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Guide To The Orchestra
violin title image The violin is the smallest member of the string family and is able to play the highest notes. It has four strings which are made out of wire or nylon. It is tucked under the chin and played with a bow made of wood and horse's hair. The bow is coated with sticky resin and when it's moved across the strings, it vibrates them, making a sound.
violin Listen to the violin listen to Instrument Range Listen to it played from its lowest to highest note listen to Special Effects gliss / harmonics / pizzicato / sul pont / col legno / listen to Hear it in action in Rimsky-Korsakov's Sheherazade
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Marcus Broome Meet the Orchestra! Marcus Broome plays the violin with the BBC Concert Orchestra. Read about him below. Marcus Broome, Violin How old were you when you first started playing? I was eight years old. Why did you choose this instrument? Because my sister, who is three years older than me, was learning the violin. Do you play any other instruments? The piano and viola. What do you like most about playing in an orchestra? Is it fun? It's great making music in such a large group. Yes, it's always fun! Do you play any other kind of music? I play in a couple of string quartets as well as other small groups. What is your favourite music? Film music - it's great fun playing John Williams' music for Star Wars and Harry Potter. Do you have any other hobbies? I like running. I have run the London Marathon twice. I also garden. What would you have been if you weren't a musician? Maybe a landscape gardener. I love working outside. All pictures are copyrighted - picture credits Woodwind Brass Flute Trumpet Oboe French Horn Clarinet Trombone Bassoon Tuba Strings Percussion Violin Tuned Viola Untuned Cello Timpani Double Bass Harp Keyboards Conductor LEARN AN INSTRUMENT Which instrument, which age, finding teachers, buying guide and the perils of practice Get help Get help Listening About the BBC | Help | Terms of Use | Privacy & Cookies Policy Explore the BBC
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