Viola da gamba
A bowed string instrument with frets.
What it means
The viola da gamba is a bowed string instrument held between or on the knees — hence the name (gamba, leg). It has, as a rule, six or seven strings, predominantly tuned in fourths with a major third in the middle, as well as frets of tied-on gut on the fingerboard. The body has sloping shoulders and a flat back. It is built in a family from treble to bass. The bow is held underhand, with the palm facing upward.
Musical use
From the sixteenth to the eighteenth century, the viol family was used on equal terms alongside the violin family, with its own repertoire and its own sound ideal: quieter, richer in overtones, more transparent, especially suited to polyphonic music in consort, that is, in the ensemble of several sizes. The bass viol has, as a solo and continuo instrument, an extensive repertoire. In the eighteenth century it was displaced by the cello and the violin family; the transition proceeded over decades. Compared with the cello, it differs fundamentally in string number, tuning, frets, bow hold, and sound character, even though the posture looks similar.
Performance practice
The bow is held underhand; loudness arises less from pressure than from the weight of the forearm and from the rotation of the wrist. The frets determine the intonation but occasionally need readjusting, because gut stretches and shifts. Expect frequent tuning, since many gut strings react sensitively to temperature. In consort, the pitch standard is to be clarified beforehand. Work with sparing vibrato and shape instead with articulation and bow management, as befits the music of this period.
Bear in mind that chord playing belongs to the basic technique: because of the flatter bridge and the fourth-third tuning, three- and four-note chords lie more comfortably than on instruments of the violin family. Use this, rather than breaking chords where it is not necessary. In consort, evenness of articulation decides the sound; agree on bowings and breathing points. Watch the pitch standard and matching string types within the group. Check the frets before every rehearsal, since gut changes with humidity.