Adventures in Music Reading for Violin (Comprehensive Music Reading Series, 2)

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Music for the viola differs from most other instruments in that it primarily uses the alto clef. When viola music has substantial sections in a higher register, it switches to the treble clef to make it easier to read. The viola often plays the "inner voices" in string quartets and symphonic writing, and it is more likely than the first violin to play accompaniment parts. The viola occasionally plays a major, soloistic role in orchestral music. In the earlier part of the 20th century, more composers began to write for the viola, encouraged by the emergence of specialized soloists such as Lionel Tertis and William Primrose.

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Many of these pieces were commissioned by, or written for Lionel Tertis. Paul Hindemith , who was a violist, wrote a substantial amount of music for viola, including the concerto Der Schwanendreher. The viola is similar in material and construction to the violin. For a child who needs a smaller size, a fractional-sized violin is often strung with the strings of a viola.

Prior to the eighteenth century, violas had no uniform size. Large violas tenors were designed to play the lower register viola lines or second viola in five part harmony depending on instrumentation. A smaller viola, nearer the size of the violin, was called an alto viola.

It was more suited to higher register writing, as in the viola 1 parts, as their sound was usually richer in the upper register. Its size was not as conducive to a full tone in the lower register. Several experiments have intended to increase the size of the viola to improve its sound.

Many experiments with the acoustics of a viola, particularly increasing the size of the body, have resulted in a much deeper tone, making it resemble the tone of a cello. Since many composers wrote for a traditional-sized viola, particularly in orchestral music, changes in the tone of a viola can have unintended consequences upon the balance in ensembles. One of the most notable makers of violas of the twentieth century was Englishman A.

Smith , whose violas are sought after and highly valued. Many of his violas remain in Australia, his country of residence, where during some decades the violists of the Sydney Symphony Orchestra had a dozen of them in their section. More recent and more radically shaped innovations have addressed the ergonomic problems associated with playing the viola by making it shorter and lighter, while finding ways to keep the traditional sound. These include the Otto Erdesz "cutaway" viola, which has one shoulder cut out to make shifting easier; [6] the "Oak Leaf" viola, which has two extra bouts; viol -shaped violas such as Joseph Curtin's "Evia" model, which also uses a moveable neck and maple-veneered carbon fibre back, to reduce weight: Other experiments that deal with the "ergonomics vs.

The American composer Harry Partch fitted a viola with a cello neck to allow the use of his tone scale.

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Luthiers have also created five-stringed violas, which allow a greater playing range. A person who plays the viola is called a violist or a viola player. The technique required for playing a viola has certain differences compared with that of a violin, partly because of its larger size: The viola's less responsive strings and the heavier bow warrant a somewhat different bowing technique, and a violist has to lean more intensely on the strings.

The viola's four strings are normally tuned in fifths: This tuning is exactly one fifth below the violin, so that they have three strings in common—G, D, and A—and is one octave above the cello. Each string of a viola is wrapped around a peg near the scroll and is tuned by turning the peg. Tightening the string raises the pitch; loosening the string lowers the pitch.

The other strings are then tuned to it in intervals of perfect fifths, sometimes by bowing two strings simultaneously. Most violas also have adjusters — fine tuners , that make finer changes. These adjust the tension of the string via rotating a small knob at the opposite or tailpiece end of the string. Such tuning is generally easier to learn than using the pegs, and adjusters are usually recommended for younger players and put on smaller violas, though pegs and adjusters are usually used together. Adjusters work best, and are most useful, on metal strings. It is common to use one on the A string, which is most prone to breaking, even if the others are not equipped with them.

Some violists reverse the stringing of the C and G pegs, so that the thicker C string does not turn so severe an angle over the nut , although this is uncommon.

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Small, temporary tuning adjustments can also be made by stretching a string with the hand. A string may be tuned down by pulling it above the fingerboard, or tuned up by pressing the part of the string in the pegbox. These techniques may be useful in performance, reducing the ill effects of an out-of-tune string until an opportunity to tune properly.

