Viol Da Gamba Research Paper

The Gamba, or viol da gamba, is a member of the viol family. The viol family includes treble, alto, tenor, small tenor and bass viols. The viol da gambas were often played as a part of polyphony because their nasally tones were not easy to dance to.

The viol da gamba is played between the legs, as its translation is literally “leg viol”. The player would then get hold the bow in an underhand position and use their finger to control the tension of the horse hair against the viol’s string thus, creating music. Viol da gambas are tuned in 4 intervals; most players say that you have to tune them a lot in order to keep them in the right keys.

The first viol instrument was thought to be created in Spain around the fifteenth century, becoming standardized

in appearance by 1600. The common viol has six strings and a long tail like the modern guitar. Most have a carved head at the top of the instrument, along with it’s shape being similar to a dismembered female body.

Many scholars think that an ancestor of the viol da gamba is the rabab. A rabab is a bowed, stringed instrument played in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries. These instruments, too, were played between the legs and had a similar shape. Another theorized ancestor of the viol da gamba is the vielle, which is similar to the rabab, but made of flat wood and including more strings.

The viol da gamba was most popular in the late sixteenth century to early seventeenth century. At the time, English composers started writing polyphonic music that was very difficult. Italian musicians came into England to impress the English court and they brought their instruments with them; one of the most important instruments was the viol.

To summarize, the viol da gamba was a vital instrument in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. The viol da gamba was used from the French to impress the English with polyphonic music, thus creating a peace between the countries for many years to come. This cello-like instrument will be remembered for years to come, as musical historians bring it to life with its representation of Europe's history.