Kit violin
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The kit violin, or kit (Tanzmeistergeige in German), is a stringed musical instrument. It is essentially a very small violin, designed to fit in a pocket — hence its other common name, the pochette fiddle. It was used by dance masters in royal courts and other places of nobility, as well as by street musicians up until around the 18th century. Occasionally, the rebec was used in the same way. They generally have three strings. Several are called for (as violini piccoli alla francese - small French violins) in Monteverdi's 1607 Orfeo.[1]
[edit] History
The word "kit" likely arose from the idea that the tiny instruments the name applied to could be compared to "kittens", with full-sized violins and viols being strung with catgut.[citation needed] Trichet is said to have described the leather carrying case of the kit as a poche, hence, "The Pocket Violin". Mersenne likewise wrote that the kit violin was often contained within the pockets of the musicians who played it, often travelling minstrels or dance teachers. The term "kit" is believed to first have been used in the first quarter of the 16th century, in England where it was mentioned in Interlude of the Four Elements, c. 1517.
The body of the instrument is very small, but it has a relatively long fingerboard in order to accommodate the player's hand.
[edit] References
- ^ The Ultimate Encyclopaedia of Musical Instruments, ISBN 1-85868-185-5, p85
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