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What is the difference between a violin and a viola?

We explain the differences between the two string instruments, the violin and the viola

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Published: October 25, 2018 at 9:00 am

At first glance the violin and the viola are tricky to tell apart. Both are string instruments, both are played on the shoulder with a bow, and both can be a little painful when played by a beginner.

So what are the differences between a viola and violin?

The most obvious difference you’ll notice when you place a violin and viola next to each other is their size. The viola is bigger, with an average body length of between 15.5 and 16.5 inches for adults, compared to the violin which is between 13 and 14 inches.

A little harder to spot is the discrepancy between each instrument’s bow – or, to be precise, its ‘frog’. This is the part of bow that players grip. On the viola bow the frog is chunkier and often curved, compared to the straight edge on a violin bow.

Are the strings of a viola different to the strings of a violin?

Even harder to notice is the difference in strings. The order on the violin from lowest to highest is G, D, A, E, but viola strings begin an interval of a 4th lower down, starting instead on C. Because of its size, viola strings must also be thicker than a violin’s, although both are made from the same materials – most commonly a synthetic core wound with metal.

So how do these differences affect the sound? Well, firstly the viola can go lower, making it better suited to playing music in lower registers. This is why viola players read music in the alto clef (rather than the treble clef that violin players use), and sit right in the centre of an orchestra in between the cellos and violins.

Another difference is the way each instrument ‘speaks’. Because of its thicker strings, the viola will ‘speak’ lower than the violin. This means the sound it makes is more mellow, and takes a little longer to be heard. Therefore, viola players need to stay right on top of the conductor’s tempo, and play with more pronounced articulation than violinist, so as not to get lost in the texture.

Recommended listening for viola: Benjamin Britten, Elegy for solo viola

Recommended listening for violin: Arvo Pärt, Fratres

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What are the differences between a violin and a viola?

That is a very recurring question, we are frequently asked about it when presenting our 5-string electric violins. Electric violins with 5 strings have an additional string, which is the C string that is typically used on violas.

The violin and viola are both part of the bowed string instrument family, along with the cello and the double bass. The viola has its place in the middle register of the string family. It is tuned using the same principle as the violin, in fifths, except that it is in the lower fifth.

The violin and the viola look similar at first glance. For the average person, it is often difficult to distinguish between the two of them, especially if they are not displayed side by side. In fact, there are a lot of similarities between the viola and the violin:

And yet by looking at the image below, you will identify the first difference between a violin and a viola: their size is significantly different.

A matter of height and weight

Viola size VS Violin size

The first difference is the size of the two instruments. In the 15th century, the viola had very different sizes. A tenor viola model once existed, it had excessive dimensions which made it difficult to play. Today, the difference in size between several violas is still present, but a “norm” has been established. It is not a constant, but we are talking about bodies between 38 and 43cm.

To define which viola or violin size an instrumentalist needs, it is necessary to measure the distance between the neck and the palm of the instrumentalist’s hand by keeping the arm extended in a parallel position to the ground.

For instance, an adult sized viola must be at least 67 cm long. In this case, we are talking about a 16-inch viola. On the other hand, for the violin, the length will be at least 60 cm for an adult. In this case, an adult violinist will use a 4/4 violin, which is the reference size for violins and is called the full-size violin.

In the case of a violin, we use the terms 4/4 violin, 3/4 violin, 1/2 violin, etc. Whereas for the viola we refer to 12″, 13″ up to 16 1/2″. Here below you will find a comparison chart between these sizes and their length from neck to arm.

If your child is under 6 years old, and you are looking for a viola, you may have a hard time finding one that is so small available on the market. However, if you compare the sizes of the violins and the violas, you will find that a 4/4 violin (adult) corresponds approximately to a 14″ viola. It is therefore possible to choose a violin of a similar size and “transform” it into a viola, then switch to a real viola at the proper time. To transform a violin into a viola, simply replace the violin strings with viola strings…

The ages mentioned in the previous tables are given as a rough guide. Every child grows in a different manner and it is possible that a smaller or bigger size is required for your child to be able to practice in the most appropriate conditions.

