"Viola profonda The viola profonda is a bowed string instrument in tenor-range, with four strings, which is bigger than a viola and its standard way of playing is resting on the shoulder (as a violin and viola). By having its own sound colour and by filling the entire tenor-range, it reforms the usual classical string quartet and completes the idea of classical music theory of having four separate voices with their own timbre each (soprano, alto, tenor, bass) in every instrument-category; as known in the choir, the woodwinds and the brass family, whereas in the usual string quartet the tenor"
"also apply sonic effects. Electric violins may have four strings, or as many as seven strings. Since the strength of materials imposes limits on the upper string, it is usually tuned to E5, with additional strings tuned in fifths below the usual G3 of a typical four-string violin. The five-string electric violin shown in the gallery below was built by John Jordan in the early 21st century, and is tuned C G D A E. Boyden, David The History of Violin Playing from its origins to 1761. Oxford University Press, Oxford, 1965. . History of the violin The violin, viola,"
"the chin. It is about the same size as the modern viola. The viola d'amore usually has six or seven playing strings, which are sounded by drawing a bow across them, just as with a violin. In addition, it has an equal number of sympathetic strings located below the main strings and the fingerboard which are not played directly but vibrate in sympathy with the notes played. A common variation is six playing strings, and instruments exist with as many as fourteen sympathetic strings alone. Despite the fact that the sympathetic strings are now thought of as the most characteristic"
"D4 D3•G3 G3•B3 B3•D4 D4. With 15 strings and five courses, each course is triple strung, and the tunings is A3 A3 A2•D4 D4 D3•G3 G3 G3•B3 B3 B3•D4 D4 D4; with 15 strings and six courses, the lower three courses are triple strung and the upper three courses are double strung: E3 E3 E2•A3 A3 A2•D4 D4 D3•G3 G3•B3 B3•D4 D4 -- similar to the Viola terceira. Viola da terra The Viola da terra is a stringed musical instrument from the Portuguese islands of the Azores. It may have either 12 strings arranged in 5 courses, or 15 strings,"
"partly because of its larger size: the notes are spread out farther along the fingerboard and often require different fingerings. The viola's less responsive strings and the heavier bow warrant a somewhat different bowing technique, and a violist has to lean more intensely on the strings. The viola's four strings are normally tuned in fifths: the lowest string is C (an octave below middle C), with G, D and A above it. This tuning is exactly one fifth below the violin, so that they have three strings in common—G, D, and A—and is one octave above the cello. Each string"
"classical music, the A and E strings are lowered by a whole step i.e. G–D–G–D. This is to ease playing Arabic maqams, especially those containing quarter tones. While most violins have four strings, there are violins with additional strings. Some have as many as seven strings. Seven strings is generally thought to be the maximum number of strings that can be put on a bowed string instrument, because with more than seven strings, it would be impossible to play a particular inner string individually with the bow. Instruments with seven strings are very rare. The extra strings on such violins"
"String orchestra A string orchestra is an orchestra consisting solely of a string section made up of the bowed strings used in Western Classical music. The instruments of such an orchestra are most often the following: the violin, which is divided into first and second violin players (each usually playing different parts), the viola, the cello, and usually, but not always, the double bass. String orchestras can be of chamber orchestra size ranging from between 12 (4 first violins, 3 second violins, 2 violas, 2 cellos and 1 bass = 12) and 21 musicians (6 first violins, 5 second violins,"
"pear-shaped body, a flat base, and a short neck. Its distinguishing feature is that it has ten strings in six courses, of which the highest eight are paired in four courses (duplicated strings) with the two lowest strings in two separate courses. This is the same stringing as was later used for the B.C. Rich Bich 10 Guitar, although the traditional tuning for the English guitar is a repetitive open C tuning (C E GG cc ee gg). The viola guitar is a guitar with ten light steel strings in five courses, played with the fingers rather than with a"
"Viola The viola (; ) is a string instrument that is bowed or played with varying techniques. It is slightly larger than a violin and has a lower and deeper sound. Since the 18th century, it has been the middle or alto voice of the violin family, between the violin (which is tuned a perfect fifth above) and the cello (which is tuned an octave below). The strings from low to high are typically tuned to C, G, D, and A. In the past, the viola varied in size and style as did its names. The word viola originates from"
