Viola da Gamba vs Cello: what are the differences?

In this video I explain 5 big differences between the viola da gamba and the cello and I talk about something that people think it's a difference, but it's not!

This is one of my most requested videos. If you have any other questions, please ask in the comments!

Don't forget to turn the subtitles on to understand me better :)

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Images on this video by:
Jean-Claude Billing
Rijksmuseum
MINIM-UK
MIMO International
Syntagma Musicum by Praetorius

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Find me on Twitter, Instagram and Reddit as @thegambageek

[monicacall]

I’m a professional cellist who is learning to play the gamba (7 string!). What an incredible instrument it is! After discovering Jordi Savall and the gamba after seeing “Tous les Matins du Monde” back in 1992 I fell in love with the sound of the gamba plus it’s repertoire. Much as I love the cello, I love the sound of the gamba even more. Finding your videos was a happy coincidence, and I look forward to watching all of your videos. Best wishes.🎵

[momoru]

I loved this!! It was very informative and the editing was very well done. I had no idea that the tuning would be different as well and I hadn’t noticed that it had frets before either!

[Henrique_Henriques]

"Please don't tell the cellists that" 🤣🤣🤣🤣

[JustinWoodsMusic]

I think my favorite thing about this is that we finally understand why "It's not a cello." Thank you for making this incredibly informative video, Águeda! Educate us all on the early music instruments!

[bobogus]

0:28 There actually are five-string cellos, which add a high E string.

[DcapoVGM]

Loved this video. Great presentation as well. This was both super informative and very funny too.

[melissafishman]

Thank you! Super helpful (especially for a flute player that doesn’t know much about string instruments in general)

[eykim]

Thank you very much for the simple and clear comparison!

[joefes]

The name of the music during the cutscenes is Léo Delibes - Divertissemet- Pizzicato if you were wondering.

[IloveChrome]

Thank you for your most useful info! Imagine life in general without the sound of strings!!

[szabinamijo]

Oh, how much I needed this! And finally, a few years after 'Tous les Matins du Monde' I found YOU!!! Thank you, it's super cool and clear explanation, joy to watch.

[baroquer]

Gamba = my very favorite string instrument ever ♥

[chrishimmelmann]

@The Gamba Geek Nice and concise, just one thing:
It’s not true that the contrabass isn’t from the violin family; neither is the opposite: historically there have been more hybrid instruments than there have not in the double bass register. It seems that - with differences as to location - both the violone and the contrabass were used to complement a consort, depending on availability. Also, instruments were subject to change in either direction.
And one on the term “violone”: Again, locally, the term was not only used for 16 foot register instruments (Bach uses "violone" for the contrabass btw) but also, in Northern Italy in and around Bologna in the final decades of the 16hundreds, for an 8 foot instrument that was, if looked at with our eyes, a very big cello.

[mathletie]

fui conhecer o instrumento há poucas semanas. Estava assistindo um filme de animação com alguns amigos (Sussurros do Coração) e em uma cena aparece um personagem tocando um "violoncelo esquisito". Achei assombroso quando vi, porque pensei que era um violoncelo mal desenhado, e pesquisando um pouco mais vi alguns vídeos sobre a Viola da Gamba, e nossa... fiquei impressionado! Adorei o vídeo, pude entender melhor algumas diferenças entre os dois instrumentos, e virei fã da viola da gamba e do canal

[sifridbassoon]

excellent explanation! I like the idea of the frets working to "create" open strings. One other thing you might add is that gambas are tuned like guitars (i.e. 4-4-3-4-4).

[DoubleMusician]

Дуже ДЯКУЮ за цікаве видиво!
THANK you for interesting video!

[tairaleticia]

I started taking cello lessons yesterday just so I could feel officially insulted by this video!
Loved the video! =)

[jackwithrow]

im very intrigued by this instrument, Where can i buy one?

[ronaldocesardasilvaesteves]

Que incrível! Muito bom conhecer um pouco sobre esse instrumento fantástico!

[ironmatic]

left ear was very informed by this video