A violinist is an instrumentalist who plays the violin (eg Diana Yukawa). The terms fiddler or fiddle player are also used. In classical music, the "fiddle" terms are usually used somewhat informally or in a joking manner, but they are more standard expressions in folk music. In between there are nuances of meaning and usage which are difficult to formalize. For the Anne Rice novel, see Violin (novel). ... Classical music is a broad, somewhat imprecise term, referring to music produced in, or rooted in the traditions of, European art, ecclesiastical and concert music, encompassing a broad period from roughly 1000 to the present day. ... Folk song redirects here. ...

Composer-violinists were common in the Baroque era. Baroque music describes an era and a set of styles of European classical music which were in widespread use between approximately 1600 and 1750. ...

Sometimes violinists can be identified by a red fleck under the jaw on the left side of their neck, commonly known as the violin (or fiddle) hickey. This is due to long contact of the corpus of the violin with the neck, which the players normally hold on their left side. Although usually caused by constant pressure, (and somewhat dependent on how dry or oily the violinist's skin is), the symptom can also be caused by bacteria living on the wood or by an allergic reaction to the metals used in the chinrest. In order to keep the weight off the left hand (necessary for vibrato, shifting, and more accurate intonation), the violinist supports the instrument using the head, neck and shoulder, with varying levels of left hand support depending on the player and the technical demands of the music being played. This article does not adequately cite its references or sources. ...

Because western styles of music use the violin heavily, violinists have a wide range of music styles to choose from - Bluegrass, Country, Classical, New Age, Jazz, Pop, Rock, and many other genres of music. Bluegrass music is a form of American roots music. ... Country music, the first half of Billboards country and western music category, is a blend of popular musical forms originally found in the Southern United States and the Appalachian Mountains. ... Classical music is a broad, somewhat imprecise term, referring to music produced in, or rooted in the traditions of, European art, ecclesiastical and concert music, encompassing a broad period from roughly 1000 to the present day. ... New Age music is a style of music originally associated with some New Age beliefs. ... For other uses, see Jazz (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Pop music (disambiguation). ... This article is about the genre. ...

See also

• List of violinists

This is a list of notable violinists. ...

External links

• Violinists - List and bios of internationally renowned violinists
• Violinist.com - An online community of violinists, including discussion, blogs and FAQ.
• The American String Teachers Association - The largest (nonprofit) community of violinists and other string instrumentalists in the United States. Home of the national Certificate Program for Strings for violin, viola and cello.
• Violinists/Violists on the Web - Alphabetical listings by last name of past and contemporary world violinists, violists, teachers, and string players/composers/conductors who are currently represented on the internet by webpages.