Bowed instruments
Violin
A fretless four-string instrument held on the shoulder and played with a bow; it came from the West and became one of the most widespread bowed instruments of Turkish makam music.
In brief
- Family: Bowed string instrument (smallest and highest-pitched of the violin family)
- Origin: Northern Italy, early 16th century; developed by makers such as Amati, Guarneri and Stradivari
- Body and materials: Spruce top, maple back and ribs; about 60 cm long
- Strings: 4; Western tuning G–D–A–E (in fifths)
- Frets: Fretless; comma intervals are stopped by finger placement
- Music: İnce saz and fasıl, taksim, Romani music, folk music, Western music
- Other names: A player is called kemânî; the bow is called arşe
Listen
History
The violin, of European origin, spread through Ottoman music in the 19th century and soon became one of the main instruments of the ince saz ensembles. Performers such as Kemânî Tatyos Efendi and Kemânî Hakkı Bey gave it a style of its own in makam music; a violinist is called a kemânî.
Construction
It consists of an arched body of thin wood with two f-shaped sound holes, a fretless fingerboard, a pegbox and a curled scroll. It has four strings; its bow, strung with horsehair, is called arşe.
How it is played
It is held between the chin and the shoulder and played with a bow; the fingers of the left hand press the string directly onto the fingerboard. In makam music a distinctive manner has developed with grace notes, slides and ornaments.
Its place in makam music
Because it is fretless, the comma intervals of every makam can be stopped by shifting the finger position; this is why it adapted so easily to makam music. It is widely used in taksim, peşrev, saz semâisi and song accompaniment, and stands out in fasıl ensembles and Romani music.
Getting started: types, sizes, tuning
Start with this instrument
Masters on recordings
Performers who play this instrument on recordings of works in the score archive (MusicBrainz).
Frequently asked questions about the Violin
What is the difference between the violin and the classical kemençe?
The violin has four strings, is held between the chin and shoulder, and the strings are pressed onto the fingerboard with the fingertips; its range is wide and its sound powerful. The classical kemençe has three strings, is held upright on the knee, and the strings are played by touching them from the side with the base of the nail; its sound is thin and nasal. While the violin came from the West in the 19th century and became widespread in ensembles, the kemençe remained a more distinctive, solo instrument.
Is the violin played differently in Turkish music?
The instrument is the same; the difference is in the style. In makam music, the violin stops comma-inflected pitches on the fretless fingerboard; with grace notes, slides and short ornaments it brings the melody closer to the human voice. Instead of the continuous, wide vibrato of Western music, a more restrained vibrato used where appropriate is preferred. Bowing is also freer and more speech-like in taksims and song accompaniment.
How are the violin's strings tuned?
The four strings are tuned from low to high as G, D, A and E, a fifth apart. Most performers of Turkish music use this tuning as well; depending on the pitch of the melody or the ahenk of the piece, the instrument can be tuned a little lower or higher. Since it is fretless, the tuning does not limit which commas can be stopped.
Is the violin hard to learn, and where do I start?
Because it is fretless, finding the right pitch and producing a clean sound with the bow take time at first; the first months usually go into posture, bow hold and intonation practice. Basic technique is mostly acquired through Western methods, followed by the Turkish style through études specific to makam music, peşrevs and saz semâîs. Ear training is very helpful for getting your ear used to makam intervals.
Can I play the violin on this site?
Yes. The “Play in the browser” button opens the virtual violin; the sounds are violin notes from the University of Iowa's freely usable instrument recordings. Just as on a real violin, every pitch of the makam you choose plays at its comma value on the virtual violin. You can also try the makam of a piece from the sheet music archive on the virtual violin.