The viola da gamba is a member of the viol family, which developed separately from but at the same time as the violin family, and is played between the legs–“gamba” means “leg” in Italian. Bowings are also in the opposite direction from instruments in the violin family, with the strong bow being the “push” and the weak bow being the “pull.” It is bowed underhand–literally with the hand holding the bow from underneath instead of from the top. It has more strings than most of the other bowed string instruments on our list–either 6 or 7, versus the 4 strings found on the violin, viola, cello, and bass–and also has frets, or strings tied around the fingerboard which the player uses to change pitch. This is the first instrument on our list that has no modern version: it was invented in the 15th century but went out of style in the 1700s. Check out this video to hear a little bit about the differences between the two:Īnd here’s a video just on the Baroque bass: The Baroque version of the bass was sometimes called a violone, but there was also a separate instrument also called a violone. It has three or four strings, but some of them are tuned in 4ths–the “Hear Comes the Bride” interval–instead of in 5ths–the “Star Wars” interval–as on the violin, viola, and cello. In fact, it is the only member of the viol family that still exists today. The bass is actually a member of the viol family instead of the violin family. Baroque cellos are simply held up by the player’s legs. But, unlike the modern cello, it also has no endpin, which is the thin metal rod sticking out of the bottom of the modern cello that helps hold the instrument up off the floor. The Baroque cello has all the same differences from the modern cello that the violin and viola both do–such as a less steeply-angled neck, a shorter fingerboard, and gut strings. Unlike them, however, it is played between the legs instead of held up by the arms. Like the violin and viola, the cello also has four strings. However, it does have a lower range and its lowest string is tuned the interval of a 5th–or the “Star Wars” interval–lower than the lowest string on a violin. All the same differences between the Baroque and modern violin also apply to the viola. It also has four strings and pretty much just looks like a large violin. The viola is a member of the violin family and is the next largest in size after the violin. The Baroque violin is also played with a bow this is tapered at one end, which allows for naturally strong down bows and weaker up bows, unlike the modern violin bow which has equal-weight down and up bows. The main differences between the Baroque and modern violin are that the fingerboard is at a less steep angle and is shorter on the Baroque violin, and the Baroque instrument has gut strings instead of the metal modern ones. It was invented in the 16th century, during the Renaissance period (roughly 1400–1600), but really came into its own and became a virtuosic solo instrument in the Baroque period. The violin is the smallest member of the violin family (other than the very rarely used violino piccolo). Instruments from the violin family–the violin, viola, and cello–are in this category, as well as instruments from the viol family–a similar yet distinct family of instruments which have frets, more strings, and a different bowing technique (all explained below). Instruments in this category are played with a bow, or a long, thin piece of wood that holds “hair”–either synthetic or from a horse’s tail–under tension. Let’s explore the differences between Baroque and modern instruments! Bowed String Instruments Welcome to the world of Baroque music! While most of the instruments you’ll find here still exist today–with a few exceptions!–each one was a bit different during the Baroque period of classical music (roughly 1600–1750) than it is now. COMMON INSTRUMENTS NOT IN THE BAROQUE PERIOD
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