Compare Anything ›› Clarinet vs.

Oboe GO

Viola vs. Violin

Diffen › Entertainment › Music › Musical Instruments

Violas are larger than violins and have a deeper, mellower sound. They are
both orchestral string instruments that originated in Italy and are played with a
bow. The violin is also called a fiddle when used to play folk music.

Comparison chart

Viola Violin
Size Bigger than a violin; greater width A bit smaller than the viola in
and length compared with a violin width and length.

Sound Deeper and mellower than violin Higher pitched compared with a
viola.

Clef Alto clef; Treble clef used for Treble clef

higher notes in order to avoid
excessive ledger lines

Range C3 - E6 G3 - A7

Strings A D G C. Thicker strings. E A D G. Synthetic preferred over

steel core.

Playing style With the bow (can also be used Folk, classical, jazz, country
to play folk, classical, etc)

What is it? Stringed Intrument 4 (or 5) Stringed bowed

instrument

Other names French: alto; German: Bratsche French: violon; German: Geige;
Turkish: keman

Bridge Arched More arched for cleaner single

noting.

About 4 stringed bowed instrument 4 (or 5) stringed bowed

instrument

Contents: Viola vs Violin

1 Size
 2 Sound 7 Compositions
3 Tuning and Strings 8 Famous Musicians
4 Clef 9 Origins
5 Technique 10 References
6 Use in music

Size
There is no standard size for a viola. The body of a
viola is typically between 38cm and 43cm long.

A standard violin has a body that is 35.5cm long.

However, violin bows are around 1 cm longer than
viola bows.

Sound
Violas are the second highest pitched instruments
in the string family. A viola’s typical sound is
described as deep and mellow, and it generally has a slower sound than the violin due
to its thicker strings.

Violins are the highest pitched instruments in the string family. Their sound carries
above other instruments, making them popular for melody parts.

6.5.08. violin vs. viola: the basics

Tuning and Strings

Viola strings are normally tuned to C3, G3, D4 and A4. A viola is tuned exactly one fifth
below the violin. The viola has a range of over 3 and a half octaves, depending on the
talent of the player.

Violin strings are turned to G3, D4, A4 and E5. Its pitch ranges from G3 to C8, the
highest note on a modern piano. However, the top notes are often produced by
harmonics, and so the E two octaves above the open E-string (E7) can be considered
the practical highest note for orchestral parts.

Clef
Music for the viola is written in alto clef, which uses the C clef. The alto clef is rarely
used by other instruments.

Music for the violin is written in treble clef.

Technique
As violas are larger than violins, they require a slightly different technique, including
different fingering. The viola has heavier strings and a heavier bow, and so the player
must lean more intensely on the strings.
Violins are plays with the left side of the jaw resting on the chinrest, with the violin
supported by the left shoulder. The left hand presses the strings to produce pitch and
the right hand either bows or plucks the strings to create the sound.

Viola player Clare Finnimore has this to say about the difference in technique (watch
the video):

I think that the good thing about the viola for me is that you have got both. You
have got the high registers which are equally sweet, it doesn’t go as high as a
violin but it is equally as sweet, and the lower registers which are really
sonorous and rich, like the cello. Obviously not with the same quality of the
cello, but it has a quality of its own, definitely.

It is difficult to explain how the technique changes when you go from a violin to
a viola but I think that when lots of violinists first pick up the viola, (plays) The
bow stroke is much lighter on the violin. With the viola you need … (plays) it’s
a firmer sort of bow hold, obviously the space between the notes is bigger, the
neck is thicker, so all those things, you just have to sort of enlarge everything
a little bit.

The bow is longer, it is heavier. Maybe you have to space your fingers out a
little bit more on the bow in order to produce a sound. This is all very general, I
think the most difficult thing is going back the other way if you play the viola
and then you go back to playing the violin it can sound terribly sort of scratchy
and shaky because your movements are too heavy and not delicate enough.

Use in music
In early orchestral music, the viola filled in harmonies. However, some Baroque and
Classical pieces were written for solo viola, and it plays an important role in chamber
music, such as string quintets. Many composers now write for viola, and it is also used
in contemporary pop groups such as The Velvet Underground and 10,000 Maniacs,
and by folk musicians.

Violins have been popular instruments since the Baroque period. They are often used
to play the melody line, as well as to harmonize. They are also used in jazz music and
by many modern pop and indie groups, including The Corrs, Blue October, Yellowcard
and Arcade Fire.

Compositions
Compositions for the viola include Mozart’s Sinfonia Concertante and Kegelstatt Trio,
Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto No 6, and Beethoven’s Serenade in D major.

Almost all orchestral or chamber music includes prominent parts for a violin.

Andre Rieu - You raise me up 2010

Famous Musicians
Examples of violists include Lionel Tertis, William Primrose, Vadim Borisovksy, Lillian
Fuchs, Walter Trampler and Emanuel Vardi.

There are countless significant modern-day violinists in both classical and popular
music.

Origins
From Viola: A brief history - SoundJunction:

The viola dates from the same time as the violin, coming into existence in the
early to middle 16th century. At first the viola was called the 'alto-tenor' violin,
as the term 'viola' was used to refer to any Western classical stringed
instrument that was bowed. But eventually the word 'viola' came to refer
specifically to the viola da braccia (meaning the viola played in the arms),
hence the German word bratsche that is still used for the viola today. Around
about the 17th century some ‘tenor-violas’ were made which were very long,
but this type of viola was rarely played, although some examples survive. In
the late 18th century the viola emerged from being the instrument which just
'filled in' in the middle of an ensemble. Some composers even began to write
concertos for it. This increasing prominence led to experiments to try and
improve the viola, but it wasn't really until the 20th century that the most
successful steps forward were made. The main mover in the viola's
development was the viola-player Lionel Tertis who collaborated with the
instrument-maker Arthur Richardson from about 1937 to try to create the ideal
viola.

Other instruments in the violin family derived from

viola are:

viol+ino - the soprano viola (diminutive or

small viola)
viol+one - the bass viola (augmentative or big
viola)
viol+on +cello - the smaller bass viola
(smaller than violin) Stradivarius instruments on display at
Smithsonian Museum of American
Based on the origin of instruments names, one of History. L->R: Greffuhle Violin, Axelrod
Viola, Ole Bull Violin and Marylebone
the theories states that violas came before the
Cello
other string instruments. The modern viola was
probably developed in Italy in the 16th century.

The modern violin was developed in the early 16th century Italy by Andrea Amati and
Gasparo da Salò. It was modified again in the 18th and 19th centuries.

References
Differences between violin viola - SoundJunction.org
The History of the Viola
wikipedia:Viola
wikipedia:Violin

Related Comparisons
 Clarinet vs Oboe Fiddle vs Violin Mandolin vs Ukulele

Amazon MP3 vs iTunes Last.fm vs Pandora Bach vs Beethoven

Music Store

Comments: Viola vs Violin

0 Comments Sort by Newest

Add a comment...

Facebook Comments Plugin

Anonymous comments (1)

May 11, 2014, 2:36pm

Something sounds wrong to me :

''viol+on +cello - the smaller bass viola (smaller than violin)'' ??

— 187.✗.✗.195

About Diffen
© All rights reserved.
How to Cite
Log in / Register Terms of use | Privacy policy
Request a Comparison
Submit Feedback

Stay connected