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About the Viol
 The viola da gamba is a six-stringed, fretted, bowed instrument which evolved from the vihuela in Spain during the late 15th century. The vihuela is an instrument of the guitar family, and the downwards playing position of the viol family is thought to have been influenced by the moorish rebec or rebab, which was held with the legs.Originally, the word "viola" simply mean any bowed stringed instrument, and did not specify a particular instrument. The word "gamba" translates literally as "leg". The name "viola da gamba" or "viol of the leg" was to differentiate this family from the "viola da braccio" or "viols of the arm". It is important to note that the viol family was not the forerunner of the violin family, but of separate origins and concurrent development. The whole family of viols - treble, tenor and bass - are held with the legs. The bow is held underhand, and unlike the violin family, the upbow is the strong bow. The pardessus de viole was popular in France in the 18th century (it was smaller than the treble viol). The double bass counterpart was the violone, which had a number of tunings. From the early 1500s, the viol spread throughout Europe, firstly to Italy, and then north. In its early years, it was also referred to as the "vihuela d'arco" or "bowed vihuela", for example in the Trattado de Glosas by Diego Ortiz. The viol was incredibly popular in England in the early 17th century, and later in France in the 18th century.  The viols are all tuned in the same pattern: fourths with a third in the middle. The treble and bass are tuned alike, one octave apart, and the tenor viol (the original size) equates to a lute tuning in G. The tunings are:Treble: d", a', e', c, g, d Tenor: g', d' a, f, C, G Bass: d', a, e, C, G, D (A') The bass viol acquired a 7th string in the late 17th century. This is said to have been added by M. de Sainte Colombe, the teacher of Marais, who developed the viol technique as well. There are both six and seven string bass viols today, but the seventh string is needed particularly for 18th century French music. The viols are strung with gut strings (sheep gut, not cat!). It is possible to use gut for all of the strings, but more common to use gut overwound with metal for the lowest strings, as that reduces the diameter of the strings. There is a huge repertoire for the viol family. Solo (with and without accompaniment), duo, trio - up to 8 viols in consort. Then there is chamber repertoire for viol with other instruments, such as violins, flute, harpsichord etc. Obbligato parts for large works (Bach's Passions, Brandenburg Concerto no. 6, Actus Tragicus etc.) and small cantatas (Buxtehude's Jubilate Domino, Telemann's Du aber Daniel). The viol can be used as a continuo instrument instead of cello or bassoon. And it has its own huge tablature repertoire: music for lyra viol. Patrice Connelly We will gradually build up a collection of pages on this site of information about the viol. |