"typically are lower in pitch than the G-string; these strings are usually tuned to C, F, and B. If the instrument's playing length, or string length from nut to bridge, is equal to that of an ordinary full-scale violin; i.e., a bit less than , then it may be properly termed a violin. Some such instruments are somewhat longer and should be regarded as violas. Violins with five strings or more are typically used in jazz or folk music. Some custom-made instruments have extra strings which are not bowed, but which sound sympathetically, due to the vibrations of the bowed"
"in 17th century Italy and can be seen as early as 1607 in Claudio Monteverdi's opera, ""L'Orfeo"". It can also be applied to the standard five-part orchestral string section: first violins, second violins, violas, cellos, and double basses. String quintet A string quintet is a musical composition for five string players. As an extension to the string quartet (two violins, a viola, and a cello), a string quintet includes a fifth string instrument, usually a second viola (a so-called ""viola quintet"") or a second cello (a ""cello quintet""), or occasionally a double bass. Notable examples of classic ""viola quintets"", in"
"Viola d'amore The viola d'amore (; Italian for ""love viol"") is a 7- or 6-stringed musical instrument with sympathetic strings used chiefly in the baroque period. It is played under the chin in the same manner as the violin. The viola d'amore shares many features of the viol family. It looks like a thinner treble viol without frets and sometimes with sympathetic strings added. The six-string viola d'amore and the treble viol also have approximately the same ambitus or range of playable notes. Like all viols, it has a flat back. An intricately carved head at the top of the"
"have four strings each, are tuned in fifths (except the double bass, which is tuned in fourths), are not fretted and have four rounded bouts while always having a sound post and bass bar inside. In contrast, the viol family instruments usually have five to six strings with a fretted fingerboard, are tuned in fourths and thirds, often have sloping shoulders, and do not necessarily have a sound post or bass bar. The instruments of the violin family are the most used bowed string instruments in the world today. Although all share a place in classical music, they are also"
"one of the most widely known living cellists, Yo-Yo Ma, is actually owned by the Vuitton Foundation.) Some notable cellos: Cello The cello ( ; plural cellos or celli) or violoncello ( ; ) is a string instrument. It is played by bowing or plucking its four strings, which are usually tuned in perfect fifths an octave lower than the viola: from low to high, C, G, D and A. It is the bass member of the violin family, which also includes the violin, viola and the double bass, which doubles the bass line an octave lower than the cello"
"for the lowest-pitched bass strings on viols, and on many other string instruments as well. Viols are fretted in a manner similar to early guitars or lutes, by means of movable wrapped-around and tied-on gut frets. A low seventh string was supposedly added in France to the bass viol by Monsieur de Sainte-Colombe (c. 1640–1690), whose students included the French gamba virtuoso and composer Marin Marais. Also, the painting (1618) by Domenichino (1581–1641) shows what may be a seven-string viol. Unlike members of the violin family, which are tuned in fifths, viols are usually tuned in fourths with a major"
"Violone The term violone (; literally ""large viol"" in Italian, ""-one"" being the augmentative suffix) can refer to several distinct large, bowed musical instruments which belong to either the viol or violin family. The violone is sometimes a fretted instrument, and may have six, five, four, or even only three strings. The violone is also not always a contrabass instrument. In modern parlance, one usually tries to clarify the 'type' of violone by adding a qualifier based on the tuning (such as ""G violone"" or ""D violone"") or on geography (such as ""Viennese violone""), or by using other terms that"
"to a standard four-string violin or viola tuned as a viola (CGDA). Fidola The fidola, folk viola or fideola is the size of a viola but shaped like a guitar. It has five strings strung like a standard violin and viola (CGDAE). It was invented in the 1980s by Luthier Alan Carruth of Newport, New Hampshire. It is played with a standard viola bow, often strung with black and white hair for a courser, less classical sound. The fidola was the culmination of a research effort aimed at producing an instrument that is equally resonant over all five strings, in"
