swing of the left hand around the axis (the place where the string is pressed), giving the sound some fluctuation in pitch (imitation of the human voice). It is clear that vibration is absolutely impossible on open strings.

The harmonics are indicated by an O above each note.

Natural and artificial flageolets. Flageolets are natural and artificial.
Natural harmonics are obtained on open strings, that is, on strings that are not shortened by the pressure of the fingers of the left hand.
Artificial harmonics are obtained from an already shortened (pressed) string.
Artificial harmonics are played with two fingers, of which one - closer to the nut - firmly presses the string, and the second touches it at the corresponding point between the place of pressing and the stand.
Artificial harmonics are possible, starting from the fourth and further, in the direction of decreasing the interval (major third, minor third, etc.).
It is not possible to take artificial harmonics larger than a quart, since the normal stretching of the fingers, even on the violin (the smallest instrument) does not exceed a quart.

Note. On the violin, it is possible, as an exception (by a strong stretching of the fingers), a fifth flageolet2.

Recording artificial flags. A complete recording of artificial harmonics includes three elements: 1) the place of tight pressing (shortening) of the string is indicated by an ordinary note of the required duration; 2) the place of touching the shortened string for its division into parts is indicated by a rhombus located above the note; 3) finally, a small note above the rhombus shows the real sonority of the harmonic:

Sound extraction methods. On bowed instruments, there are three ways to extract sound: 1) by moving the bow along the string; 2) with a pinch of the finger; and 3) by striking the string with the reed (shaft) of the bow.

Bow on the string(reception of the game, called agso). During the movement of the bow, the string vibrates continuously and emits a melodious tone. The stronger the pressure of the bow and the faster its movement (to some extent, both of these factors are interdependent), the stronger the sound of the string. However, excessively strong bow pressure can prevent the string from vibrating freely, in which case the forced sound turns into a creak of rosin-covered horsehair against the string.
The flexibility and expressiveness of the sound of bowed instruments is based on the fact that the performer can directly influence the sound production all the time and give an infinite number of nuances from piano to forte.
Pinchcom(game technique called pizzicato). With this method, a single removal of the string from the state of equilibrium is obtained. After plucking, the sound quickly fades away and its subsequent sound cannot be influenced. Therefore, it makes no sense to write pizzicato otherwise than in quarters or, if necessary, in smaller durations.
The pluck is usually performed with the finger of the right hand, although in practice there are techniques for playing pizzicato with the fingers of the left hand (mainly on open strings).
In the transition from pizzicato to performance with a bow, the word agco is put. The change of techniques of agso and pizzicato implies at least a minimal break in the sound, especially if during agso the bow was directed downward in its movement, as a result of which the right hand moved far away from the string.
Cane tapping(shaft) of a bow on a string (a playing technique called col legno) is rather an effect of a percussive order, since in the resulting sound, the knock prevails over intonation (definiteness of pitch and timbre of the sound).
The place of conducting the bow along the string. The usual location for the bow is midway between the bridge and the end of the neck. This is where the fullest and most expressive sound is extracted.
Sometimes, for the sake of special effect, the sound is extracted by holding the bow at the stand (this technique is called sul ponti-cello). The sound thus obtained is not loud, but sharp and has a characteristic coloration similar to the sound of a harmonica. The sound can also be extracted on the fretboard itself (this technique is called sul tasto). With this technique, a sound of a soft-coldish tone, somewhat flute-like, is obtained.
The peculiar nature of the sound obtained when playing with the bow sul tasto or sul ponticello is explained by the fact that when the bow is played sul tasto, low natural sounds (4th and 5th), which have knots at the place of the bow, are destroyed, and when the bow is drawn sul ponticello the main tone is partially turned off.

