Theory Violin Flashcards
Violin
The smallest and highest-pitched instrument in the string family, played with a bow or fingers.
Bow
A wooden stick with horsehair used to play the violin by drawing it across the strings.
Fingerboard
The smooth black surface where you place your fingers to change pitch.
Bridge
A small wooden piece that holds up the strings and transfers vibrations to the body.
Scroll
The decorative top part of the violin, often shaped in a spiral.
Pegs
Used to tune the violin by tightening or loosening the strings.
Fine Tuners
Small screws on the tailpiece for adjusting pitch more precisely.
Strings
The four wires stretched across the violin: G (lowest), D, A, E (highest).
Rosin
A sticky substance rubbed on the bow hair to create friction for sound.
First Position
The most basic finger placement where beginners learn to play notes.
Open String
A note played without using any fingers on the fingerboard.
Whole Step
A distance between two notes that includes two half steps (like open D to E).
Half Step
The smallest distance between two notes on the violin (like E to F).
Scale
A sequence of notes in order, like G-A-B-C-D-E-F#-G.
Arco
Italian term for ‘play with the bow.’
Pizzicato
Plucking the strings with your finger instead of using the bow.
Detaché
A bowing technique where each note is played with a separate bow stroke.
Slur
Two or more notes played in one bow stroke.
Vibrato
A technique where the pitch wavers slightly for expression, done by shaking the left hand slightly.
Intonation
How in-tune your notes are. Good intonation means hitting the correct pitch.
Tuning
Adjusting the pitch of each string to match standard pitch.
Dynamics
The volume of the music (e.g., forte = loud, piano = soft).
Tempo
The speed of the music (e.g., allegro = fast, adagio = slow).
Time Signature
Tells how many beats are in a measure and what note gets the beat (e.g., 4/4).
Measure/Bar
Small sections of music separated by vertical lines.
One octave means
a scale that goes from one note up to the same note eight steps higher, then back down again—within a single hand position
Allegretto
A moderately fast tempo, slightly slower than allegro.
Andantino
A little faster than andante (walking pace), though sometimes used to mean slightly slower.
Arco
Play with the bow.
Pizzicato
Pluck the string with your finger.
D.C. al Fine
“Da Capo al Fine” — Go back to the beginning and play until the word “Fine.”
Slur
Two or more notes played in one bow stroke.
Staccato (*)
Play the note short and detached.
Legato
Play notes smoothly and connected.
Accent ( > )
Emphasize the note.
Fermata (𝄐)
Hold the note longer than its usual value.
Fine
Indicates where the music ends after a repeat or D.C./D.S. instruction.
Crescendo (cresc.)
Gradually get louder.
Decrescendo / Diminuendo
Gradually get softer.
Forte (f)
Loud.
Piano (p)
Soft.
Mezzo forte (mf)
Moderately loud.
Mezzo piano (mp)
Moderately soft.
Ritardando (rit.)
Gradually slow down.
Tempo I
Return to the original tempo.
Up-bow (𝆪)
Move the bow upward (from tip to frog).
Down-bow (𝆫)
Move the bow downward (from frog to tip).
Trio
A contrasting section, often lighter in character, typically found in Minuets or Gavottes.
Con gracia
gracefully
Semibreve (Whole Note)
4 beats – open oval note head with no stem.
Minim (Half Note)
2 beats – open note head with a stem.
Crotchet (Quarter Note)
1 beat – filled note head with a stem.
Quaver (Eighth Note)
½ beat – filled note head with a stem and one flag or beam.
Semiquaver (Sixteenth Note)
¼ beat – filled note head with a stem and two flags or beams.
Demisemiquaver (Thirty-Second Note)
⅛ beat – three flags or beams.
Hemidemisemiquaver (Sixty-Fourth Note)
1/16 beat – four flags or beams.
Draw on a piece of paper; SEMIBREVE, MINIM, CROCHET, quaver, semiquaver, demisemiquaver, hemidemisemiquaver.
If a note is set apart with a #, what does it mean?
one half-step greater than the normal note would be.
When a note is set apart with a
♭ what does it mean?
one half-advance lower than the ordinary note would be.
When tuning any instrument, you should consistently tune from __
beneath the note up.
To play the violin it is necessary to place the instrument on the _____ and not on the shoulder.
clavicle
