Starting Your Early Music Journey: Baroque Instruments for Modern Musicians

Transitioning from a modern setup to Baroque instruments is an exciting journey that opens up new dimensions in your playing. For the modern violinist or violist curious about historically informed performance (HIP), this guide offers practical advice on making the switch. We’ll discuss how to get started with Baroque instruments, what equipment you’ll need, technique adjustments, and considerations like cost and repertoire. Whether you’re a seasoned professional or an avid amateur, these tips will help you step back in time to the Baroque era.

Embracing the Baroque Mindset

Before delving into gear, it’s important to adopt a Baroque mindset. Early music performance is about more than just using old instruments; it involves understanding stylistic conventions of the 17th and 18th centuries. This means learning to phrase differently (e.g. leaning into strong beats, ending phrases lightly), using vibrato sparingly, and focusing on bow articulation. Many modern players find this refreshingly expressive – it can feel like learning a new dialect of a language you already speak.

One key concept is historically informed performance. In recent decades, historically informed approaches have become popular, leading many violinists to return to older instrument models or replicas to achieve an authentic sound. As you begin your journey, listen to recordings by Baroque specialists and consider taking lessons or workshops focused on Baroque technique. This will help retrain your ear and muscle memory.

Equipment: What Do You Need to “Go Baroque”?

You might wonder if you need to buy an expensive 18th-century violin to play Baroque music. Good news: you don’t! There are several entry-points:

Baroque Bow: The simplest way to start is to get a Baroque bow for your current violin. A Baroque violin bow is typically shorter (around 65–70 cm) and lighter than a modern bow, with a distinctively curved shape and often an open frog. Using a Baroque bow on your violin will immediately encourage Baroque bowing techniques – it naturally produces the light, articulated strokes ideal for Baroque music. This is often the most cost-effective first step (quality Baroque bows can be found in the few-hundred-dollar range).

Gut Strings: Next, consider trying gut strings on your violin (or at least a gut G and D string). Plain gut or gut-core strings have a warm, soft tone and slower response that will instantly lend a Baroque quality to your sound. Playing on gut will require gentler bow pressure and will sharpen your intonation skills (gut strings can be less forgiving pitch-wise but reward you with rich tone colors). Many players transition gradually: for example, start with a gut A and D while keeping a modern steel E for stability, then go full gut as you become comfortable.

Baroque Violin or Viola: Ultimately, if you become serious, you may acquire a dedicated Baroque instrument. These can be original period instruments (which are rare and costly) or modern replicas/conversions. Many luthiers offer Baroque setups on new violins; these typically involve a shorter neck, wedge fingerboard, Baroque bridge, and sometimes a lighter bass bar, as discussed in our comparison above. A decent Baroque violin replica can range from a few thousand dollars and up, depending on maker. If you’re a cellist, Baroque cellos (often played without an endpin) are also available. However, it’s perfectly valid to start by converting an inexpensive or old violin to Baroque setup. Some shops offer reversible conversions – for example, a new shorter neck can be grafted on without permanently altering the instrument’s corpus.

Other Instruments: Perhaps your early music journey extends beyond violin. Many modern musicians fall in love with Baroque violas (which were similar to modern violas in size, just set up with gut strings) or decide to try the viol family (e.g., viola da gamba) or instruments like the Baroque cello or viola d’amore. It’s wise to start with what you know (violinists to Baroque violin, etc.), then branch out once you’re comfortable with Baroque performance basics.

Budget Tip: You don’t have to get everything at once. Many players start by buying a Baroque bow and a set of gut strings, which together might cost a few hundred dollars, rather than investing in a Baroque violin immediately. This allows you to experiment with Baroque sound on your familiar instrument. As you progress, you can upgrade components or get a separate instrument.

Playing Technique Adjustments

Switching to Baroque equipment will require some adaptation in technique:

Holding the Instrument: Without a chinrest (and shoulder rest), you’ll explore different ways of holding the violin. Baroque violinists often rest the instrument against the collarbone and left thumb, using the jaw only lightly if at all. At first, this can feel insecure. Practice shifting and moving the violin around without a chinrest – you’ll develop a feel for the balance. Some players use a soft chamois cloth on the shoulder for friction. You may also experiment with the Baroque violin hold which sometimes angles the violin more downward or to the front. Find a grip that is comfortable for you; remember, 18th-century players managed just fine without modern rests, often playing for hours!

Left Hand Technique: You’ll likely play without the kind of heavy vibrato used in modern playing. Focus on intonation and clarity of pitch. Because gut strings have a different feel (a bit thicker gauge and more pliant), you might press a little less with the left hand. Shifts need to be smooth since you don’t have a chinrest anchor; practice slow shifts with minimal finger pressure. Another change: Baroque setup often means playing in lower positions more and using open strings (open gut strings have a beautiful resonant ring in Baroque music). Embrace open strings where appropriate, even if you were trained to avoid them on modern violin.

Bow Technique: The Baroque bow will fundamentally change your bowing approach. Its balance point is lower (closer to the frog) and the tip is lighter. You’ll find it naturally creates a decay toward the tip – use that to shape phrases (stronger, fuller sound at the beginning of the stroke, tapering off toward the end). You can achieve a delightful spiccato (off-string bouncing) at the balance point without forcing – Baroque bows are great for quick articulated passagework with clear separation. However, sustained long bows are more challenging; don’t expect to play a 8-bar legato phrase on one bow like you might with a Tourte bow. Instead, Baroque phrasing breaks into shorter bow segments. Practice Italian Baroque bowings like the Corelli bow stroke – multiple fast notes on a single bow with a slight swell on each – to get comfortable. Also, fret not if your bow hold changes a bit; Baroque players sometimes use a thumb-under-hair grip or a higher grip on the stick to help manage the lighter frog tension.

