Learn More About Electric Violins

Do you love listening to the sound of the violin? Are you interested in learning how to play this string instrument, but want to add a little something different to your musicianship? This may be a good time for you to learn more about electric violins; these instruments will give you the classical feel of the traditional violin, but have a more edgy sound that you can use for more genres of music as well.

Electric violins have an output for sound, which makes them sound more like a guitar. The sound of the violin is amplified using electrical outputs, which can also make them louder. This is ideal if you are playing with a jazz or classical quartet, and are playing a solo where the string instrument is showcased.

Electric violins have been around in some form since the 1920s; Stuff Smith, and jazz and blues artist, is credited for creating it, since he was one of the first musicians to adapt pickups and amplifiers for violins. In the 1930s and 1940s, these instruments became available for sale from places like the Electro Stringed Instrument Corporation. Later, in the 1950s, a company named Fender produced a small amount of electric violins, but larger companies did not sell the instruments until the 1990s. In the mid 1980s, Zeta Music even developed a MIDI violin; an instrument that provided perfect pitch, and no other system like it had been manufactured until that point.

Electric violins use magnetic or piezoelectric pickups in order to produce a sound. The magnetic pickups require the use of violin strings that have iron-containing metal cores. There are only a few single-coil guitar-style magnetic systems that are still available these days, so it may be hard for you to find them if you are searching at your local music store. Piezoelectric pickups are much easier to find; these instruments detect physical vibrations directly, and sometimes the actual strings will vibrate. Some of the setups have a separate pickup, and produce a great sound that is a cross between classical and rock music.

Even though electric violins are still most commonly used in classical music, the more contemporary versions of the music require an electric violin in order to bring the music to life. Metal and country music contain electric violins in some of the music, and musicians that perform jazz and hip hop have also used the instrument to provide a more creative edge for composition.

If you want to learn more about electric violins, you can check out music stores like Sam Ash for great prices and varieties. You can also visit sites like www.musicworld.com or www.sheetmusicplus.com to find out about original songs you can practice to improve your skills.

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