12/05/2026
Violin, cello, and double bass are so similar, yet they sound completely different. Their history is a race for volume, beauty, and virtuosity.
Here is the journey of these instruments:
Stage 1: The Middle Eastern Rebab and the European Fiddle (9th–13th centuries)
It all began in the East (the rebec). In Europe, it was answered by the fiddle (or vielle). An instrument with 2–3 strings, played by wandering musicians.
While Europe played fiddles, Sweden and Finland saw the emergence of the Talharpa.
· Shape: boat-like, carved from a single block of wood.
· Strings: 8–16, but only the top ones are bowed—the rest resonate sympathetically (like a sitar).
· Bow: short and curved.
Stage 2: The Russian Gudok (11th–17th centuries)
Over in Rus’, their own hero was the Gudok.
· Body: pear-shaped, often without cutouts (straight sides).
· Strings: 3 (the two lower strings are drones, continuously buzzing).
· Playing style: held vertically (like a cello) by skomorokhi (wandering minstrels), bowed with a bow-shaped stick.
· Neck: fretless and archaic.
Stage 3: The Era of Viols (15th–16th centuries)
Viols with 6 strings and frets became dominant among aristocrats. But the talharpa and gudok were their rough, folk contemporaries.
Stage 4: The Birth of the Violin Family (Italy, 16th–17th centuries)
The creation of the violin, viola, and cello—with a curved body, no frets, and 4 strings. All other bowed instruments faded into the background.
Interesting fact:
The gudok and talharpa are rare examples of instruments without f-holes on the sides. As a result, their sound is softer and more «ethereal,» which frightened the Church but captivated the common people.
