The violin is a stringed musical instrument that has four strings tuned a perfect fifth apart. It is the smallest and highest-tuned member of the violin family of string instruments, which ... includes the viola, cello and arguably the double bass (the double bass technically belongs to the similar but distinct viol family). The lowest string (and hence the lowest note) is the G just below middle C, then in ascending order D, A and E.A common colloquial name for the violin is the fiddle, and a violin is typically called a fiddle when used to play traditional music. Occasionally the instrument is modified for playing in these styles.