My instrument: The viola

This resonating instrument is a major backbone to any orchestra. Being large in size and louder in sound, compared to the violin, the instrument chosen for this report is the viola. The reason for selecting this instrument is that I, myself, play the viola. I fell inlove with it as soon as I heard its loud soothing sound. I have always had an interest in the string family and when I found the viola, I felt this was my match.

Primarily, the main reason why I chose to play this instrument and write this report on this one rather than all the others is because of the unique clef it is played in. While many instruments utilize the treble and bass clef, the viola uses the alto clef. The alto clef can be found in some musical pieces for the English horn and the bassoon but it is mainly found in viola music. It is referred to as the viola clef since the viola uses this clef regularly.

Within the string family, one quality that really captivated my interest for the viola is the size and sound. My viola is a fifteen and a half inch and produces such a large, full, resonating sound. Before choosing the viola, I owned a violin and what I didn’t like was that it sounded small and didn’t have that full, deep sound that I found in a viola. One other feature that influenced me was the fact that the viola consisted of a c-string, which allows for a deeper sound. The e-string on a violin did not seem pleasing to me. This is why I also liked the viola since the viola doesn’t consist of the e-string. Even though, many pieces require us, violist, to shift to notes that can be found on the e-string most songs are played within the c,g,d,a string range.

What is most interesting about this instrument is when involved in a symphony orchestra; this instrument’s role is a major contributor to the sound produced by the group as a whole. There are not as many violas as there is in the two violin sections spoken in the lecture and that is due to the loud sound that a viola can produce and how that sound can travel through the area it is played in. Too many violas can overpower the melodic section of the orchestra and would throw off the balance that an orchestra needs to maintain. Some times it is depending on the type of genre, a certain symphony orchestra plays, that influences how many violas are in the viola section. The largest section I have played has contained eight to twelve violas for a modern piece. Being the alto voice of the orchestra the viola helps maintain the harmony and supports the melody that the violin produces. Without the viola the orchestra would sound empty and not have that support that is needed provided by the viola.

            This is my favorite instrument.  I not only play the viola but I play the violin, piano, and flute and I can honestly say I enjoy playing the viola the most. Many violin concertos have been converted from treble to alto clef allowing violist a chance to play certain solo pieces composed by composers such as Bach, Haydn, and many others. Overall the viola provides a warm, rich, deep, soothing tone when played properly.