If you’ve been listening along to our last few episodes, you’ve heard a lot of violin — Vivaldi wrote for it constantly, and it’s easy to understand why. But the violin has a whole family of relatives, and today we’re finally introducing all of them.
In this episode, we meet the four members of the string family:
- The violin — the smallest, brightest member of the family, and the one you’ve been hearing in our Vivaldi series
- The viola — slightly larger, with a warmer and darker sound (think: a quiet, golden afternoon compared to the violin’s bright, sunny morning)
- The cello — deep, rich, and almost voice-like in quality (you may remember it from Episode 30, when we listened to Bach’s Cello Suites together!)
- The double bass — the largest member of the family, producing a sound so low you almost feel it as much as you hear it
We also do a fun listening comparison near the end of the episode — all four instruments played back-to-back so your ears can really start to notice the differences.
FREE PRINTABLE: STRING FAMILY SPOTTER SHEET
I created a String Family Spotter sheet to go along with this episode. As you listen to music over the next few weeks — whether from this podcast or anything else you come across — you can use it to check off which string instruments you hear. It’s a wonderful way to keep those listening ears active and engaged between episodes.
👉 Download your String Family Spotter Sheet here
EPISODE PLAYLIST
Want to keep listening to the music from today’s episode? I’ve put together a playlist with all the pieces featured, which is perfect to use alongside your String Family Spotter sheet.
🎵 Listen to Episode 176 Playlist here
Music featured in this episode:
- Beethoven: String Quartet in C-sharp minor, Op. 131
- Vivaldi: Spring from The Four Seasons
- Bartók: Bratschenkonzert (viola concerto) — Tabea Zimmermann, Christoph Eschenbach
- Yo-Yo Ma: Bach Cello Suite No. 1 in G Major, Prélude
- Xavier Foley: Foley Etude No. 12, “Reconstruction” (double bass)
EPISODES MENTIONED
- Episode 173: Antonio Vivaldi — Life in Venice
- Episode 174: The Four Seasons
- Episode 175: Concerto for Two Violins in A Minor
- Episode 30: Bach’s Cello Suites
ABOUT BUSY KIDS LOVE MUSIC
Busy Kids Love Music is a podcast for music-loving families, exploring the stories behind classical music one composer (and one piece) at a time. I’m your host, Carly Seifert, creator of Busy Kids Do Piano. Thanks so much for listening — I’m cheering you on as you listen, learn, and create music!
🎹 Learn more about Busy Kids Do Piano: busykidsdopiano.com/membership