What do you play a viola with

After this the best way to get fluent in reading the viola cleff is to join an orchestra and gain experience! Click here to read about my exercises about learning to read in a different cleff. Listen to the recording and download the free sheet music here! I love playing both violin and viola. I was initially forced into the viola in a chamber music program due to a viola shortage. Playing both is so much fun, and I also play piano and compose as well so that triples the fun!

The technique is certainly a bit different, though. You certainly need to get used to the larger size, the distance between notes and alto clef, but what many transitioning violinists miss is the differences in bowing technique. I find myself using a lot more weight to get a big, full sound from the viola, especially on the C and G strings, and I also find myself using less bow speed than on the violin. Vibrato needs to be wider to be effective because of the wider spacing and thicker strings, but vibrato needs to vary based on the music and you need many types of vibrato at your disposal.

I was introduced to the viola by my students and a violist working in my violin studio. Also I played viola in a string quartet I was coaching and the violist left, so I had to improvise, haha! I have played the violin for 2 years and enjoy it. I will soon be 80 years old and only play for my own enjoyment. I am thinking of renting a viola but would like to get an answer to my question before I do? I play mostly bluegrass and old fiddle songs.

Hope you an understand my logic. Thanks in advance! Stay safe. Ons zoontje van 8 jaar wil in september starten met lessen altviool. Welke maat is aan te raden? Hij heeft een armlengte van 51 cm. Ons zoontje wil namelijk wel echt de altviool spelen, met de klank van een alt, en niet die van een viool. Ik zou adviseren om een altviool te nemen, als dat mogelijk is.

Or call it a brilliant instrument. I am a violinist so when I started playing the viola I expected difficulty with holding it but after trying several chin rest, I can play more comfortably with a thinner and smaller chin rest and it is because the viola is thicker so the thinner chinrest was a perfect fit for the space between my chin and my shoulder.

Since I never use a shoulder rest I am used to partially supporting the instrument with my hand so the extra weight of the viola was not a problem at all. And for your information I play the instruments left handed without reversing the strings, I just use a left handed chin rest. That sounds great, Mark! I have exactly the same: on the viola I want a lower chinrest and no shoulder rest, while I play violin with a shoulder rest.

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This article has been viewed , times. Learn more A viola is a stringed instrument that has a larger size and lower sound than a violin. While it may take some time to master the viola, you can pick one up and learn to play the basics easily.

Once the viola is tuned, maintain good posture to play the instrument with your bow. As you learn notes and scales, start practicing other playing techniques. With a lot of hard work, you'll know how to properly play!

Tip: If you find it hard to wiggle your finger, start by moving your arm forward and back first. When you start feeling comfortable, move your wrist back and forth. Then, use just your fingers. Log in Social login does not work in incognito and private browsers. Please log in with your username or email to continue.

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Part 1. All rights reserved. This image may not be used by other entities without the express written consent of wikiHow, Inc. Put a shoulder rest on the viola to make it more comfortable. Hold the viola upside down so its back is facing you. Hold one side of the shoulder rest against the edge of your viola so it looks like a smile.

Lift the other side of the rest and slide it on the opposite side of the viola. Keep pushing it down until it has a tight fit.

Balance the viola on the left side of your collarbone. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart or sit on a firm chair, making sure to keep your back straight. Grab the viola at the base of its neck and bring it up to your left shoulder.

Point the pin on the bottom of the viola toward the center of your neck. Keep the viola at a degree angle so it balances easily on your collarbone. Shift the viola slightly until the shoulder rest feels comfortable. Tip: Avoid sitting on soft furniture since it could affect your form. Rest your chin and jaw on the chin rest. The chin rest is at the bottom of your instrument and provides extra support while you play.

Violin Accessories. Viola Accessories. Cello Accessories. Double Bass Accessories. Music Stands. Instrument Stands. About Us. Contact Us. Instrument Rentals. Popular Searches. Product Suggestions. A child should start learning when they are ready. Learning as an adult The most frequently asked question from adults at Simply for Strings is this - have I left it too late?

What viola should I buy? What viola size do I need? Getting lessons as an adult There are lots of resources available when it comes to actually starting to play your new viola. Learning how to read music If you are an adult beginner, you may know how to read a little bit of music already. Maintaining your viola as a beginner Just like your car, your viola needs regular servicing to ensure it runs smoothly. Here are some quick tips: Clean your viola every time you play.

Wipe the strings, fingerboard and body clean of fingerprints and oil from your skin, and to restrict the chance of rosin dust building up on either the strings or the body. Your bow should always be stored without tension.

When winding it up to play, usually the best tension is when just the tip of your index finger can fit between stick and hair at the middle of the curve. Another way to tell if it has a good tension is to draw the bow across your strings at about mezzoforte just moderately loud. If the stick is dragging on the strings, instead of just the hair touching them, then it needs to be tightened a little more.

Sometimes the bow hair can stretch due to weather, and if it stretches too far you may need to replace the bow or rehair it if it is of a price value that justifies rehairing.

In times of weather change, atmospheric pressure variation, extra humidity or extreme dryness, your viola and bow will change and perform differently. Always try to keep your viola and bow in a safe place to avoid unnecessary temperature changes. What viola accessories do I need to buy? However, in times of changing weather you should store the viola in its case as a buffer against sudden changes. The Tailpiece Some Extra Tips When you practise, the best policy is to work through each item scale, exercise, song, piece until you make no mistakes.

Then play it three 3 times in a row without obvious error. This helps to relax your main muscle groups when you play. Try to use your tummy to hold you up as you play. If you focus holding your core tight think about holding your belly button in then you will produce a more intense, relaxed sound as the muscles in your arms and back will not have to support you as much and will be more relaxed.

When you first think about playing the viola, most people think that it will be easier to play than it actually is! To play the viola well requires a lot of time and effort - you must be prepared to put in the quality practice required in order to improve as a violist.

To get the scratch out of your playing, instead of focusing on pressing the bow into the string, focus on gliding the bow across the string, like a dragonfly skimming across water. Focus intensely on this and your sound should become less scratchy. Scratch is produced when there is too much tension in the arms and hands, so be sure to relax as much as you can! Don't press down too hard on the strings, even when playing loudly! Be firm, but remember the more relaxed you are, the more this will come through in the tone.

Play close to the bridge about 2 bow width's away from the bridge, or about cm this will produce the strongest, clearest sound possible on your viola. Always play with your bow moving parallel to the bridge - sideways movement across the string will cause a wispy sound.

For beginner players, the names of the fingers that we refer to are as important to know as the parts of the viola. The right hand is known as the bow hand as this hand controls the bow , and the left the viola hand, which holds the viola.

The fingers on both hands also have different names to differentiate them from one another. On the viola hand, the fingers are known as the viola thumb, and the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th fingers from thumb to pinky.