Weight difference

Since the viola is larger, its structure contains a greater amount of material, which means that it is heavier than the violin. Even if the viola’s playing mode is identical to that of the violin, supporting it will require a greater amount of effort on the arm. A viola weighs about 580g, while a violin weighs about 460g.

Finger spacing

The difference in size between the viola and the violin is reflected in the position of the fingers. They will be further apart on a viola because the gap between the strings is greater than the one on a violin. As a result, the dexterity of the fingers will be different.

Different strings

Both the classical viola and the classical violin have 4 strings each, but they are not the same.

The viola uses the strings:

The violin on the other hand uses the strings:

The sound of a viola is therefore lower than that of a violin. The physical distance between the strings is also different. It will be greater on a viola. This is why when violists switch over to a violin and vice versa, they will have a hard time locating the position of their fingers. The viola strings are also thicker and require more strength on the part of the viola player.

The four strings of the violin are separated by a perfect fifth interval. The viola has a lower scale than the violin and is exactly one octave higher than the cello.

Two playing styles

Different physical constraints

The viola and violin seem similar, but the larger size of the viola will subject the violist’s body to greater physical constraints.

The length of the string requires larger gaps to be made. The size of the instrument also limits the flexibility of hand and body movements. The viola will also impose greater physical constraints on the viola player’s arm, which must support a greater amount of weight. In conclusion, the violist must make a greater effort when playing.

However, these constraints are not prohibitive, they are to be considered as the result of a comparison between the two instruments. Instrumentalists intuitively adapt their playing style according to the instrument they use…

Playing

The way of playing and handling the bow are also different in order to master the desired sounds. Since the length of the viola is greater, the bow will also be longer, and therefore heavier.

The size of the viola entails a wider positioning of the fingers on the neck of the instrument. The effort and strength required from the hands, fingers and arms must also be greater, as the strings are thicker.

Different keys

The viola is read using the key of C and the key of G, while the violin is read using the key of G. Reading a score based on these two keys requires an adaptation since you have to learn to decode each of them.

The sound

Due to its larger size and the use of a lower string, the viola will produce a lower and darker sound. This sound is also often referred to as softer, rounder, mellow, velvety and richer for the upper and mid-ranges.

The musical repertoire for the violin is broader. Great composers have given the violin a prominent place in their compositions. In an orchestra, the violin plays the melody, while the viola usually serves as an accompaniment instrument. It usually doubles the melody of the violin and replicates the bass of the cello.

In an orchestra, there is a larger number of violins. We will have two violin sections, while there will be only one viola section. Note that violins are the only instruments with two sections, all the other instruments used in an orchestra have only one.

Sources and images: Wikipedia, Pixabay – niekverlaan, Unsplash – Larisa Birta, Manuel Nägeli

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Viola vs. Violin

Violas are larger than violins and have a deeper, mellower sound. They are both orchestral string instruments that originated in Italy and are played with a bow. The violin is also called a fiddle when used to play folk music.

Comparison chart

There is no standard size for a viola. The body of a viola is typically between 38cm and 43cm long.

A standard violin has a body that is 35.5cm long. However, violin bows are around 1 cm longer than viola bows.

Sound

Violas are the second highest pitched instruments in the string family. A viola’s typical sound is described as deep and mellow, and it generally has a slower sound than the violin due to its thicker strings.

Violins are the highest pitched instruments in the string family. Their sound carries above other instruments, making them popular for melody parts.

Tuning and Strings

Viola strings are normally tuned to C3, G3, D4 and A4. A viola is tuned exactly one fifth below the violin. The viola has a range of over 3 and a half octaves, depending on the talent of the player.

Violin strings are turned to G3, D4, A4 and E5. Its pitch ranges from G3 to C8, the highest note on a modern piano. However, the top notes are often produced by harmonics, and so the E two octaves above the open E-string (E7) can be considered the practical highest note for orchestral parts.

Music for the viola is written in alto clef, which uses the C clef. The alto clef is rarely used by other instruments.

