In the 16th century, the violin primarily functioned as an ensemble instrument, assuming the soprano part within the violin family and being used mainly in dance music. The development of a solo repertoire only began after 1600, when the violin was incorporated into mixed instrumental ensembles. This shift led to the instrument being presented on more prestigious musical stages, such as organ lofts and in virtuoso ensembles at European princely courts. The new Italian solo repertoire consisted predominantly of sonatas, which broke away from the traditional forms of the 16th century. German violin composers, on the other hand, remained faithful to dance music and frequently integrated the basso ostinato into their sonatas. Until the end of the 17th century, German composers favored simple, repeating chord progressions in their works.
A striking difference between Italian and German violin music is also evident in the demands placed on technical virtuosity. While Italian composers experimented with chords and high positions at the beginning of the 17th century, they increasingly shifted their focus to pure musical expression. German-speaking composers, on the other hand, significantly increased the demands of virtuosity around 1700 through the use of double and triple stops. Techniques such as scordatura were also employed to facilitate chord playing and to create specific timbres in particular keys. Scordatura declined in popularity among German composers around 1700 as they began to modulate between different keys.
Johann Paul von Westhoff's suites from 1697 stand in the German tradition and are of particular importance as an early collection of unaccompanied violin pieces. These works are often considered an inspiration for Bach's solo violin works, although their structures and harmonies are less complex than Bach's partitas. Westhoff composed primarily in continuous chords and avoided complicated Italian harmonies, which German composers did not adopt until the 18th century. Heinrich Biber's unaccompanied Passacaglia in G minor, composed around 1675 in Salzburg, impressively demonstrates his innovative use of scordatura and the artistic interpretation of biblical themes in his sonatas. The Neapolitan violinist and composer Nicola Matteis attracted attention in England from around 1670 onwards with his impressive technique and lively playing. His pieces, published in "Ayrs for the Violin," offered diverse performance possibilities and revealed his talent for combining abstract and dance-like forms.