Violin Melody freak???

Question:okay........i do like the violin, but i happen to be a cello player..
so, all im asking is , "why does most of the pieces of music i see , the violin is always the melody? "
sure, it has the high notes and stuff, but cant the other insturnments in the orchestra get to have the melody part???
and, why does it always has to be the violin or the viola???

and why does the cello is the harmony???

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: okay........i do like the violin, but i happen to be a cello player..
so, all im asking is , "why does most of the pieces of music i see , the violin is always the melody? "
sure, it has the high notes and stuff, but cant the other insturnments in the orchestra get to have the melody part???
and, why does it always has to be the violin or the viola???

and why does the cello is the harmony???

I'm a cellist, too!

The cello is the harmony because it is a lower voice in the orchestra. Usually, unless the melody is made of lower notes, us cellos don't get the melody. We are the base that backs the violins up. Like double basses, do they ever get the melody? They are also like a base that helps us keep our beat. A lot of times the violins do get the melody BUT a lot of times we get a little taste of it on through the piece.

Keep playing the cello, though. It is wonderful! :)

Higher pitched instruments can be heard more easily over the whole orchestra. Also, there are more violin players available than cello players, so in school/ low level orchestras the melody will be given to the violins, as there are more of them and it will be likely that at least some of them can play well.

I play both cello and violin, and it annoys me as well that cellos are always somewhat sidelined, especially as it makes such a beautiful, rich sound!

This is not just a violin vs. cello thing. I primarily played trumpet and then switched to baritone for a quarter and learned the big difference in what "voice" we had in any number of songs. I had played in our pep band for years, but when I switched instruments, it was as if I was learning the song anew again. I believe it is a staging issue. Sonority is created when we make the triad of sound: where the low lines need to be the loudest and the high lines the softest. In addition, since higher pitched instruments create brighter tonality, it becomes ideal to carry the main tune versus harder to hear lower instruments.

I was always a believer of the higher the chair or the player of the melody or the higher the note, the better of a musician you are. But in reality, it is the most blended and balanced you can be and the most interpretive you are the better you are as a musician. As for always playing the harmony, that is just a byproduct of really crappy arrangers making mediocre compositions. All of the best songs I have played on my instruments or heard in string symphonies have always been those of mixtures of melodies and counter melodies, not just sustenance in harmonies and bass line rhythms.

Do not lose faith. Think of power and breadth as you play and play your part from the heart. When you do that, it won't matter what instrument you are playing. I suggest in playing with small string ensembles; where you are the only one playing your part. Composed music for small ensembles are always more than just playing the background character.