Electric Violin, Acoustic Violin or Strolling Violin ?

What’s the difference and the best fit for you and your event ?

In case you were trying to figure out which type of Violin performance is which, here is a little help. There is no wrong answer, but you should always be looking for the best right answer for your tastes and budget.

What Is The Electric Violin?

Electric Violin usually means an amplified violin. It may be a colorful solid-body or it could be a traditional instrument that has been modified with a pickup to be amplified. To get more volume, it has to be connected to an amp or sound system. Most of the time, the Violinist will use effects like Reverb or Delay to get a big fat sound. Surprisingly, both the electric and modified acoustic can make the same sounds – but the electrics look cooler because they’re smaller, have sharper angles, and are more colorful. The term PopRock Electric Violin describes either instrument playing over backing tracks of Contemporary Pop, Classic Rock and R&B. The song will sound exactly like the original recording, but the Violin plays where the vocals would be. Very modern and super cool.

What Is The Acoustic Violin?

The Acoustic Violin is the instrument most people are familiar with. All wood and unamplified, it is used for solo performances as well as in ensembles and orchestras. The acoustic violin works best for song lists that include Mozart, Vivaldi, “Canon In D” and “Ode To Joy”, but some popular melodies can be played. A few violinists are able to amplify this kind of instrument so it sounds the same but is simply louder. Classic and elegant.

What Is The Strolling Violin?

A strolling violin is just like any other violin, but it is played while moving around a room and/or taking requests. Often, it’s played as variety background music during a Cocktail Hour, but certain styles can be emphasized: Italian, Irish, Classical, Broadway, etc. … A strolling request performance is best suited to a dinner setting where guests are seated or “captive” and the violinist can ask if they have any favorites. For this, the Violinist must have a wide variety of music memorized and be able to play it on the spot. It also requires the musician to have a professional appearance and a personality to interact with the guests in a relaxed and entertaining way. A frequent comment is “That was so entertaining !”