Of course, but not in the same way you would on a guitar, and you will need some help along the way. I'm a firm believer you can shred on any instrument if you want; it's all in how well you play. Guitar shredding combines complex techniques and effects to produce epic music passages. A good violinist can shred a violin if they play well; if you don't have money to invest in electronic effects, many amps have an overdrive button that will distort the sound. If you want to check out some violin shredding, check out classically trained violinist Emilie Autumn, shredding the violin to her song Face on the Wall. While I have no clue what violin she is playing, I play the same song using the overdrive on my amp, producing the same effect.