Books › A descriptive catalogue of the musical instruments in the South Kensington museum, preceded by an essay on the history of musical instruments, 1874 › scan 364
Scan 364
A descriptive catalogue of the musical instruments in the South Kensington museum, preceded by an essay on the history of musical instruments, 1874
22 lines. Read by computer on 14 September 2026. Printed page 338. See the scan on archive.org.
1open. Then stop your fifth in F, and make it agree with your fourth open. And lastly, stop your sixth in F, and make it agree with your fifth open. This being exactly done, you will find your viol in tune according to the rule of the Gam-ut."
3(46.)
5SEVEN-STRINGED Viola da Gamba. Italian. Second half of the 17th century.
7The oldest viola da gambas had generally six strings, and were provided with frets.
9The innovation of using seven strings came into vogue through the French musician Marais. When the violoncello began to supplant the viola da gamba, in the eighteenth century, many a fine-toned gamba was transformed into a violoncello by an alteration of the finger-board and the adoption of four strings.
11(148.)
13TENOR-VIOL. English. 17th century.
15The tenor-viol, a small viola da gamba, has six strings, which are tuned a fourth higher than those of the bass-viol, or the larger kind of viola da gamba. John Playford, in 'A Brief Introduction to the Art of Descant,' London, 1683, remarks, "The tenor-viol is an excellent inward part, and much used in consort, especially in Fantasies and Ayres of 3, 4, 5, and 6 parts."
17(140.)
19COUNTER-TENOR-VIOL. English. 17th century.
21Inside is the inscription, Henry Jay, in Southwarke, 1667. Finely carved scroll. The belly has, besides the usual two sound-holes, an oval hole in the middle, with an ornamental rose. Six-stringed. Catgut frets. It was probably tuned a
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