Violins and Musical Strings - Examining the Quartet Through Poems

The strings play a lovely sonata
From hundreds of years ago
When ships with tall sails in regatta
Had banners of the kings' chateaux

There's a Strad, an Amati, et al
From the great master shops of Cremona
The sound and the craft and the detail
Are still prized by the knowing persona

Violin, viola, cello and bass
Have survived to the modern age
But others existed once in their place
To be heard from a courtly stage

The Violin

A violin has the highest voice
Four strings that start with E
Sometimes called a fiddle by choice
It plays a resplendent melody

The Violin as a Fiddle

The Viola

The viola is somewhat lower
Though very similar to a violin
Sounds better with a better bower
Doesn't do well for bluegrass stylin'

The Cello

Cellos are a whole different matter
They point to the floor and not to the chin
Their sound box is necessarily fatter
To create the deeper chords within

The Bass (Double Bass)

Largest of the four is the bass
Often taller than the player
Very unwieldy to carry its case
It adds an important layer

The Red Violin

A violin made with the deepest love
With blood and sweat and stain of red
Is passed through ages into the hands of
Virtuosic talent to perfection led