Books › Chats on Violins, 1905 › scan 65
Scan 65
Chats on Violins, 1905
10 lines. Read by computer on 3 September 2026. Printed page 47. See the scan on archive.org.
1treble, tenor, and alto; these, with the Viola da Gamba, corresponded to our modern quartette of instruments, with the exception of the tenor Viol, which is now superseded by the second Violin. Besides the above-mentioned quartette, there was the Violone, the largest of all the Viols. This has retained its original form, and is now our familiar double bass of present day orchestras.
3Viols were strung with four, five and six strings. Those with four were tuned in fourths; and those with five and six also in fourths, but with a major third intervening. The six-stringed Viol survived the longest, lasting about one hundred and fifty years.
5Beside the above-mentioned fundamental instruments, there were others which were derived from them:
7Viola Bastarda: a development of the Viola da Gamba. This was slightly longer, had six or seven strings, and was much in favour for accompanying the voice.
9At one time sympathetic wire strings were added to it; these passed through holes in the bridge and under the fingerboard to the peg-box; they were tuned chromatically and diatonically.
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