Hector Berlioz · section 7 of 67

The Viola da Gamba

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OrchestrationCecil Forsyth · the viola da gamba

The viola da gamba (i.e. leg-viol) was in use-in Germany up to the second half of the 18th century. At first it had five strings, then six; at the end of the 17th century a low string (A) was added. This formerly popular instrument has a beautiful, sonorous tone. It was tuned in fourths, with one exception, and had the following range:

Its finger-board, like that of the lute, was furnished with frets marking the divisions between the tones.

The viola da gamba is the ancestor of the modern violoncello. It was somewhat smaller than the violoncello, and was written, according to the

pitch, in the bass-clef — = the tenor-clef ==, the alto-clef ==

or the soprano-clef ==