Violin vs Viola

Within the community of classical musicians, namely string musicians, one question has stood out; which instrument is superior--violin or viola? This question has plagued the community for years, with the first viola jokes dating back to the early 1700’s. While viola is undeniably an important member of the orchestral string family, I believe that violin is a better and more important instrument. 

Right off the bat, violin is a more ergonomic and comfortable instrument due to its relatively small size and light weight. For the better part of half a decade, I (a violinist) played on a viola that was strung with violin strings. My suspicions of my violin were aroused whenever someone else played on my instrument; everyone said that my instrument was abnormally large, heavy, and tonally restricted. I never perceived this as a problem until I tried an actual violin. When I did this, two things were realized. First, that the violin was a much more comfortable instrument, and second, that ignorance was probably bliss. Violin was through and through a more comfortable, lighter instrument, but also easier to play and resonate on. Ergonomic capability of an instrument can be important for people, such as those with injuries that prevent them from certain motions.

Another reason for the relative superiority of the violin is its relevance, in both the orchestral setting and the solo setting. The violin is arguably a more versatile instrument; played extremely often by both soloists and orchestral musicians within the same concert. The violin can be manipulated; it has the ability to blend in with the sound of the ensemble, but is simultaneously able to project over the whole ensemble when playing solo repertoire. While this is possible on the viola, the viola tends to have a deeper, mellower sound that may make it more difficult to stand out in a solo setting. Additionally, solo repertoire on the violin is much more abundant, and violinists are in extremely high demand, being the largest sections within the ensemble.

A final reason that makes the violin a more practical instrument is its relatively low cost of maintenance, in comparison to the viola. Viola, being an instrument constructed with more timber, generally costs more than the violin, even if the maker of the instrument is the same. Furthermore, violin strings tend to be cheaper than viola strings, with the popular Thomastik Dominant strings being an example of this. Generally, the violin  is a more economically feasible instrument than the viola.

For the aforementioned reasons, the violin can be considered an instrument that is more relevant and feasible than the viola. However, this is not to say that the viola is a bad instrument; the viola is an exquisite instrument with its own beauty, and it requires a tremendous amount of skill and discipline to learn. Its importance can not be understated, as it helps form the harmonic backbone of the string sections. In this review, I intend no disrespect to the viola or to violists. In some aspects, the violin is simply a more feasible and manageable instrument, which is why I believe that it is superior to the viola.