Many do not know this, but I once used to play the violin. I started early but did not have good teachers during the early years in Alor Setar. So it was an on-off kind of thingy till my parents were told of this superb teacher from Penang Philharmonic who comes to Alor Setar to teach. Thus , by then I was in secondary school and really into it. However, it had to stop when I was in Form 5 because the training requires a great plenty of time for practice. I was in Grade 5. I still love the violin and hope to complete it one day though my fingers are getting a little to stiff at the phalanges.

The violin, bowed string instrument with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest and highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which also includes the viola and cello. A person who plays violin is called a violinist or fiddler, and a person who makes or repairs them is called a luthier, or simply a violin maker.

The violin was born in northern Italy in the early 16th century. The oldest documented violin to have four strings, like the modern violin, was constructed in 1555 by Andrea Amati.

The most famous luthiers, between the late 16th century and the 18th century included:

* Amati family of Italian violin makers, Andrea Amati (1500-1577), Antonio Amati (1540-1607), Hieronymus Amati I (1561-1630), Nicolo Amati (1596-1684), Hieronymus Amati II (1649-1740)
* Guarneri family of Italian violin makers, Andrea Guarneri (1626-1698), Pietro of Mantua (1655-1720), Giuseppe Guarneri (Joseph filius Andreae) (1666-1739), Pietro Guarneri (of Venice) (1695-1762), and Giuseppe (del Gesu) (1698-1744)
* Antonio Stradivari (1644-1737) of Cremona
* Jacob Stainer (1617-1683) of Absam in Tyrol

The arched shape, the thickness of the wood, and its physical qualities govern the sound of a violin.

I love the violin!!