Viola Facts
The viola is a bowed string instrument, slightly larger than a violin. For more than two centuries it has been the middle voice of the violin family, tuned a perfect fifth above the violin and an octave below the cello. A viola is held in the same manner as a violin, with just a few adjustments necessary to accommodate its larger size.
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Fun Fact
A person who performs on this string instrument is called a violist.
Notable violists include Yuri Bashmet, Luigi Alberto Bianchi, Gérard Caussé, Bruno Giuranna, Rivka Golani, Kim Kashkashian, Nobuko Imai, Michael Kugel, and Tabea Zimmermann.
Classical composers who were also violists include Johann Sebastian Bach, Ludwig van Beethoven, Antonín Dvořák, and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.
During the 20th century, virtuosos Lionel Tertis and William Primrose broke tradition and focused their careers on solo viola playing. The accomplished musicians introduced the viola to a broader audience, discovered ancient works, and even created a school. Source: Viola in Music – Famous Viola Players
Viola Fingering Chart
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Listen to the Viola
Performed by String Planet with Violist Novi Novog
Enjoy the super-talented duo of Novi Novog and Larry Tuttle as they perform a String Planet montage, on which Larry is playing Chapman Stick. Novi began playing piano at age four, then moved on to the violin and viola. She has appeared on countless recordings, films, television shows, and concert stages all over the world. String Planet’s compositions have been used in hundreds of television shows, as well as in many films and commercials.
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Mendini Natural Varnish Solid Wood Viola
Product details:
- 16-inch natural varnish viola
- Hand-carved solid spruce top with maple back and sides
- Maple fingerboard, pegs, chin rest
- Alloy tailpiece with four integrated fine tuners
- Strung with Cecilio strings
- Includes lightweight hard case, Brazilwood bow with unbleached genuine Mongolian horsehair, rosin, bridge
- 1 Year Warranty Against Manufacturer’s Defects
- Remarkably affordable option for first-time students
Mendini 16-Inch MA250 Natural Varnish Solid Wood Viola Designed for BeginnersIncludes Lightweight Hard Case, Brazilwood Bow with Mongolian Horsehair, Rosin, Bridge
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