aaamusic | On 29, Jun 2018

If you’ve always found yourself fascinated by the sound of the violin, then this article is for you. We have collected several of the coolest and most fascinating facts about this musical instrument, and you should definitely check them out if you have the time and availability.

It burns quite a bit of calories

Violin practice can take a lot of time and commitment, but it also calls for a little effort on the part of the budding musician’s body. Apparently, any person can burn as many as 175 calories per hour, which means that if you decide to take up this instrument, you will consume about two-thirds of a Snickers bar or the caloric equivalent of a medium-sized glass of wine.

So, if you’re ever having second thoughts about taking a walk or going to the gym, all you have to do is invest a little more time in your daily violin practice.

Violin practice is great for kids

Even though it’s slightly more complex compared to other kinds of musical instruments and its learning curve is rather steep, many studies have shown that kids who have received musical training even from a young age have developed their motor skills better, as well as their mental processing faster compared to those who have never studied music.

String players are dexterous, and have better reflexes compared to regular people. If that’s what you have in store for your kids, you should consider motivating them to learn to play the violin, the cello, the guitar, or the bass.

When was the violin invented?

The origin of the violin can be traced back to the 16th century. It was first created by an Italian by the name of Andrea Amati, in the city of Cremona. Like many others at that time, Andrea was a luthier and was asked to build this type of instrument as an alternative to the lyre, as long as it weighed less.

He came up with the prototype which later on became what we now know as the actual violin. When it comes to its design, this instrument hasn’t changed a lot over the years. The violin is, therefore, around 500-years old.

The most expensive violin

A Stradivarius violin that was manufactured in 1721 was auctioned and sold by the Nippon Music Foundation at 9.3 million pounds. The proceeds from the sale were used to help the victims of the 2011 Japanese tsunami. But what makes it so expensive? Despite being made in 1721, the violin is in pristine condition even now.

The world’s fastest violinist

Ben Lee, a Sussex-born music composer, and producer is the world’s fastest violinist. He beat the world record held by David Garrett in 2010. He beat the former world record holder by playing ‘Bumblebee’ in a time span of just 58.515 seconds compared to Garrett’s 1 minute and 6.56 seconds. Of course, he did that by playing an electric violin, not a classic one.