Music for the violin is written in treble clef.

Technique

As violas are larger than violins, they require a slightly different technique, including different fingering. The viola has heavier strings and a heavier bow, and so the player must lean more intensely on the strings.

Violins are plays with the left side of the jaw resting on the chinrest, with the violin supported by the left shoulder. The left hand presses the strings to produce pitch and the right hand either bows or plucks the strings to create the sound.

Viola player Clare Finnimore has this to say about the difference in technique (watch the video):

I think that the good thing about the viola for me is that you have got both. You have got the high registers which are equally sweet, it doesn’t go as high as a violin but it is equally as sweet, and the lower registers which are really sonorous and rich, like the cello. Obviously not with the same quality of the cello, but it has a quality of its own, definitely.

It is difficult to explain how the technique changes when you go from a violin to a viola but I think that when lots of violinists first pick up the viola, (plays) The bow stroke is much lighter on the violin. With the viola you need … (plays) it’s a firmer sort of bow hold, obviously the space between the notes is bigger, the neck is thicker, so all those things, you just have to sort of enlarge everything a little bit.

The bow is longer, it is heavier. Maybe you have to space your fingers out a little bit more on the bow in order to produce a sound. This is all very general, I think the most difficult thing is going back the other way if you play the viola and then you go back to playing the violin it can sound terribly sort of scratchy and shaky because your movements are too heavy and not delicate enough.

Use in music

In early orchestral music, the viola filled in harmonies. However, some Baroque and Classical pieces were written for solo viola, and it plays an important role in chamber music, such as string quintets. Many composers now write for viola, and it is also used in contemporary pop groups such as The Velvet Underground and 10,000 Maniacs, and by folk musicians.

Violins have been popular instruments since the Baroque period. They are often used to play the melody line, as well as to harmonize. They are also used in jazz music and by many modern pop and indie groups, including The Corrs, Blue October, Yellowcard and Arcade Fire.

Compositions

Compositions for the viola include Mozart’s Sinfonia Concertante and Kegelstatt Trio, Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto No 6, and Beethoven’s Serenade in D major.

Almost all orchestral or chamber music includes prominent parts for a violin.

Famous Musicians

Examples of violists include Lionel Tertis, William Primrose, Vadim Borisovksy, Lillian Fuchs, Walter Trampler and Emanuel Vardi.

There are countless significant modern-day violinists in both classical and popular music.

Origins

The viola dates from the same time as the violin, coming into existence in the early to middle 16th century. At first the viola was called the ‘alto-tenor’ violin, as the term ‘viola’ was used to refer to any Western classical stringed instrument that was bowed. But eventually the word ‘viola’ came to refer specifically to the viola da braccia (meaning the viola played in the arms), hence the German word bratsche that is still used for the viola today. Around about the 17th century some ‘tenor-violas’ were made which were very long, but this type of viola was rarely played, although some examples survive. In the late 18th century the viola emerged from being the instrument which just ‘filled in’ in the middle of an ensemble. Some composers even began to write concertos for it. This increasing prominence led to experiments to try and improve the viola, but it wasn’t really until the 20th century that the most successful steps forward were made. The main mover in the viola’s development was the viola-player Lionel Tertis who collaborated with the instrument-maker Arthur Richardson from about 1937 to try to create the ideal viola.

Other instruments in the violin family derived from viola are:

Based on the origin of instruments names, one of the theories states that violas came before the other string instruments. The modern viola was probably developed in Italy in the 16th century.

The modern violin was developed in the early 16th century Italy by Andrea Amati and Gasparo da Salò. It was modified again in the 18th and 19th centuries.

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Differences Between Violin and Viola

The violin and viola are both members of the string instrument family. The violin and viola look alike, and they have the same structure, color and are both played with a bow. However, there are some major differences between the violin and the viola.

Andrea Amati and Gasparo da Salòwas were the first well-known maker of both violins and violas in the early 16th century. The two instruments are close cousins. Violas have a deeper and mellower sound than the violin. Both the instruments are orchestral string instruments and they originated in Italy. Viola was called the ‘alto-tenor’ violin at first. The term ‘viola’ was given to any Western stringed instrument that was bowed.

