The violin is the smallest member of the string family. Because its strings are the shortest, it produces the highest sound. There are more violins in the orchestra than any other single instrument. The violins play in two different groups, with the first violins playing the highest-pitched part and the second violins playing the second-highest.

Composer: Tchaikovsky Piece: Violin Concerto Performer: Zimmermann Orchestra: Berlin Philharmonic Conductor: Maazel

	If you look at Chris, our violinist, you can see how the violin is played. He rests the instrument on one shoulder, and holds it in place using his chin and his left hand. He holds the bow in his right hand, and draws it across the strings. He changes the pitch in two ways: by drawing the bow across different strings, and by pressing on the strings with the fingers of his left hand. The shape of the violin has stayed pretty much the same ever since the 1500s. That's almost 500 years! The modern violin has four strings, but the earliest ones had only three. They were played by fiddlers on the street, who hoped that people passing by would like their tunes and toss them a few pennies.