A Composer's Guide to the Viola da Gamba

By Gordon Sandford

Revised 1999 by:
Judith Davidoff
John Whisler
Brent Wissick

Viola da gamba (also known by the English word "viol") is the generic name for a family of bowed and fretted stringed instruments which played an important part in music making between 1500 and 1800 and which is now undergoing a new burst of popularity as part of the early music movement. The viol is played in a vertical position ("da gamba" or "of the leg", i.e., cello-fashion). It has six strings tuned in fourths, except for the two middle strings which are tuned a third apart. Traditionally, it is bowed palm up, the reverse of the modern violin and cello, but similar to the way the string bass is played when its players use a German bow.

The neck of the viol has seven frets, similar to those on a guitar, which serve to color each tone with an open string quality. The frets do not completely eliminate vibrato, but they do cut down on its use.

There are many variations in the viol in its historical permutations, and one might wish to consult some of the easily available pictures from the Renaissance and Baroque. Most of these variations need not concern the composer. However, it is important to remember that the construction of the viol is much lighter than the violin or cello. The viol normally uses gut rather than metal strings, and its string tension is much less than that of the violin or cello. The viol’s tone is somewhat nasal but very clear and articulate. The viol is not a muscular and aggressive instrument as the violin family can be, and its tone is somewhat softer and more subdued as well.

In the sixteenth century, the viol came to be built in families of small, medium, large, and very large sizes (treble, tenor, bass, and violone). The standard "chest of viols" found in English households included two trebles, two tenors, and two basses. A seven-string viol, slightly larger than the bass, exists chiefly for French Baroque music; its seventh string is tuned to low A, a fourth below the normal bass viol and a third below the cello's C string. The violone was generally reserved for larger orchestras and not used in the domestic chamber ensembles.

In the sixteenth century, the viol doubled voices, in madrigals, for example. Eventually a rich and important repertory of fantasias was written for viols independent of the voices. While fantasias frequently used vocal forms as models, the best composers developed individual and ingenious ways of molding their musical materials. The article on "fantasia" in New Harvard Dictionary describes some of the highlights of this form, using the apt phrase "a product of the imagination" in its definition.

Fantasias can be written for any number of viols, three to six being the most common and practical. The pardessus viol and the alto viol are instruments referred to in writings about viols, but these are special instruments which are not normally a part of consort music. In contrast to the modern string quartet, the instrumentation of the viol consort is not fixed. Composers frequently use many combinations of numbers of treble, tenor, and bass instruments.

Tunings and ranges:

The following are the normal tunings and ranges for treble, tenor, and bass viols. (c' = middle c)

Top pitches shown here represent the pitch of the top fret on the top string. Professional players can negotiate passages above the frets, but most amateurs will find writing in this range to be difficult.

Bowings:

Bowings are indicated as with the violin family, yet, for viols, the strong bow is the up-bow, and the weak bow is the down-bow (following historical traditions, viol players refer to the up-bow as a "push bow" and the down-bow as a "pull bow," abbreviated "p" and "t," for pousser and tirer.

Most viol bowing is one note per bow, yet the viol has the potential for many slurred bowings. Legato and staccato bowings can be very effective.

"Off-the-string" bowings, such as spiccato and sautille bowings are not effective because of the way in which the viol bow is held.

Special effects:

• Tremolo -- can be used easily
• Harmonics -- can be used easily, yet are not familiar to many viol players
• Double stops and chords -- are very good on the viol
• Col legno -- okay
• Pizzicato -- effective
• Dynamics -- the viol's dynamic range is limited to the softer registers
• Vibrato -- non-vibrato is the norm, but all shades of vibrato can be used
• Glissandos -- frets do not limit these

Notations:

Traditional musical notation is best for the viols, although other notations are certainly acceptable. There is a large repertory of viol music in tablature notation (similar to lute tablature), and avant-garde notations have been used, as well. These special notations are not particularly familiar to most viol players, however, and they must be used with caution.

Clefs:

Viol music is written at pitch using the treble, alto, and bass clefs, in a manner similar to the violin family. Normally, the treble uses the treble clef; the tenor uses the alto clef or the treble clef down an octave; and the bass uses the bass, alto, or treble clef as the range requires.

Modern and Historical Examples:

• Music:

  Winners of previous Traynor Competitions have been published by the Viola da Gamba Society of America and serve as successful examples in several modern idioms. They are available from Boulder Early Music Shop, 3200 Valmont Rd. #7, Boulder, CO 80301 (rlh1939@aol.com, 800 499-1301). PRB Productions (963 Peralta Ave., Albany, CA 94706, prbprdns@aol.com, 510 527-4763) also publishes a Contemporary Consort Series containing several recently written pieces for viols.

  Most Renaissance and early Baroque music can serve to illustrate appropriate music for viol consort. Composers favored by viol players are: William Byrd, Giovanni Coprario, John Dowland, Alfonso Ferrabosco II, Orlando Gibbons, John Jenkins, William Lawes, and Henry Purcell, but there are many other excellent composers as well. The Musica Britanica series, volumes 9 and 62, are excellent sources for a large body of viol music. Renaissance dances can also serve as worthwhile models. Praetorius's dances from his Terpsichore are easily available and are popular with viol players.

• Recordings:

  Illicita Cosa, New York Consort of Viols, Musical Heritage 513235M (732 531-7003, MHSCustom@aol.com; fax 731 517-0438). Not sold in stores. (Mostly contemporary music)

  Sit Fast, Fretwork, Virgin Classics CD 7243 5 452172 0. (Mostly contemporary music)

  Dances and Canzonas of Holborne and Brade, New York Consort of Viols, Classic Masters CMCD-1014. (5 part)

  Heart's Ease, Fretwork, Virgin VC 7 90706-2. (mostly 5 part, various composers)

  Fantasies of William Lawes, Oberlin Consort of Viols, Classic Masters CMCD-1015. (5 and 6 part)

  Anthony Holborne, Pavans, Dowland Consort, BIS CD469. (5 part)

  Peter Philips, Consort Music, Parley of Instruments, Hyperion CDA 66240. (includes violin)

  Henry Purcell, The Fantasias for Viols, London Baroque, EMI CDM7 63066-2 (3, 4, 5, 6, 7 parts, includes violins)

  John Jenkins, Consort Music for Viols in 6 Parts, Hesperion XX, Astree E8724.

  John Coprario, Consort Musicke, Jordi Savall, Christophe Coin, Sergi Casademunt, Astree E7779. (3 part)

  John Dowland, Lachrimae, Hesperion XX, Astree E8701. (5 part)