Ah, the e-string, the string unique to violins. This is the right-most string, the thinnest, and the one that yields the highest, screechiest pitches. Whereas the g-string is nice and thick and meaty, the e-string is like cheese wire. It can be painful to play on this string for the way it feels like it's cutting through your finger. Aurally it can be painful because it's harder to get a luxurious sound out of the string, one that sounds like a trilling soprano and not a hoarse songbird on crack; think of this scene from Shrek:
All joking aside, when done well, the e-string can yield some spine-chillingly great melodies and will add considerable drama to the piece. I love my d-string, but I have to admit that I get a lot of satisfaction from literally ending on a high note on the e-string; it makes me feel like a proper violinist.
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