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) }| | | | | | | | | | | +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+--- | Conically }| / | | | | / | / | / | | | \ narrow at top. }| | | | | | | | | | +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+--- Flute | / | / | / | / | | | | | | +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+--- Violin | / | / | / | / | / | / | / | / | / | / +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+--- Piano | / | / | / | / | / | / | / | / | | +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+--- Bell | / | / | / | / | / | / | / | | | +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+--- Clarionet | / | | / | | / | | / | | / | +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+--- Bassoon | / | / | / | / | / | / | / | | |