Books › The violin, how to make it, 1880 › scan 10
Scan 10
The violin, how to make it, 1880
2 lines. Read by computer on 3 September 2026. Printed page 4. See the scan on archive.org.
1the Violin. The Ravanastron and Rouana are constructed almost precisely similar, both being formed of a wooden cylinder, over one end of which a piece of skin or thin wood is fixed, serving as a sounding-board. upon which is placed a small bridge, whilst attached crosswise to the wooden tube is a handle containing two pegs for retaining the two strings of this primitive instrument. The Urh-heen, or Chinese fiddle, is constructed with a cylindrical body, over which is stretched a piece of snake's skin, upon which rests a bridge, over which four strings are stretched, terminating in the pegs, which are inserted in a line in the longitudinal and cylindrical hand of the instrument. The four strings have the bow attached to them instead of being held free in the hand of the player. The Omerti is a somewhat similarly constructed instrument; but having a body formed from the shell of the cocoa-nut, part of which is removed and replaced by skin or wood to form the belly of the instrument, whilst holes of fantastic shape are cut through the body of the shell, forming a communication with the internal air. This, also, is a two-stringed instrument, as well as the Kemangeh-a-gous of the Arabs, which is of the same form and construction. The Rebab and Goudok are somewhat similar, but each having four sides, upon the under and upper edges of which pieces of skin are stretched to form the back and breast. The Goudok is of a more advanced construction than the Rebab, possessing a curved head, tail-piece, fingerboard, and sounding holes in the breast, whilst the body of this instrument is better adapted for volume of tone. The Soorunga is a three-stringed instrument, having the body and neck formed from a solid block of wood. The back of this instrument is very convex, being almost a semicircle, and is exquisitely hollowed out, whilst the neck is of a somewhat similar pattern to that of the violin, but instead of a scroll there are generally carvings of birds, etc., below which are the pegs. The front of this instrument is entirely hollow, except near to the extreme end, where a small piece of parchment is stretched which forms the belly, upon which is placed the bridge sustaining the three strings which are united to a tail-piece as in the ordinary violin. Part of the convex sides are cut away in graceful curves, whilst upon the surface of the back a few variegated figures are carved. The Tarau, or Thro, of the same country, is of an elongated
The computer misreads some letters and numbers. Where a name matters to you, read the scan.