Basic principles of the technique of conducting the bow (the so-called technique of the right hand). Holding the bow down (from the block to the end) is indicated by the sign ∏, up (from the end to the block) - by the sign V. In the first case (driving down) a diminuendo naturally turns out, in the second (driving up) - crescendo, since the more the heaviness of the hand itself moves away from the string, the easier it is to extract a quiet, gentle sound from the instrument - and vice versa. Therefore, pianissimo comes out better when played with the end of the bow, while the sharp accents of fortissimo are closer to the stock.
When playing forte, the bow moves along the string faster than when playing piano, so long notes or a large number of notes per bow are possible only with piano.
Strokes. Strokes are called various methods of bow movement. They convey the semantic meaning of the music being performed, and therefore they can rightfully be considered the main means of musical expression when playing bowed instruments.
Over a long period of time, the richest practice of playing - primarily on the violin and the cello - has accumulated many diverse strokes, between which in some cases it is difficult to draw a definite line, to classify them. Therefore, below we will focus on the most basic strokes and only casually touch on some of their most common varieties.
The main strokes should be considered detache, legato, various types of staccato and spiccato, as well as tremolo. Detache (fr.) - a stroke with a distinct attacc "oh, a pronounced declamatory character. This stroke is used to perform energetic phrases that require great fullness and richness of tone:

In a fast movement, the detache stroke can also be used to build a motor order, including rather rapid passages (if you need to achieve sufficient fullness of the sound):

If detache is performed with the longest bow for a given tempo, up to using its entire span, then this technique is usually called grand detache:

As can be seen from all the above examples, the main distinguishing feature of detache, regardless of the tempo, the strength of the sound and the span of the bow, is the execution of one note for each movement of the bow in one direction. On this basis, this and other strokes similar to it (for example, sautille described below) are called divided.
On the contrary, legato is a stroke that includes several notes on one bow. In contrast to the declamatory nature of the detache, the smooth movement of the legato reproduces to the greatest extent precisely the songlike, ariose side of human singing.
In legato notation, each league denotes one direction of the bow. Here are examples of melodic phrases played legato:

The jerky strokes - staccato and spiccato - differ from each other in that staccato is performed without breaking the bow from the string, while spiccato is based precisely on the bouncing of the bow after each contact with the string.
The essence of a staccato is an energetic push with a bow, after which there is an instant weakening of the sound. In the staccato passage above, all eighth notes and, of course, sixteenth notes are played staccato (each of the sixteenth notes is played by moving the bow in the same direction as the previous eighth note separated from it by a pause):

As for quarter notes with dots above them, in this case the length of the sound itself (bow push) is much shorter than the period of sonority decay (almost complete stop of the bow movement). In addition, before each new push there is a real stop to change direction. A similar way of playing staccato with an accentuated divided stroke is called martele. It is sometimes indicated by elongated pointed wedges above notes or by verbal indication.
Each note of a normal staccato can be played in either or the opposite direction of bow movement with respect to the previous one(s).
In the example below, two ways of performing a dotted staccato can be indicated: a divided stroke (that is, by alternating ∏ and V) and two staccato notes per bow direction:

Therefore, two or more staccato notes can be played in the same direction. Each of them corresponds to its own special light movement (push) with a bow.
Let us cite, for example, a fairly common technique in virtuoso practice for performing a significant number of staccato notes in one direction of the bow (easier upwards); it should only be stipulated that this stroke does not apply in group play:

As mentioned above, spiccato is the main bouncing stroke. The main feature of such strokes is their lightness, airiness.
Here are some examples of the various uses of spiccato. A graceful, moderately tempo excerpt from the Nutcracker Overture:

Sautille differs from the usual spiccato in that with an increase in speed, the performer ceases to control individual movements of the bow and from that moment the mechanical, motor nature of the stroke begins to dominate, regulated by the elasticity of the bow, its ability to repel from the string.
An example of a sautille is the Flight of the Bumblebee from The Tale of Tsar Saltan:

All spiccato are played in the middle third of the bow - in forte closer to the stock, in piano closer to its end. In addition, as the speed of movement increases (this is especially true for motor varieties), the bow also moves from the middle to its end.
Of the jumping undivided strokes, the most common stroke is a throw - the so-called ricochet. This stroke is possible not only on one string:

but also when transitioning from string to string, for example, when performing arpeggiated groupings on three or four strings:

It is hardly necessary to specifically explain that with the help of jumping motor strokes it is impossible to achieve any significant sound power.
One of the most common orchestral strokes is tremolo. It is the repetition of one note by quickly alternating movement of the bow in different directions without tearing it off the string (the so-called tremolo of the right hand). The louder sonority you need to get when playing tremolo, the more swing you have to make with a bow. Loud sonority is extracted by the middle of the bow with a large scope of its movement; on the contrary, a barely audible tremolo (literally, a rustle) can be obtained only at the end of the bow, with its almost imperceptible movement.

