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Jan 1, 1555
First Violin Created
Andrea Amati invented the first violin, named Charles IX, based off of the Lira da Braccio, another European string instrument. Amati crafted the first violin by hand by carving it out of spruce. This affected society by introducing a new native European stringed instrument which later became it's own family of musical instruments. Source:
http://www.get-tuned.com/history-of-the-violin.php -
Modifications to the Amati Violin Design
Antonio Stradivari, a previous apprentice to Amati, began crafting his own type of violins with flatter arching and the best quality of spruce. These changes were made to develop a deeper and more brilliant tone. His violins have left a lasting impression on the world of violins due to the superb quality and tone of his violins. Source:
http://www.lutherie.net/vlnmkrs.tmln.html -
The German Baroque Bow Created
The organist of the Freiberg Cathedral designed the curved baroque bow. Since a high arched bow would bend over multiple strings, this innovation allowed for violinists to effectively play chords. These arched baroque bows were often used by German violinists due to German literature requiring a player to play even chords. Source:
http://www.baroquemusic.org/barvlnbo.html -
Guarneri Modifies the Violin
Bartolomeo Giuseppe Guarneri constructs violins broader at the waist long f-holes and inner bouts based off of Stradivari's violins. These improvements gave his violins a tone similar to Stradivari's violins. Today, many violin makers use this design and try to replicate Guarneri's violins. Source:
http://www.lutherie.net/vlnmkrs.tmln.html -
First Modern Bows Created
In the 1780s, Francois Tourte created the first modern bow that had a curved stick, thicker horsehair, and was crafted from Brazil wood. These alterations to the classical bow allowed for more precise articulation and greater variety of bow techniques. Today, many violins are played with this type of bow. Source:
http://www.themonteverdiviolins.org/baroque-violin.html -
The Fingerboard is Lengthened
As an alteration of the baroque violin, the fingerboard was extended to reach higher notes and allow for more projection of sound. This lengthened version of the violin is used by modern violinists today. Source:
http://blog.feinviolins.com/2015/06/your-violin-neck-used-to-be-shorter.html -
The Electric Violin Created
In the 1930s, the Electro Stringed Instrument Corporation was the first to create the electric violin. This innovation allowed for violins to be played with an amplifier and microphone. Many violinists in rock band would play this version of the violin. Source:
https://reverb.com/news/the-history-of-electric-violin
