The History of Stringed Instruments
While it can be difficult to trace the history of modern stringed instruments because of documentation differences and evolutionary doubts (whether an earlier instrument actually influenced the development of a later one), the fifteenth century saw a rapid expansion in the manufacture of stringed instruments that greatly resemble the stringed instruments of today. Knowing the history of stringed instruments is vital to playing period music well and understanding classical music as a whole.
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Early Predecessors
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The rebec was developed in the fourteenth century. It played an important part in the later invention of the violin. This instrument (and others of the time) were much smaller than later string instruments, as performance venues did not require large tonal range.
Sixteenth Century
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During the sixteenth century, the first modern violins were produced by artisan instrument makers such as Andrea Amati (1505 to 1577) and Gasparo da Salo (1540 to 1609). The string family began to have a firm place in both small ensemble and concert literature.
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Baroque Period
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During the baroque period, the string family was thoroughly integrated into both religious and secular music. One of the finest stringed instruments makers, Antonio Stradivari (1644 to 1737), produced over 1,000 stringed instruments during this period.
Classical Period
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During the Classical period, new advances in string technology and performance techniques began to appear. Both the bridge of most stringed instruments and the tuning aperture were revamped on many instruments of the time.
Romantic Period
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The Romantic period was a time of new tonality experimentation and the addition of larger families of stringed instruments into the modern orchestra. In fact, sections of the orchestra made up of stringed instruments almost doubled from the Classical to the Romantic period.
Modern Stringed Instruments
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While craftsmen around the world continue to manufacture handmade stringed instruments, one of the most important advances of the modern age is the mechanical implementation in the production of stringed instruments. Electronic amplification was also added to such stringed instruments as guitars.
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