What are facts about viola?

Answer 1

The viola came from the same roots as the violin: both developed out of the "viola da braccio", a 'viola played on the arm', as differentiated from the "viola da gamba", which was played while it rested on the player's calves or thighs. The term viola may help to inform its early history: it may have developed from the Spanish Vihuela da Mano (a 'viola' played with the hands).

The viola and violin appeared at about the same time, in the relatively modern form with F sound holes instead of C holes, and a scroll adorning the pegbox, and with the extended points at the ends of the cutout on either side. The clearest iconographic evidence comes from about 1535, from the 1534-5 frescoes in the dome of the Sanctuary of Soranno. The first use of violins, and undoubtedly violas, was travelling musicians, as it could be played standing (unlike the violas da gamba).

According to Praetorius (Syntagma Musicum, 1620), the viola was played 'in consort' with violins and gambas or cellos, violones (bass gambas) or the bass of the violin family. The term "Consort" infers a family of instruments in different pitches, generally named for the ranges of the human voice, cantus (or discantus), altus, tenor and bass. In this sense, the viola has nearly always commanded the position of both alto and tenor. In the first orchestras (arguably the 24 Violins of the King, in France) the viola was not even named as such: instrumentation was 6 violins, 12 violas, and 6 basses. The violas were split into 3 groups of four, named haute-contra, taille, and quinte (literally against-high [probably best thought of as along-with than 'against'), tenor and "the fifth part", in the traditional manner of naming the first four voices for voice ranges, then just numbering the rest of the parts.)

Along with the violin, the viola transitioned from its Baroque form to the modern form it usually takes by a change in the angle of the neck, use of metal and synthetics in the strings (rather than gut and some metal windings), enabling higher tension and more 'projection'. Most Amati, Stradivarius and other 18th-century violins and violas have been modified in this manner, shedding honor on their creators by taking the change without complaint!

The viola was treated as an equal to the violin through much of its first century, with composers such as Telemann, Vivaldi and Bach writing solo sonatas and concertos which rivaled their smaller sister. With the onset of the early Classical, the viola fell into more of a role of doubling the 'cellos when they were introduced to the orchestra. With the onset of the Classical era, violas gained some independence of voice. With notable exceptions such as Paganini, the viola was considered an afterthought by composers with bassoons, trombones and other middle-range instruments to command. But in the 20th century, solo viola music began to be composed in volume once again.

About the only other part of the viola's history to mention is experimental: during the late Renaissance and Baroque, occasional attempts were made to create a violin family instrument which would fully occupy the tenor position in the family. Because a viola, to have its lowest string speak with the same tone and presence as its other strings (scaled from the violin), would require a length that would preclude tucking it under the chin while fingering the strings, these tenor violins often were played like cellos, with very long end-pins. When Carleen Hutchens designed and built the Violin Family Consort, she experimented with the viola, finding geometries which would even it's tone and 'conquer' it's reinforced tonals around Bb, only to find that the resulting instrument sounded very poorly when playing the solo works of composers like Mozart, who tended to chose the keys for solo works based on the strengths of the instrument. None the less, the Consort is worth looking at if you want to see the history of the viola to its potential end!

Answer 2

Viola, is an alto member of the violin family, having four strings. About 2 to 7 cm (1 to 3.5 in) longer than the violin, and tuned a fifth lower, the viola varies more in size than do the violin and cello. Most violas are resonant and mellow in the lower range and have rich, full sounds in the middle and upper ranges. The earliest surviving examples are two fairly large violas by the Italian builder Gasparo da Salò (1540-1609). Used prominently in such early works as the Opera Orfeo (1607) by the Italian composer Claudio Monteverdi, the viola in the late 17th and 18th centuries took a secondary role, and smaller models prevailed. With the viola's resurgence in compositions such as the symphonic poem Harold in Italy (1834) by the French composer Hector Berlioz, and works by the German composers Johannes Brahms and Robert Schumann, large violas again predominated. Among 20th-century viola virtuosos were the Scottish player William Primrose and the German composer Paul Hindemith, who wrote many works for the viola. Other composers include the Hungarian Béla Bartók, the English Sir William Walton, and the Swiss-American Ernest Bloch.

Answer 3

1) Viola players read the alto clef

2) It is bigger and one string lower than the violin

3) It has a richer tone than the violin

4) Unlike the violin it does not have a set size

5) It's strings are (from high to low) ADGC

and bonus fact... It is the most amazing instrument in the world. YouTube some performances and you'll see why

Answer 4

The viola is an instrument in an orchestra. It's sound is deeper than a violin's but higher than a cello's. It is bigger than a vioin also. Like a violin it has the strings G, D, and A, but it does not have the E string. It is replaced by a C string on the left side, giving it the notes C, D, E, and F.

Answer 5

1) The viola has four strings

2) The viola primarily uses the alto clef

3) A viola is usually tuned in fifths starting on C3 (octave below middle C)

4) Viola is now commonly being used in contemporary pop songs.

i hope that this is good enough for you. 8^)

Answer 6

The Viola can also be called the third violin and it is the biggest violin of all.

• It has the C string, G string, D string and A string.
• This is an instrument that is played in the orchestra not band or jazz.
• 11-17 inches is just about the length of viola.
• Any instrument like the base, cello, or any violins the viola can be plucked not just played with the bow.

Hopefully I helped you! :)

Answer 7

It requires three different kinds of wood to build a violin: Spruce, maple and ebony.

The violin evolved about the same time as another string instrument, the gamba. The gamba was considered the "aristocratic" instrument, the violin a "peasant" instrument. The gamba has disappeared from history, while the violin sings merrily on.

The violin's strings are tuned (from highest to lowest) E, A, D, G.

Answer 8

It has its own clef for writing music down.