About Gill Expertise I can answer questions about the anatomy of the violin (aka. parts of the violin),violin technique and musicality as well as tips on performance preparation, repertiore selection, Royal Conservatory of Music exam requirements and formats, and other schools of learning such as the Suzuki method. I can suggest violin teachers in the GTA East and can recommend reputable shops for purchasing violins, parts, strings and books/repretoire.
Experience I have been a violinist for 18 years and have extensive experience in ensemble performance. I teach both private and group violin lessons, and have completed the Grade 10 Practical exam for violin with the Royal Conservatory. I studied violin (primarily under the education heading) at University as well.
Education/Credentials Bachelor of Arts from an Ontario University (Music Minor).
Grade 10 Practical (violin)--Royal Conservatory of Music
Expert: Gill Date: 9/16/2007 Subject: Violin and cello
Question Hi,
What makes the violin sound so differently from the cello?
What does the size have to do with sound production?
And what are some major physical differences between those two instruments?
Thank you,
Addison
Answer Hi Addison,
Great question. A lot of factors go into the sound of a string instrument, and you are partially correct when you suggest size as a major factor.
Size and proportion have a lot to do with the differences in the way a cello and violin sound. As I'm sure you have noticed, both instruments look very alike. Some would even say that a cello simply looks like a larger violin. Each instrument has a similar shape, a bridge, 4 strings, a fingerboard, and tuning pegs. However, they are very different in the proportions. The size of the instrument will have a lot to do with the amount of sound (the loudness) the instrument is able to produce. Sound is essentially the vibration of air inside the insturment and therefore the more space available for vibration, the more vibration there will be, and threrefore the more sound is produced. On the other hand, the proportions of the insturment will really affect the way the vibrations sound. Violins are considered a "soprano" instrument while a cello would be considered to be much closer to a "bass".
As far as the specific notes go, this has much to do with the way an instrument is strung. Different strings produce different sounds, and there are lots of varieties of strings to choose from. Gut strings--old fashioned strings literally made of stretched animal intestines--often produce a fuller sound. Some would even call it a coarser sound. There are many different kinds of synthetic strings, but they generally produce a tighter more direct sound than the gut strings. I personally use gut strings for the lower areas of my violin (G and D strings), a synthetic string for my A, and a gold string for my E. It's all about preference, and each string player will usually try out different strings to find the right combinaton.
There is a LOT that goes into the way instruments sound, and so I would suggest checking out the following website produced by the University of South Wales. Its got some great information about the sounding of strings. http://www.phys.unsw.edu.au/jw/strings.html
