Violin Playing Styles – 2 Main Styles

There are two main different types of violin playing styles: classical or fiddle. When it comes to the differences, the main one is that fiddles will use double stops, which is when the musicians plays two notes at the same time.

The Eras of Music

Of course, there are many different sub-genres when it comes to classical violin playing styles because music for the violin has been written for centuries. The Baroque era for music is one of the most earliest when it comes to actual violin music and not the lyre, which is what was most commonly used before then. This era made the violin stand out from all the other instruments available, especially when it came to the melody. The only real rival instrument then was the piano – which is still very popular today.

Violins and Orchestras

Violins are very popular in orchestras and they often take on two parts. The first violin is popular fo the majority of the melodic lines in a piece while the second violin is responsible to the harmonies. The violin takes the main role in string quartets.

The use of the violin was very popular during the 1920s and 1930s. In fact, no orchestra went without at least two violins and some would even have up to seven. However, as swing music became more popular, the violin became less popular. The violin could not cope with the swing style.

Move to Electric

During the 1960s, the violin came back but the guitar was become more popular for the mainstream music. However, the violin did become popular as the electric violin sound and synthetic sound became popular. Artists such as Vanessa-Mae proved just how different it could sound and the interesting sound that it could add to many different music sounds.

The 1970s disco music relied on the violin and would use orchestras rather than small bands. However, again, the 1980s brought a whole new style, which the violin was not a part of. It was around then that more independent composers started using the string sound for film music. However, the need for violins has decreased since the sound can be mimicked through synthetic sounds and through different keyboard settings.

Folk music is still popular for violin playing styles. This is similar to fiddle music but it heard all around the world. There are many different folk styles and Irish is one of the most commonly thought of. Countries all over the world, especially the Oriental countries and European countries use the violin frequently.