![]() I wouldn’t exactly recommend bringing a five-stringed viola to your next orchestral concert, but feel free to bring it to just about anything else – who knows what musical boundaries you could expand! Main Qualities To Search For In a 5-String Viola The whole reason people use five-stringed instruments in the first place is that someone dared to bring one for the first time. So, does all this mean that being in a folk band is the only reason to purchase a 5-string viola? Absolutely not – whilst it’s undeniable that folk music has always shown a particular passion for the instrument, you shouldn’t limit yourself to these creative boundaries. Stringed instruments almost always have additional strings in folk music circles as the music is a lot more freeform and based around solos, and that is exactly what the five-string viola excels at. I was aware that people used the names violin and fiddle interchangeably depending on genre, so I simply brought my four-string violin, much to the rest of the band’s dismay. However, I was just told to bring a fiddle.īack when this happened, I hadn’t started learning the viola yet – only the violin. I was thrilled about this opportunity but didn’t think I owned an appropriate instrument to contribute. I have a cousin who lives in Ireland who is also a musician, and he one day invited me to come and jam with his band. However, everything made a lot more sense when I started listening to folk music. I had never seen any western notation that provided this five-string approach and I didn’t see any need for the instrument to have an extended range. I was completely baffled when I first started playing the viola and would occasionally see instruments with five strings. ![]() If you’re reading this as a fan of classical music, I don’t blame you for the confusion. After all, violas are only supposed to have four strings, right? What’s with the extra string? Ultimately, this allows musicians to find a balance between the higher timbres of a violin and the lower tones of a viola, it’s a fantastic hybrid option! Why Purchase a 5-String Viola?īefore we start talking about the qualities that you should be searching for in any 5-string viola that you consider, let’s take a moment to consider why anyone would want a 5-string viola in the first place. However, by adding an E string, the instrument can access higher (or lower) frequencies) too. You might have noticed a slightly unusual contradiction here – violas are larger than violins and therefore produce louder, bolder, and lower frequencies. However, whilst this is partly true, folk bands will still generally expect your tuning to be compatible with their instruments, and CGDAE will help make that happen. A five-string viola is somewhat unconventional and therefore the tuning does not strictly have to remain the same – there’s plenty of room for experimentation. Generally, a five-string viola will be 14″ in size, and as opposed to having the traditional string setup of CGDA, it will have an additional high E to result in the tuning of CGDAE. ![]() This larger body helps make the instrument bolder and bassier in tone, being able to access lower notes than the violin. Firstly, let’s forget the strings for a moment – violas are essentially larger violins, contrary to the common misconception that they are smaller. So, what exactly is a five-stringed viola? It’s a good question – unless you’re a seasoned violist, I wouldn’t blame you for not knowing the answer, as it’s a pretty rare instrument. However, more experienced violists looking to spend extra cash for higher quality products may be tempted by bespoke crafted options by independent luthiers, although the price and waiting list will reflect the quality! What Exactly Is a 5-String Viola? I’ve compiled everything I know about the subject into the following guide – read on to find out more!īottom Line Up Front: Musicians looking for a 5-string viola can find excellent quality options such as Violarama’s ‘Miranda’ pre-built viola, sporting stunning tonewoods, ebony fittings, and a great reputation. 5 string violas are not easy to come by, and this is made significantly more difficult by the variety of options out there.ĭon’t worry though – if you are too in the niche collection of people who are searching how to find the best 5 string violas, you’re in luck. One thing that makes matters even more confusing is when you are dealing with purchasing instruments that have more strings than they traditionally do, such as finding the best 5-string violas.īack when I first discovered folk music and learned about the prevalence of five-stringed instruments, I went through this journey, and I learned a lot throughout the process. Purchasing a new stringed instrument can be a confusing process – there are so many variables to consider such as what brand to purchase, what size will fit, whether it should be left or right-handed, and what color to get it in. ![]()
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