Below are some of the main differences between the Violas and Violins.

The body frame

Both the viola and the violin are made up of hardwood. They are both polished to perfection. The body of the viola is slightly larger than the violin.

Clef

One of the greatest differences between the violin and the viola is the clef. The viola is a mid-range alto-voiced instrument and is the only string instrument to use the Alto Clef for notation. Alto clef uses the C clef.
Violins are played in the Treble Clef. It is the highest ranged stringed instrument in the string family. Violins are known to be the “soprano” voice of the orchestra.

Size

The viola is larger than the violin; you can figure that out if you place both the instrument’s side by side. The average length of a violin’s body is around fourteen inches, while the length of the viola’s body ranges from fifteen to eighteen inches. Violas are wider than the violin. Violins come in nine different sizes and violas come in four sizes. Most beginners use twelve-inch violas then move to the larger ones. Violas were larger in the 16th, 17th, and early 18th centuries. The reason for this is because the viola’s music was very simple.

Strings

The viola and the violin are both stringed instruments that use four strings to be played. However, electric violins and viola use six strings. The viola strings are tuned to C3, G3, D4, and A4 and violin strings are usually tuned to G3, D4, A4, and E5. Violas are tuned exactly one-fifth below the violins. This lower range usually attracts musicians and fans to the violas.

Note Range

The viola notes range from C to the A, way up on the A string. The violin notes, on the other hand, range from G to the B, way up on the E string. Both the viola and violin can be played within a 4-octave range. They can even be played as fingered harmonics.

The viola can sound notes that are about four steps lower than the lowest note on the violin. This range of sound puts it between the range of the violins and the cellos. It is one of the main reasons that the Viola is used as a harmonic type of instruments rather than a solo type of instruments. Violins on the other hand mostly play the melody line in orchestral music. The violins can go up higher up in note ranges than violas. They have the E string which gives them the ability to play notes in the upper ranges. This very fact qualifies it for a more solo type of instrument.

Techniques for playing

The violas require a different technique to play which includes a different kind of fingering. It is because violas are slightly larger than the violins. They also have heavier strings and a heavier bow. Violins, on the other hand, are played with the left side of the jaw resting on the chin rest. The body of the violin is supported on the left shoulder. The right hand is used to pluck or bow the strings, and the left hand is used to produce the pitch by pressing the string. The techniques are important to generate great viola and violin music.

Sound

Violas sound deeper and mellower compared to the violin. It is due to the C string it possesses and the notes that can be played with it. They are the second highest pitched instrument in the string family. The viola has a slower sound than the violin. It is due to thicker strings. The notes on the G, D, and A strings are shared by both the violin and the viola. But, when these notes are played on the viola they sound different and carry a more somber tone than the violin.

Violas are used in symphonies and orchestras to give more harmonic and rhythmic elements. On the other hand, violins often carry the melodic and lyrical lines into the music. In an orchestra, there are usually more violins than violas. The orchestras have two sections of violins but only one section for violas.

Use in music

Some classical and baroque pieces were written specifically for a solo viola. Violas play a significant role in chamber music; one example would be string quintets. These days few folk musicians and contemporary pop groups specifically compose parts for the viola. Violins are used in both classical and popular modern day music. Violins are an attractive instrument to musicians of various genres. They are usually used to play melody lines in a piece of music. The violin in some cases can be compared to the lead guitar. They are one of the most important instruments in indie music, jazz music, and pop music.

These unique elements of the violin and the viola can be used to identify them easily.
Some of the greatest viola compositions include Mozart’s Sinfonia Concertante, Beethoven’s Serenade, and Kegelstatt Trio. The violins are usually accompanied by symphonic horns, double basses, cellos, and violas.

Some of the famous examples of violists are William Primrose, Lillian Fuchs, Emanuel Vardi, Walter Trampler, and Lionel Tertis. There are countless talented violinists in classical and modern music.

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