Scan 20
Researches into the early history of the violin family, 1883
6 lines. Read by computer on 3 September 2026. Printed page 10. See the scan on archive.org.
1consisted almost entirely of accompaniments subservient to vocal recitations. Any implement contrived for producing the sound by friction would have been far less suitable for the purpose.
3Even in our time, notwithstanding the facilities which we possess for recording inventions and discoveries, the origin of some of our new musical instruments is not exactly ascertainable, and may perhaps be a cause of dispute amongst musicians a thousand years hence. Take, for instance, the harmonium, which dates only from the beginning of the present century, and which now almost vies in popularity with the pianoforte. The chief characteristic in its construction—the free-reed—is now already regarded by many persons as being a new contrivance not older than the invention of the harmonium. It occurs, however, in the Chinese cheng, which was known as early as at the time of Confucius, five hundred years before the Christian era. Also the Jew's harp, with its vibrating tongue of metal, although it requires to be twanged, may be regarded as exhibiting the principle on which the harmonium is constructed. Our Jew's harp is also an old instrument; we possess illustrations of it in books dating from the beginning of the sixteenth century. Like this despised contrivance, thus also the rude fiddle-bow may have existed through centuries without being thought worthy of notice by the lovers of music. Indeed, even our highly perfected violin-bow is sufferable only in the hands of accomplished players. It is, therefore, not surprising that the primitive fiddle-bow should have been in use for centuries—nay, probably for some thousand years—without obtaining the same regard which was accorded to the plectrum. The ancient monuments usually represent historical events and religious ceremonies, in which only the superior and most esteemed instruments were played.
5It is now usual with our musical historians to point to a Hindu origin of the fiddle-bow. According to a Hindu tradition, Ravanon, a mighty king of Ceylon, about five thousand years ago, invented a stringed instrument played with a bow, which is supposed to be the parent of the fiddle family. Besides, there are in Sanskrit the words kôna, gâribâ, and
The computer misreads some letters and numbers. Where a name matters to you, read the scan.