The Violin

The violin is part of the stringed instrument family. It is unknown who first invented the violin, but according to C.M. Sunday, it came into existence around 1520 in northern Italy and the complete 4-string violin around 1550 (2008). For a complete early history of the violin see Sunday's article at Best Student Violins.

Violins can be purchased in seven different sizes: 1/16, 1/10, 1/8, 1/4, 1/2, 3/4, and 4/4. You will need to pick the correct size before you purchase a violin. Espie Estrella provides a nice description of each the sizes on About.com.

Below are diagrams showing the various parts of the violin and bow that you will need to become familiar with.

The Bow

References

Sunday, C. (2008). Early history of the violin. Retrieved July 15, 2008, from http://beststudentviolins.com/early.html