Note. Do not confuse this type of tremolo with a sequence of two rapidly alternating notes per bow (the so-called left hand tremolo):

Tremolo is predominantly an orchestral touch because the unity of its sound is made up of individual tremolo of different speeds of movement of the right hand (of course, except for those cases when the speed of repeated notes is strictly prescribed by the author).
The practice of playing bowed instruments has developed a significant number of stroke techniques that make the performance lively, meaningful, expressive. Unfortunately, not all of these techniques are accurately reflected in musical notation, and performers often only have to guess what technique to play this or that phrase, how to distribute parts of the bow so as not to spoil the music with wrong accents, where it is better to use staccato, and where spiccato, etc., etc. In other words, the composer largely depends on the performers - their tact, sensitivity, musicality. All this all the more obliges each author of a new work to indicate in detail in the score all his intentions. Of course, in the process of work, performers will be able to offer more successful phrasing options (shading), but it must be borne in mind that correct sentences, in turn, can arise only on the basis of an accurate idea of ​​the author's intention.
Let us give several examples where the character of the stroke decisively determines the phrasing and therefore requires detailed instructions on this matter.

then it will already be a style of play called marcato (highlighting, emphasizing).
Recently, another stroke has firmly entered the practice of the game - the middle one between the strongly accented detache and spiccato. In relation to the example just given in the entry, this execution technique would look like this:

that is, it would differ from previous methods of performance in that each accented note would be separated from the adjacent one by a small pause (separation of the bow from the string).
Among the techniques of playing bowed instruments, a special place is occupied by the performance of three- and four-sound chords. Usually they are played as if adding up from the two intervals that make up each chord:

Some performers suggested playing chords arpeggiated:

however, it was the first method that became widespread.
Sequences of three- and four-sound chords are possible, each of which is taken with the bow down. With proper bow force, three-sound chords can be struck non arpeggiato, that is, all three strings can be played simultaneously (with the bow drawn closer to the fretboard; as the force of sonority increases, it approaches the bridge). It goes without saying that the pop arpeggiato is a short-lived, jerky effect.
Four-note chords cannot be taken non arpeggiato at all, although in significant forte it is possible to reduce the sequence of intervals that form a chord to a minimum.
Here is a clear example of the group application of three- and four-note chords, most of which are performed in pop arpeggiato.

Bowed instruments are the basis of symphony and chamber orchestras, it is not possible to imagine music without this group. It is stringed musical instruments that give the melody smoothness, length, and grace. The sound in the instruments of this group is extracted with the help of a bow, which is drawn along the stretched strings. The strings resonate with the body of the instrument and transmit the vibrations of the air to the listeners. Unlike, bow strings do not have frets, which makes it difficult for musicians to play and learn. Finding the place to press the string to get the right sound is a matter of many years of study, talent, painstaking work and a delicate ear for music.

The closest ancestor of the modern violin and cello is the viola (Italian for flower), which appeared in the 15th century. Further formation and improvement of bowed instruments, as we see them today, took place in the second half of the 18th century. Not only playing, but also making stringed bowed instruments was considered a great art. The names of the great masters of that time - Antonio Stradivari, Nicolo Amati, Giuseppe Guarneri and others - are known to this day even to people far from music, and the bowed instruments made by the maestro have an amazing sound, not to mention their cost. There are a large number of stringed bowed instruments in the world. The most common are the instruments that are used in academic music making: violin, viola, cello and double bass. Occasionally, in symphonic scores, a part is written out for the lowest-sounding bowed instrument - the octobass.