Intonation and Tuning: As mentioned, Baroque ensembles often tune to A = 415 Hz (approximately a half-step down from modern pitch). If you’re practicing alone or with keyboard, you might tune your instrument down to 415 to get used to the sonority and the “feel” of lower tension. It can be disorienting at first – pieces will sound in a different key, and your muscle memory for pitches might rebel. Give it time; your ear will adjust. In fact, some modern players say learning to play at 415 Hz improved their overall intonation and ear training. Be prepared to retune frequently; gut strings are more sensitive to temperature and humidity changes, and they stretch. It’s normal – even historically, musicians commented on needing to tune often.

Articulation and Expression: One of the joys of Baroque performance is discovering the expressive range of soft dynamics and articulate bowings. You’ll use more affekt (emotional affect) through articulation, timing, and ornamentation, rather than the lush sustained vibrato and heavy dynamics of later music. Try to let silence and space into your playing – for instance, the release at the end of a phrase or a tiny breath between motifs. This was part of Baroque rhetoric in music. Also, experiment with ornaments (trills, turns, appoggiaturas) appropriate to the style – this is where having a Baroque instrument helps, as the ornaments often speak more cleanly on gut strings and with Baroque bow.

Repertoire and Learning Resources

Starting out, you might choose some Baroque repertoire that lends itself to your new gear. Good pieces to begin with include solo works like Telemann’s Fantasias or the more straightforward Handel sonatas, where the technical demands are moderate and you can focus on style. The Bach Partitas and Sonatas are of course a pinnacle of Baroque violin music – they are wonderful on Baroque setup, but you might want to ease into them after getting comfortable with easier pieces, as Bach demands a lot of double stops and sustained playing (though many say Bach “feels easier” on a Baroque violin once you’re accustomed).

Consider joining a local Baroque ensemble or workshop. Playing with others in Baroque pitch (415) and style is immensely helpful. If you don’t have that opportunity, there are online communities and summer courses (like Baroque performance institutes) that welcome modern string players venturing into Baroque.

Mentorship: It can’t be overstated how useful it is to seek guidance from a teacher experienced in Baroque violin or viola. They can help you avoid discomfort and fast-track your technique adjustments. Even a few lessons can set you on the right path – for instance, learning how to execute a proper Baroque trill or how to hold the bow for a French dance piece.

Cost Considerations

Budget is a real consideration when adding another set of equipment to your arsenal. Here are some cost-savvy approaches:

Start with a Baroque bow – entry-level snakewood Baroque bows are available for a few hundred dollars. Many violin shops offer reasonably priced Baroque bows; some even have trade-in programs if you later upgrade.

Strings: A full set of gut strings (A, D, G gut; E maybe plain steel or gold alloy) might cost $100 or more, which is comparable to high-end modern strings. They do wear out faster, though – gut strings might last you 3-6 months of regular playing, less if you perform often. This is an ongoing cost to consider. Many Baroque players keep spare strings and learn a bit about string maintenance (for example, how to gently stretch a new gut string to stabilize it, or how to tie a string if it slips at the peg).

Instrument purchase or conversion: If you decide to buy a Baroque violin, student-level Baroque violin replicas can sometimes be found for under $5,000. Fine replicas by renowned makers can run into five figures. Converting an existing instrument can be a more affordable route – ask a luthier for an estimate. A Baroque bridge and soundpost adjustment is relatively cheap; having a neck reset to Baroque angle or a fingerboard wedge installed will be more. Some luthiers will do a temporary conversion (meaning they keep the original parts and don’t alter anything irreversibly). This could be a few hundred to a couple thousand dollars depending on the extent of work.

Rental: If you’re not ready to commit to a purchase, check if any violin shops or instrument rental programs offer Baroque instruments or bows. Some early music organizations have an instrument lending program for students or newcomers to Baroque playing.

Overcoming Challenges

As you start your Baroque journey, you may face some frustrations: tuning those pesky gut strings frequently, bowing that feels underpowered at first, or playing in an ensemble where you’re unsure how to fit in stylistically. Remember that this is normal. Give yourself time to adapt. When you switch back to modern violin, you might initially feel like everything is so loud and tense! But many musicians report that learning Baroque style enhances their modern playing – they become more aware of articulation, they discover new tonal colors, and they build strength in their hands from handling both setups.

It’s also worth noting the reward: the first time you draw your Baroque bow on gut strings and produce that sweet, golden sound, or when you execute a phrase from a Handel sonata and it sounds like the 18th century, it’s a thrill. It’s akin to a pianist playing a harpsichord for the first time and suddenly understanding the Baroque phrasing – it’s revelatory. That tangible connection to the era’s sound world is the payoff for the patience in reworking technique.

Conclusion: Enriching Your Musical Life

Starting your early music journey can deeply enrich your musical life. Not only do you gain the ability to perform a vast repertoire as it was originally intended to be heard, but you also develop flexibility as a player. Switching between Baroque and modern playing can make you more adaptable and sensitive in all your music-making.

Baroque instruments offer a window into history. As a modern musician, stepping through that window can feel like meeting the great composers on their own terms – you’ll experience Vivaldi’s rapid string crossings with the kind of bow he wrote them for, or Mozart’s early works on the type of violin he knew in his youth. It’s a form of time travel that occurs through sound.

Remember, you can take this journey in stages. It’s perfectly fine to perform Baroque music on a modern violin using some stylistic adjustments; but as you adopt more Baroque equipment and technique, you’ll find yourself ever closer to the heart of the style. Enjoy each new discovery – the road to mastery in early music is a joyful one, filled with aha moments and beautiful sounds. Happy Baroque playing!