answersLogoWhite

0

String instrument specialists think the first violin was made sometime in the early 16th century - maybe sometime between about 1500 and 1520 or so - but no-one knows for sure because it was probably made as an improvement to an earlier instrument.

The first "famous" violins - such as those made by Andrea Amati - were made around the year 1560.

<><><>

The violin emerged in northern Italy in the early 16th century. Most likely the first makers of violins borrowed from three types of current instruments: the rebec, in use since the 10th century (itself derived from the Arabic rebab), the Renaissance fiddle, and the lira da braccio. One of the earliest explicit descriptions of the instrument, including its tuning, was in the Epitome musical by Jambe de Fer, published in Lyon in 1556. By this time the violin had already begun to spread throughout Europe. The oldest documented violin to have four strings, like the modern violin, was constructed in 1555 by Andrea Amati. Other violins, documented significantly earlier, only had three strings. The violin immediately became very popular, both among street musicians and the nobility, illustrated by the fact that the French king Charles IX ordered Amati to construct 24 violins for him in 1560. The oldest surviving violin, dated inside, is from this set, and is known as the "Charles IX," made in Cremona c. 1560. "The Messiah" or "Le Messie" (also known as the "Salabue") made by Antonio Stradivari in 1716 remains pristine, never having been used. It is now located in the Ashmolean Museum of Oxford.

For more information see the Related links shown below. Also see the answers to the Related Questions.

User Avatar

Wiki User

13y ago

What else can I help you with?