Academic musical stringed bowed instruments

Violin."Queen of the Orchestra" It is a bowed string instrument of the upper register. Despite the outward fragility and elegance, it is fraught with enormous possibilities and unexpected power of sound, and is absolutely deservedly considered the most perfect musical instrument. The violin consists of two main parts - the body of a specific rounded shape and the neck, on which the strings and the peg box are located. A violin bow is made from a wooden cane on which horsehair is stretched.

Alto. Despite the total popularity of the violin, the viola is an important component of the symphony orchestra. Both in size and age (appeared at the end of the 15th century), the viola can be called the “big brother” of the great violin. The sound of the viola is thicker, velvety, but less bright. The size of the instrument requires slightly different playing techniques, more finger extension and hand strength. Violists, as a rule, do not become violists from childhood, violinists with a larger physique move to the instrument in a school, conservatory.

Cello. The cello is almost three times the size of an ordinary violin. The instrument is placed on the floor, vertically, and played while sitting (in past centuries, the cello was placed on a special chair and played while standing, after which a special metal capstan was invented). The sound of the cello is thick, juicy, melodious, in timbre very reminiscent of a human voice (in timbre - a baritone). Nowadays, the cello is an indispensable instrument of symphony and chamber orchestras, many solo works have been created, one of the most striking is the cello solo "Swan" by composer Saint-Saens from the orchestral cycle "Carnival of the Animals".

Double bass. The lowest sounding bowed string instrument in a symphony orchestra. It rarely performs as a solo instrument, since it is difficult to achieve accuracy and sharpness of intonation on it, but it acts as a kind of musical “foundation” on which the sound of other instruments is based. The double bass is an integral part of not only a symphony orchestra, but also jazz and pop musical groups. The instrument is played standing or on a high stool, the height of the instrument can be adjusted by changing the height of the spire.

Bowed musical instruments of the peoples of Europe

Horn. Russian folk bowed instrument, often used by buffoons in the 18th-19th centuries. It consisted of a hollowed-out wooden body of irregular (pear-shaped) shape and a flat soundboard with resonator holes. 3-4 strings were stretched on a short neck, the upper of which was intended for leading the melody, and the rest for accompaniment.

Rebec. Medieval Spanish stringed musical instrument that came to Europe from the Arab states. In the XIII-XIV centuries, it became widespread in the countries of Western Europe. Somewhat similar to the Russian horn, it has a pear-shaped body and a short soundboard with two stretched strings. In 1275, the instrument was first described by the music theorist, church leader Jerome of Moravia.

Hardangerfele. Norwegian version of the classical violin. It has a smaller size than the violin, differs in more convex soundboards, as well as a shorter wide neck. 8-9 strings are stretched on the neck, of which four are intended for playing, and the rest are resonating. The earliest hardangerfele dates back to 1651 and was made by Ole Junsen Yastadom. Often the body of the instrument was decorated with patterns, and the neck with inlays.

Bowed musical instruments of the peoples of Asia

Rebab. An instrument of Arabic origin, found under different names in the culture of different peoples of the East, came to Europe under the name rebek. Since the rebab is used not only as an accompaniment to singing, but also to recitation, there are two varieties of it. Rebab-eh-haer (rebab for poets) has only one string. The rebab el moganni (rebab for singers) has two strings. The instrument is played with a bow, while the rebab is held on its knees.

Huqin(guqin). A kind of violin from distant China. It consists of a body having a round (six or eight corner) shape, and a neck attached to the body. The case is made of thin wood or snakeskin. In China, there are about 30 varieties of huqin, in addition, in Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Japan, Mongolia, neighboring China, tools similar to huqin are used.

Kemancha(kamancha, keman, gidzhak, Pontic lira). Musical bowed instruments very common in Western and Central Asia, obligatory for ensembles of oriental folk music. Often used for solo performances. There are many varieties of kemancha, but the Persian instrument is considered the ancestor. The kemancha consists of a long wooden neck with large pegs, the soundboard is made of thin snake, fish skin, bull's bladder. The number of strings ranges from two to six. The absence of frets on the fretboard opens up huge opportunities for musicians, both for solo and ensemble performance.