The Viola da Gamba and the Cello: Musical Cousins

[bveracka]

I knew the viola da gamba had frets, but never realized they're movable; in very much the same way as a Sitar from India. This is truly a beautiful sounding instrument and I'm so glad there are folks like yourself that keep such important (and cool) pieces of musical history alive! Greetings from Cape Cod Massachusetts

[HanadiH]

I THINK I FOUND THE INSTRUMENT TO MY SOUL: THE VIOLA DA GAMBA

[SpirosKiriakopoulos]

I L O V E the fact, that you can play more than one chords together at the Viola da Gamba! This sound is what I was searching for and i am so glad for I found it!!!

[SpiritBear]

I think that's the first time I ever heard a Cello sound "happy". To me they always have a melancholy/sad sound to them.
I really liked the looks of that Viola Da Gamba. It's elegant looking and I really liked the rich color of the wood. You played it as if it were expressing a deep longing for something.
Very nice instruments and you play them well.

[glibbergloop]

whoa when he played the viola da gamba my eyes started to water... totally awesome

[RastaSaiyaman]

I have been working at a bass repair shop for over 18 years and one of the most beautiful instruments we ever had coming in was a Double bass with Cello shape, yes, with the shoulders and all.

There's a Reason why the double bass shape wise is an enlarged Gamba and this perfect Violin shaped Bass was a clear showcase of that reason: a double bass isn't tuned in fifths like a Cello is, it is tuned in fourths like a Gamba, that means that to play the higher register of the instrument, you have to reach up way high on the fingerboard which on that Violin shaped bass was a HUGE hassle.

With the Gamba having sloped shoulders, reaching to the upper register is much easier.

That bass was sold and the next time I saw it it had been converted to sloped shoulders, which was done professionally but I always though it was a shame, since it looked so beautiful with that perfect violin shape.

[purpleduck]

This is the first time i've seen or heard of this instrument. Thank you for showing us. It's very interesting and has a beautiful sound.

[Mindi]

I honestly feel the Violes were the absolute pinnacle of stringed bowed instruments. The cellos and more modern violins cannot touch the pure emotion of the gamba or pardessus de viole. Pig gut > metal wound strings wins the heart any day!!!

[SpottedBullet]

There is something about the Cello that tugs at my heart, I could listen to an artist for hours.

[gabelance]

No, the cello IS the bass instrument of the violin family. The double bass belongs to the viol family, which is why the bass is shaped differently at the top of its body than the violin, viola and cello. The bass' body is shaped more like the viola da gamba.

[Ekvitarius]

Marin Marais.... a treat for the heart as well as the head. He always leaves me with a warm feeling and deep in thought when I listen to his viol music.

[isthiswhereitype]

How do you get into learning an instrument like this? I wish I had access to one to try it. They are very expensive to buy!

[benjaminglorieux]

Nice presentation, but please note that many paintings show that endpins were often used way before 1850. The 'violoncello' was even played on the shoulders quite often. As Leopold Mozart sais in his treaty 'Versuch einer gründlichen Violinschule' (1756, the year in which his famous son was born): 'today the cello is more often being played between the legs' (!). And last but not least: many cellists in baroque Italy and even France played the gamba bow hold, as again is being proven by many paintings.

[numanuma]

Wow, why we don't use the Viola da Gamba more offten in modern art music is shame. Have a string instrument that can do chords is amazing.

[HowardEllisonUKVoice]

Came here when I was cross with Glenn Gould for recording Bach sonatas on a thick-sounding modern piano! I noticed on the same Sony CD that Leonard Rose, was playing a gruff four string cello instead of the sweet viola da gamba indicated by the label. Now away in search of something authentic! Thankyou Baroque Band for insight.

[alexbinkley]

Am I correct in saying that the bow hold for the viola da gamba is similar to the german bow hold on bass?

[kaavest]

I always liked the Gambe, ok i am on the violin but the Gambe is very spesial and all the nice chords on it:)

[RonN]

Very interesting! I've heard of the Viola de Gamba, but never saw one. Some pipe organs have a Viola de Gamba stop, which would probably be used either for a fuller sounding string chorus, or as a solo stop.

[JPxKillz]

I love his face when he plays the G on the viola De Gamba, 2:39.

[polyglot]

I love that African player, Yo Yo Magamba.