"different strings. On bowed instruments, the need to play strings individually with the bow also limits the number of strings to about six or seven strings; with more strings, it would be impossible to select individual strings to bow. (Note: bowed strings can also play two bowed notes on two different strings at the same time, a technique called a double stop.) Indeed, on the orchestral string section instruments, four strings are the norm, with the exception of five strings used on some double basses. In contrast, with stringed keyboard instruments, 88 courses are used on a piano, and even"
"being fed to the sound system. In rock and other loud styles, the electric viola player may use effects units such as reverb or overdrive. Viola The viola (; ) is a string instrument that is bowed or played with varying techniques. It is slightly larger than a violin and has a lower and deeper sound. Since the 18th century, it has been the middle or alto voice of the violin family, between the violin (which is tuned a perfect fifth above) and the cello (which is tuned an octave below). The strings from low to high are typically tuned"
"Violin The violin, also known informally as a fiddle, is a wooden string instrument in the violin family. Most violins have a hollow wooden body. It is the smallest and highest-pitched instrument in the family in regular use. Smaller violin-type instruments are known, including the violino piccolo and the kit violin, but these are virtually unused. The violin typically has four strings tuned in perfect fifths, and is most commonly played by drawing a bow across its strings, though it can also be played by plucking the strings with the fingers (pizzicato) and by striking the strings with the wooden"
"be humorously referred to as ""chin cellos."" Occasionally, a violin may be strung with viola strings in order to serve as a 35 cm viola. Violin construction and mechanics A violin consists of a body or corpus, a neck, a finger board, a bridge, a soundpost, four strings, and various fittings. The fittings are the tuning pegs, tailpiece and tailgut, endpin, possibly one or more fine tuners on the tailpiece, and usually a chinrest, either attached directly over the tailpiece or to the left of it. The body of the violin is made of two arched plates fastened to a"
"String quintet A string quintet is a musical composition for five string players. As an extension to the string quartet (two violins, a viola, and a cello), a string quintet includes a fifth string instrument, usually a second viola (a so-called ""viola quintet"") or a second cello (a ""cello quintet""), or occasionally a double bass. Notable examples of classic ""viola quintets"", in four movement form include those of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Other examples were written by composers including Johannes Brahms and Felix Mendelssohn. A famous ""cello quintet"" is Franz Schubert's Quintet in C major. Antonín Dvořák's Quintet Op. 77 uses"
"similar to the baroque guitar. Like most Portuguese violas, it has a typical bridge design in which the bridge and saddle are separate. The strings are first tied round a piece of wood that is glued to the soundboard, and then run over a separate floating bridge that is left unglued. Viola Toeira The Viola Toeira is a stringed musical instrument from Portugal. It has 12 strings in 5 courses. The strings are made of steel. It is tuned A3 A3 A2, D3 D3 D2, G3 G2, B3 B3, E3 E3. The name of the instrument comes from the strings"
"key and style. For the purpose of analysis the music scholar Jane Glover has divided Monteverdi's list of instruments into three main groups: strings, brass and continuo, with a few further items not easily classifiable. The strings grouping is formed from ten members of the violin family (""viole da brazzo""), two double basses (""contrabassi de viola""), and two kit violins (""violini piccoli alla francese""). The ""viole da brazzo"" are in two five-part ensembles, each comprising two violins, two violas and a cello. The brass group contains four or five trombones (sackbuts), three trumpets and two cornetts. The continuo forces include"
"resonances. Acoustic 5-string violins are becoming more common, and it is not unusual for an electric violin to have 5, 6, 7 or more strings. The typical solid body also accommodates the extra tension caused by more strings without stressing the instrument too much. The extra strings are usually a low C string for 5-strings, a low C and low F for 6, and a low C, F and B for 7. Electric violin signals usually pass through electronic processing, in the same way as an electric guitar, to achieve a desired sound. This could include delay, reverb, chorus, distortion,"
"up to eight strings per course (i.e. 8 strings tuned to the same note and played all together, like a 12-string guitar or the middle and upper notes of a piano), made in places like Venice, Florence, Brescia, Milan, and Triente, and signed by ten different makers. Instruments and tuning diagrams show up to five bridges and fully chromatic tuning. They were used in upper-class circles for composed music like ""sinfonia"" and ""sonata"". A ""salterio"" was bought for the Ospedale della Pietà when Antonio Vivaldi was working there; it cost more than a cheap violin, less than an expensive one."
