The Many Lenses of a Violin

January 8, 2016, 7:33 PM · Anyone might view a violin differently than we do, as violinists who share a great love for this instrument. But isn't that what makes this incredible object so amazing? Here's how different people might view it:

A violinist might take a violin and say, "Gee, I wonder what I can play during this morning's practice session..."

A composer might take a violin and say, "This passage I've written is way too difficult! I'll have to re-write it with less triple stops."

A conductor might take a violin and say, "Too fast at bar 49, firsts! You're octaves with the violas there!"

An orchestrator might take a violin and say, "What is the functional purpose of this passage if I were to have the violins alone taking the right-hand piano melody?"

An historian might take a violin and say, "The violin originated in Italy, and tracing its path about the world, how did it develop?"

A film director might take a violin and say, "This sounds like the perfect instrument to be used in the music during this scene! Johnny*, I need you!!"

A sculptor might take a violin and say, "I wonder how they got these pieces to look so beautiful, and how the varnish is just painted seamlessly into the wood..."

A luthier might take a violin and say, "How could I cut an f-hole into the spruce so beautifully as that?"

A violist might take a violin and say, "What's with that bright and chipper tone of this particular instrument, as if it's a summer's morn all the time? I prefer my darker and warm-chocolate feel to my instrument!"

A biologist might take a violin and say, "I wonder where the wood to make this object came from, and what trees were cut down in which forests..."

A physicist might take a violin and say, "I wonder why exactly the bridge is able to hold up those strings and not be glued in..."

An acoustics engineer might take a violin and say, "How does that bright E string get its flavourful colour?"

A recording engineer might take a violin and say, "This needs to sound very loud and prominent when it comes out on his next album, as that was quite a mistake we made last time, with the piano being louder..."

An astronomer might take a violin and say, "Could playing some of our outer space music for this instrument to an alien from amongst the stars in the night sky attract wildlife?"

A philosopher might take a violin and say, "Why do we like hearing violins during love scenes of films?"

A dance show host might take a violin and say, "Solo dance music for this instrument will suit the genre of music that the contestants are going to dance to!"

A photographer might take a violin and say, "This is the PERFECT prop for your senior photos! And we'll take it outside, so it can reflect your love of the combined power of nature and music."**

A cat might take a violin and say, "STRING! Ooh, look what happens when I rub my paw over that string! It makes a noise. How peculiar... Where's my saucer of milk at?"

* * *

Just a silly post I felt like writing.
Also, I was able to change my G and D strings for the first time today! I used a few online videos and guides for help, but it really wasn't all too bad, and I think I'll be fine if I just do it slowly. I think I still need time to really break in the strings from playing for a few days on them, but hopefully they'll sound much nicer than the ones that have been starting to break for a while now!

Happy violin-playing!

*Composer John Williams, as Steven Spielberg calls him.
**What I did September 2014 for my senior photos.