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Violin range

The violin's range is G3 to E7. For a section you have not worked with, write inside G3 to A6. It reads at concert pitch.

StringsNon-transposing, reads at concert pitch

Red notes: practical range. Black: full range only. Middle C = C4.

Sounding pitch
G3A6E7

On the piano

C1C2C3C4C5C6C7C8
Sounding In Cubase/Logic MIDI Hz
Lowest G3 G2 55 196.00
Practical high A6 A5 93 1760.0
Highest (full) E7 E6 100 2637.0

Type a note or click a key on the piano above.

Runs entirely in your browser. Nothing you play, sing or open here is uploaded anywhere. Music glyphs from Bravura, SIL Open Font License. Published 23 October 2026

The violin's lowest note is fixed by its open G string. The top depends on how far up the fingerboard a player goes, which is why references agree on the bottom and differ at the top.

Violin registers

Register Range How it sounds
G string G3 to D4 and up Dark and full. Melodies played entirely on the G string (sul G) keep that colour as they climb, at the cost of agility.
D and A strings D4 to E5 The warm middle, where most section writing sits and blends easily with violas and woodwinds.
E string E5 to A6 Brilliant and carrying. This is where violins cut through a tutti.
Top octave Above A6 Thin and intense. Good for firsts and soloists, risky for a section you have never heard.

Writing for the violin

  • Open strings are G3, D4, A4 and E5. Double stops that include an open string are the easiest to play in tune.
  • Split high chords into divisi rather than asking every player for a stopped double stop near the top of the range.
  • More players in the top octave do not make it louder. The sound thins and intonation spreads.

The violin in sample libraries

A library plays the top octave at full section size and perfect intonation, so a mockup can promise a sound a live section will not give you. Keep long exposed lines below about A6 unless the part is for the firsts alone.

The full range is every note a professional can produce. The practical range is narrower on purpose, leaving out the notes only strong players produce reliably. The figures here are cross-checked between orchestration references, and where they disagree the practical range takes the more conservative one.

Other strings ranges

See every instrument on one chart, or check a whole MIDI file against these ranges, in the instrument range chart.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the lowest note on a violin?

G3, the open G string, which is the G below middle C. Nothing lower is possible without retuning the string, a technique called scordatura.

What is the highest note a violin can play?

Orchestration references usually give E7, two octaves above the open E string. Strong players and harmonics go higher. For a section part, stay at or below about A6.

Is this the violin range at written or sounding pitch?

It is the same either way, because the violin reads at concert pitch. Notes use scientific pitch notation, where middle C is C4. Cubase, Logic and Kontakt call that key C3.

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