The tuning C—G—D—A is used for the great majority of all viola music.

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However, other tunings are occasionally employed, both in classical music , where the technique is known as scordatura , and in some folk styles. He probably intended to give the viola a brighter tone so the rest of the ensemble wouldn't overpower it.

Occasionally the C string may also be tuned up to D. A renewal of interest in the viola by performers and composers in the twentieth century has led to increased research devoted to the instrument. But it was not until , with the creation of the Viola-Forschungsgellschaft, now the International Viola Society IVS , that a lasting organization would take hold. In , Maurice Riley produced the first attempt at a comprehensive history of the viola in his History of the Viola , which was followed with a second volume in The Primrose International Viola Archive at Brigham Young University houses the greatest amount of material that is related to the viola, including scores, recordings, instruments and archival materials from some of the world's greatest violists.

Music that is written for the viola differs from that of most other instruments, in that it primarily uses the alto clef , which is otherwise rarely used. The trombone occasionally uses the alto clef, but not primarily. The comparatively rare alto trombone primarily uses the alto clef. Viola music employs the treble clef when there are substantial sections of music written in a higher register.

The alto clef is defined by the placement of C 4 on the center line of the staff. In treble clef, this note is placed one line below the staff and in the bass clef used, notably, by the cello and double bass it is placed one line above. As the viola is tuned exactly one octave above the cello meaning that the viola retains the same string notes as the cello, but an octave up , pieces written for the cello can be easily transposed to the alto clef.

For example, there are numerous editions of Bach's Cello Suites transcribed for viola that retain the original key, notes, and musical patterns. The viola also has the advantage of smaller strings, which means that the intervals meant for cello are easier to play on the viola.

In early orchestral music, the viola part was frequently limited to filling in harmonies and little melodic material was assigned to it. If the viola was given a melodic part, it was often duplicated or was in unison with the melody played by other strings.

Bach were unusual in their use of viola. The third concerto grosso, scored for three violins, three violas and lower strings with basso continuo requires occasional virtuosity from the violists, the sixth concerto grosso: Hector Berlioz 's Harold in Italy was written for solo viola and orchestra. The viola plays an important role in chamber music. Mozart used the viola in more creative ways when he wrote his six string quintets.

The quintets use two violas, which frees them especially the first viola for solo passages and increases the variety of writing that is possible for the ensemble. Mozart also wrote for the viola in his Sinfonia Concertante , a set of two duets for violin and viola, and the Kegelstatt Trio for viola, clarinet, and piano.

The young Felix Mendelssohn wrote a little-known Viola Sonata in C minor without opus number, but dating from Max Bruch wrote a romance for viola and orchestra, his Op. In addition, his Eight pieces for clarinet, viola, and piano, Op. From his earliest works, Brahms wrote music that prominently featured the viola. Among his first published pieces of chamber music, the sextets for strings Op.

Late in life he wrote two greatly admired sonatas for clarinet and piano , his Op. It should also be noted that Bach, Mozart and Beethoven all occasionally played the viola part in chamber music.

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The viola occasionally has a major role in orchestral music, a prominent example being Richard Strauss ' tone poem Don Quixote for solo cello and viola and orchestra. Students wishing to do so may be entered for the Grade 1 or Grade 2 theory exam after one or both courses. Eoin was born and grew up in Kells Co. Meath, playing music and singing from a very young age.

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He received a first class honours degree from the DIT Conservatory of Music and Drama in both music composition and classical guitar performance, coming top of his class in the teaching diploma course he also completed there. Eoin is an active composer and arranger for various ensembles, and he has had works performed in France, Spain, Portugal, Slovenia, Italy, the US and Ireland.

He has taught guitar, music theory and Leaving Cert. Music at the New School since It starts with the very basics of theory and the information is made easy to understand. There is a good atmosphere in the class, being with people who share your passion for music. Friendships can be formed too.

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