worth many times their weight in gold.
Recent makers have tried in vain to equal them; but, when their
ingenuity and skill have failed, they declare that _age_ has much to do
with such instruments, that age mellows the sounding quality of the
violin. But the Cremona violins were just as extraordinary instruments
when they left the hands of the makers as they are now; and the fame of
the Amati family as violin-makers was over all Europe while they were
living.

A good violin when well played gives an exquisite musical effect, and on
account of its range and quality of tones it is the leading orchestral
instrument, always pleasing and satisfying; but in unskilled hands even
the best _Cremona_ will give forth sounds that make one grieve that it
was ever invented. Overtones of all sorts and with all degrees of
prominence may be easily developed upon it: therefore the skilful player
draws the bow at such a place upon the strings as to develop the
overtones he wants, and suppress the ones not wanted. The usual rule is
to draw the bow about an inch below the bridge; but the place for the
bow depends upon where the fingers are that stop the strings, and also
the pressure upon it. It requires an almost incredible amount of
practice to be able to play a violin very well.

In the accompanying table will be found the component parts of tones
upon a few instruments in common use.

TONE COMPOSITION.

The components of the tones are indicated by lines in the column
underneath the figures representing the series. Thus the narrow-stopped
organ-pipe gives a sound composed of a fundamental, and overtones three,
five, seven, and nine times the number of vibrations of it.

TONE COMPOSITION.

--------------------------+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---
INSTRUMENTS. | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10
--------------------------+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---
/ Wide stopped | / | | | | | | | | |
| +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---
| Narrow " | / | | / | | / | | / | | / |
| +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---
| Narrow cylinder | / | / | / | / | / | / | | | |
ORGAN < +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---
PIPES. | Principal }| / | / | / | | | | | | |
| (Wood) }| | | | | | | | | |