Violin Strings
The violin, often colloquially referred to as a fiddle, is the smallest, highest-pitched (soprano), wooden instrument in the violin family. While smaller violin-type instruments like the violino piccolo and pochette exist, they are seldom used today. Typically featuring a hollow wooden body, most violins are equipped with four strings (occasionally five), usually tuned in perfect fifths with notes G3, D4, A4, E5. The violin is traditionally played by drawing a bow across the strings (arco), although it can also be played by plucking the strings with the fingers (pizzicato) and, in specialized cases, by striking the strings with the wooden side of the bow (col legno).
Originating in 16th-century Italy, the violin underwent further modifications in the 18th and 19th centuries to enhance its sound and projection capabilities. Across Europe, it served as the foundation for the evolution of other stringed instruments prominent in Western classical music, such as the viola.