The violin is part of the family of stringed instruments, such as the viola, cello and double bass.

It has 4 strings tuned in fifths: G, D, A and E.

Almost all the parts are made of wood (except for strings and tensioners). They are either glued or placed on the instrument (nothing is nailed!).

There are 8 sizes of violins, suitable for children, from 1/16 to the whole. The size of the instrument depends on the length of the arms. 

The craftsman who makes the violin is called the violin maker. The most famous are Antonio Stradivari, Niccolo Amati and Giuseppe Guarneri in Italy, Jean-Baptiste Vuillaume in France and Jakobus Steiner in Germany. 

There are also bow specialists, called bow makers. 

THE VIOLIN’S PARTS AND THE BOW

Click on the drawings to enlarge them.

Download the drawings with or without names.

THE VIOLIN MAKER

You can find a violin maker in every major city. It is generally possible to rent a violin and not to buy it. This is especially useful for children who change instruments several times as they grow up.

Violin makers generally rent the violin and bow with some of the accessories. It is possible to buy mutes in their workshops, but they are not necessary for learning in the first place. 

When you go to pick up a violin, make an appointment and allow 45 minutes to choose the instrument. It is necessary to choose and determine which chin rest and shoulder rest are the most suitable for your morphology.

useful address:
Atelier de lutherie, Benard Joerg
Rue de Lausanne 6  
1700 Fribourg