Violin vs Viola?

I bought a violin or viola at auction. How can I tell which it is?

Violin vs Viola?
A viola is slightly larger, thicker, and lower in sound. A violin is slightly smaller, thinner, and has a higher sound. If you are not sure, take it to any music store that sells stringed instruments and they will tell you. Alternatively, you can look inside at the label. If it says 4/4, 3/4 or 1/2 it is a Violin and that is the size. If it says 13" 14" 15" or 16" it is a viola. If it just gives you the brand name and serial number, be sure and record the serial number while you are looking at it. Many shops are taking instruments and substituting similar (less valuable) ones, thinking that their customers will never know the difference.





You can also hold the instrument up against another that you already know about. If you have a friend who has either a violin or viola, just bring it over to their place and hold it up against theirs. Chances are they will know anyway.





You will probably need new strings. (or at least ask a friend how to inspect and clean off the ones that are on there) You should probably get the bow re-haired as well. Buy a new cake of rosin, and a shoulder rest if it isn't too expensive. If it is, go get one of those bone shaped sponges they use to clean cars with. Cut the sponge in half, and put a large rubber band around it. Put the sponge underneath the instrument and stretch the rubber band over it. If it's too thick, cut it down a bit.





While you are there, get some kind of a pitch pipe or electronic tuner. There are online sites that will sound the notes for you as well





Hope this helps
Reply:I agree that there ought to be, but they do not mark bowed instruments in any standard way, so I would rather not mislead you. Report It

Reply:The way they are measured helps, if you were told it was a 2/4, 3/4 or 4/4 sized instrument, it's a violin. Violas are measured in inches (15", 16" etc). If you have a viola, you can measure it using a typical measuring instrument and measure from the bottom (fatter part) to the base of the neck. So, just the main body of the instrument.


If that doesn't help at all, look at the strings. If the smallest string looks to be about the same width as a SMALL sewing needle. This would mean that you have a violin. A viola's BIGGEST string, on the other hand, would be about the size of a dull pencil head.


It's kind of hard to explain, but looking at my viola and violin, my 4/4 violin is only about 23" (from the bottom to the very top of the instrument), my 16" viola is about 16.5".


If all else fails, bring it into a music store and they'd be able to tell you.
Reply:A viola is larger, and has a lower pitch than a violin.


I used to play both.


One old gentleman saw me carrying a violin case, and told me he been playing the fiddle for 50 years. Oh, I cried in amazement, isn't your arm tired YET?
Reply:The Violin has these strings : E,A,D,G.


Viola has : A,D,G,C.


Violas are always larger and longer.


on all the way to the right if it has a really thin high pitch string then its a violin. if the string all the way to the right is descent the it an A and a Viola.


I play Violin and if yours is over 2 feet long from head to tail then it should be a Viola.
Reply:It's probably a violin, but if the lowest string is the C below middle C on the piano, it's a viola. I think this is the best way to tell, since both violins and violas come in fractional sizes, and the 14" violin is the same size as a full size violin.





I'd take it to a string teacher or player; they can help you.
Reply:The viola (French, alto; German Bratsche) is a bowed string instrument. It is the middle voice of the violin family, between the upper lines played by the violin and the lower lines played by the cello.





The casual observer may mistake the viola for the violin because of their similarity in size, closeness in pitch range (the viola is a perfect fifth below the violin), and identical playing position. However, the viola's timbre sets it apart: its rich, dark-toned sonority is more full-bodied than the violin's. The viola's mellow voice is frequently used for playing inner harmonies, and it does not enjoy the wide solo repertoire or fame of the violin.





The name of the instrument is properly pronounced "vee-oh-la" (but often incorrectly pronounced "vie-oh-la" as the woman's name "Viola" is spoken).





The viola is similar in material and construction to the violin but is larger in size and more variable in its proportions. On average, the "full size" viola's body length is between one and four inches greater than the body of the full size violin. Viola sizes are measured in inches or in centimeters, with an average size of about 16 inches. Small violas made for children typically reach down to 12 inches, which is equivalent to a "half size" violin. Often, a fractional sized violin will be strung with the strings of a viola (C, G, D and A) for those children who need even smaller sizes. Unlike the violin, the viola does not have a standard "full size." Acoustically the body of a viola would need to measure around 21 inches to match the acoustics of a violin. This large size would make it impractical to play in the same manner as the violin. For centuries violists have experimented with the size and shape of the viola, with viola makers often compensating by tweaking the proportions or shape of the instrument in order to make a viola with a shorter string length and lighter weight which still has a large enough sound box to create the unmistakeable "viola sound."





In the beginning, notable experiments with the size of the viola tended to address the instrument's sound by making it larger. These include Hermann Ritter's viola alta, an instrument measuring about 18.9 inches intended for use in Richard Wagner's operas. The Tertis model viola, which has wider bouts and deeper ribs to promote a better viola tone, is another slightly 'non-standard' shape which allows the player to use a larger instrument than normal. Many experiments with the acoustics of a viola, particularly increasing the size of the body, result in a much deeper tone of the instrument, making the instrument resemble the tone of a cello. Since many composers wrote for a more traditional sized viola, changes in the tone of a viola, particularly in orchestral music, can have unintended consequences on the balance in ensembles.





More recent (and more radically shaped) innovations address the ergonomic problems of playing the viola by making it shorter and lighter while finding ways to keep the traditional sound. These include Otto Erdesz 'cutaway' viola (which has one shoulder cut out to make shifting easier); the "Oak Leaf" viola (which has two "extra" bouts); viol shaped violas such as Joseph Curtin's "Evia" model (which also utilizes a moveable neck and maple veneered carbon fiber back reduce weight); violas played as if they were cellos (see vertical viola); and the quite eye-catching "Dalí-esque" shapes of both Bernard Sabatier's violas in fractional sizes (which appear to have melted) and of David Rivinus' "Pellegrina" model violas (see External links).





Other experiments besides those dealing with the 'ergonomics vs. sound' problem have appeared. American composer Harry Partch fitted a viola with a cello neck to allow intonation with his 43-tone scale. Recently, several luthiers created five-stringed violas, which allow a greater playing range. Modern music is played on these instruments, but viol music can be played as well.