Pluck my G string! (Violas)

Member Name: kimgraham

Product:	Violas
Date:	22/12/02 (718 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Sounds lovely,

Disadvantages: none

The viola is a much under rated and maligned instrument, the butt of many jokes.

Joke 1: How do you stop your violin from getting stolen?
Put it in a viola case!

Seriously, though, what is a viola?

Firstly it is pronounced Veeola, nothing irritates me more than the incorrect pronunciation " vyola".

It is a relative of the violin, being held on the shoulder in the same way. It is approximately two inches longer and wider, although this can vary a bit. Whereas violins come in fractional sizes, ie 1/4, 1/2, 3/4 and 4/4( and some really tiny ones- my daughter started on a 32nd size!) the viola comes in inch measurements, the smallest is usually about fifteen inches and they go up to about eighteen inches long.

Generally this means that you have to be fairly long in the arm to play it. Years ago people always learned the violin first and then swopped over to the viola. It is also fair to say that the less bright were encouraged to play the viola!

What are the merits of the viola?

It has a lovely, deep and sonorous sound. It is pitched a fifth lower than the violin and this gives it it's own rich tone. It is roughly equivalent to the alto in choir.It is much beefier than the violin and has real guts.


JOKE 2: A violinist noticed at the end of each rehearsal break, one of the violists would look at the inside flap of his jacket before he sat down to resume rehearsal. This continued for several decades, and the violinist became quite curious about it. One day, during hot weather, the violist took off his jacket and went off on break. The violinist waited until everyone was off the platform, looked around, and sneaked over to the jacket. He pulled back the flap and saw a little note pinned on the inside. It read: ``viola left hand, bow right.''

All musicians thoroughly enjoy teasing viola players, it goes with the territory, and violists generally tak
e it in good part.

The viola is used in most string combinations and is an integral part of a string quartet and an orchestra. Many orchestral viola parts are not particularly inspiring to play,which is probably why you get the "thick" viola player jokes, but they are very important texturally. Bach preferred to play the viola as he liked being in the middle of the harmony,according to his son CPE Bach.

It was not always such an insignificant instrument. In the late sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries it was as important in an orchestra as the violins are today, but as time went on the emphasis shifted away from the poor viola.


JOKE 3: How do you get 2 viola players to play in tune?
Shoot one of them!

One drawback to playing the viola is that it doesn't have the breadth of repertoire of the violin and cello. The viola repertoire is undoubtedly rather limited, but during the twentieth century many composers wrote some magnificent pieces especially to exploit the wonderful timbre of the instrument. William Walton wrote a viola concerto which is often performed and really gives the instrument a thorough workout! Another thing to consider is that viola recitals are relatively rare compared to violin concerts so that an audience will often come fresh to the repertoire. As the instrument is more uncommon on the solo concert platform there is easily enough repertoire to last a lifetime!

Violists are often in short supply and we now encourage quite young children to take it up. This might seem impossible because of the size, but it is perfectly possible to string a full sized violin as a viola. In starting youngsters off on the viola as a legitimate instrument in it's own right the stigma will eventually disappear completely!

Technically it is obviously similar to the violin, although the bow is slightly shorter and much heavier which slightly affects the bow techniqu
e. It is customary also to have a slightly wider and slower vibrato to show off the deeper pitch. The strings are also thicker, so it takes more effort to get them resonating. Like the violin the strings may be steel, covered gut or aluminium covered nylon composite.

Violas range in price from about £200 for a beginners instrument up to many thousands of pounds. They rarely reach the giddy prices of a violin, however!


JOKE 4: Why do violists panic when they see the Kama Sutra?
Ooh! All those positions!


The viola has many fans and some surprising players. I bet you didn't know that Jimmy Hendrix was a keen viola player?

I do play the viola, but due to my small stature I find it a big strain on my back, so these days I concentrate on the violin.

I do have three viola playing daughters though!

In the right hands the viola is a wonderful instrument which really doesn't deserve the mean jokes. If you get the chance to hear one played properly, do take it, you will be glad that you did!

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