For someone who is no expert about string
instruments, it is easy to conclude that primarily, all of them are the same in
a lot of ways and telling them apart is pointless. Best example for this is the
viola and violin because both are originally made in Italy and they make use of bows,
which is the main and most basic tool in producing music. In comparison, viola
and violin have more differences that are easily overlooked by a lot of people.
As one listens, it is easy to tell the
difference because violas produce a deeper and mellower sound because of its
thick strings while the violin has a higher pitch. Violin is a perfect accompaniment for melody in a repertoire composed in Treble Clef while viola’s
music is more in Alto or in C clef. But the major difference of the two is
their size where the viola follows a standard size and it is much bigger than
the violin. In terms of their bows, a violins bow is longer.
It is interesting to know that the sound from a viola
should not come close to any sounds in the orchestra. Thus, viola has a
different process in tuning than that of the violin because the sound it
produced must be one-fifth lower than the violin or it can depend on the
musician’s sound preference. Viola’s sound goes about to three and a half
octaves which is the same sound produced by the highest notes in piano and
harmonics.
Viola and violin may be different in a lot of cases, but the
beautiful music they produce is both made by their bows and by nimble fingers
plucking the strings. Although, in handling both instruments, one needs to be
capable as both require learning the proper techniques to create music. Viola,
with its big size, should be handled with ease and comfort while for the one
playing the violin should master positioning it on the left side of the face.
Violins exhibited its prowess during the Baroque period and slowly
paved its way as a favorite instrument among modern artists nowadays,
especially those in the genre of indie, pop and jazz. But, the viola was the ideal instrument for orchestral music to create harmony. Viola also served as
an instrument for chamber music which has string quintets to play Baroque and
classical music pieces
Long gone were the days of debate on music history as it has been
established that it was the viola which came first prior to the violin in the 16th
century. Viola was the popular accompaniment among famous composers such as
Bach and Beethoven in their Brandenburg Concerto No. 6 and Serenade in D major,
respectively.
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