Viola
The viola is the rich alto voice in the string instrument family. Bigger than a violin and smaller than a cello, violas suit a range of musical styles. They provide rich harmonies and texture at the heart of string quartets, ensembles and orchestras. There has always been music written featuring viola and many of the great composers played, including Bach, Schubert, and Mozart, however traditionally less solo music was written for viola than for violin or cello. This has changed in past decades with many compositions featuring viola written, such as this gorgeous haunting melody with an orchestra, or unaccompanied solo. Moreover, being in the middle register means much of the repertoire of both higher violins and lower cellos sounds great on viola as well!
Sizing
There is no 'standard' size for a viola, but in general, the bigger the viola, the more warm and resonant is the sound, and so violists tend to play the largest viola they can comfortably handle.
4Strings has a range of violas sizes to suit preschoolers to adults. Having the right size instrument is important. Where possible, it is best to be sized for your instrument in person, but where this is not convenient, the sizing chart below will give a good indication.
Cost