"Viola Toeira The Viola Toeira is a stringed musical instrument from Portugal. It has 12 strings in 5 courses. The strings are made of steel. It is tuned A3 A3 A2, D3 D3 D2, G3 G2, B3 B3, E3 E3. The name of the instrument comes from the strings used on the third course – ""toeiras"". It is characterized by having a standard or small neck-to string-length ration, high bridge position, oval soundhole and headstock with an open design. The viola toeira is a larger version of the viola braguesa. The body of the Viola Toeira is slender in shape,"
"Cello The cello ( ; plural cellos or celli) or violoncello ( ; ) is a string instrument. It is played by bowing or plucking its four strings, which are usually tuned in perfect fifths an octave lower than the viola: from low to high, C, G, D and A. It is the bass member of the violin family, which also includes the violin, viola and the double bass, which doubles the bass line an octave lower than the cello in much of the orchestral repertoire. After the double bass, it is the second-largest and second lowest (in pitch) bowed"
"and debuted at the NAMM Show that year, in Anaheim, California. The musician Björk uses this instrument on the acoustic version of her album ""Vulnicura"" (), in the song ""Black Lake"". Viola organista The viola organista is a musical instrument designed by Leonardo da Vinci. It uses a friction belt to vibrate individual strings (similar to how a violin produces sounds), with the strings selected by pressing keys on a keyboard (similar to an organ). Leonardo's design has intrigued instrument makers for more than 400 years. But though similar instruments have been built, no extant instrument constructed directly from Leonardo's"
"all versions of the instrument has the prefix of octa- which refers to the tuning of each set of double strings. Today it is most commonly found in the local variant of the rondalla, a hispanic string orchestra. The Octavina has a set of 14 strings ( in 6 courses: 6th-single, 5th-double, 4th-double, 3rd-triple, 2nd-triple and 1st-triple.It is numbered starting from the bottom. It is tuned similarly to that of the bandurria, but one octave lower, giving: Formed like a guitar with in most cases, a figure eight-shaped body and a round sound hole, the Octavina has a shorter neck,"
"Viola da terra The Viola da terra is a stringed musical instrument from the Portuguese islands of the Azores. It may have either 12 strings arranged in 5 courses, or 15 strings, arranged in either 5 or 6 courses. The strings are made of metal. The viola da terra is constructed of wood with a traditional guitar ""hourglass"" shape for the body, a fretted neck, and headstock supporting the tuners. Traditionally the viola da terra had wooden friction pegs inserted from behind the headstock (see illustration), rather than the ""watch-key"" mechanism used on Portuguese instruments such as the Guitarra Portuguesa."
"typically reaches an octave below the double bass. Violin family The violin family of musical instruments was developed in Italy in the 16th century. At the time the name of this family of instruments was violas da braccio which was used to distinguish them from the viol family (violas ""da gamba""). The standard modern violin family consists of the violin, viola, cello, and double bass. Instrument names in the violin family are all derived from the root ""viola"", which is a derivative of the Medieval Latin word ""vitula"" (meaning ""stringed instrument""). A ""violin"" is a ""little viola"", a ""violone"" is"
"Viol The viol , viola da gamba , or (informally) gamba, is any one of a family of bowed, fretted and stringed instruments with hollow wooden bodies and pegboxes where the tension on the strings can be increased or decreased to adjust the pitch of each of the strings. Frets on the viol are usually made of gut, tied on the fingerboard around the instrument's neck, to enable the performer to stop the strings more cleanly. Frets improve consistency of intonation and lend the stopped notes a tone that better matches the open strings. Viols first appeared in Spain in"