The prominence of the violin in Western music rests on its singular qualities, among them an expressiveness ranging from soft lyricism to extreme dramatic excitement, a soulful and sensitive timbre, crescendos and diminuendos unequaled by other instruments.

In the Renaissance and Baroque periods, there were 2 main types of bowed string instruments: "viola da gamba" (leg viols) and "viole da braccio" (arm viols). The latter, held against the shoulder when played, is the immediate forerunner of the violin.

From 1600-1750, Cremona was the centre of violin making, where notable violinmakers included Niccolo Amati (1596-1684), Antonio Stradivari (1644-1737) and Giuseppe Guarneri (1666-c. 1740).

Besides playing with the bow, the violin can also be played by plucking the strings with the first finger of the right hand - a technique known as ("pizzicato").