The violin is an instrument with four strings that are played by drawing a bow across them, or by plucking them with the fingers. The strings may be made out of natural materials such as sheep gut or steel, or of made man materials such as nylon. The modern violin began to appear around the 16th century, with Italy being the center of violin making. Instruments made by the Stradivari family are still prized among top violinists today, even though they may be hundreds of years old!

Violins are made in smaller sizes, all the way down to 1/16 of full size. This means that students as young as three or four years old can begin violin instruction.

When the violin is used to perform folk music, such as bluegrass or country, it is referred to as a fiddle.