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How to Choose a Viola

One of the most common beliefs in choosing a viola is that the more you pay the better the tone. This is unfortunately not true. There are some people who get a fine sounding viola for a small amount of money and there are some who spend a lot of money for a poor sounding viola.

There are many criteria in evaluating a viola. Unfortunately tone is not typically near the top. For the most part here is the list of characteristics of a viola that determine price, in declining order of importance:

  • The Maker
  • Country of Origin
  • Condition
  • Age
  • Physical Beauty
  • Tone
  • Investment Potential
  • Size
  • Arching (flat as opposed to high)
  • Responsiveness/playability

The Maker
This problem is more difficult for a violist than for a violinist. Stradivari made over 600 violins and perhaps 10 violas. He made some fine sounding violins, some mediocre sounding violins and some poor sounding violins. The principle is the same with the viola. Results vary with each instrument. A viola is made of wood. Each piece of wood vibrates differently. The spruce top is the sounding board. Spruce is generally considered to the be best material for the sounding board of a string instrument. It is the sounding board for the piano, harpsichord, guitar, lute, etc. Each piece of spruce vibrates differently.

In addition to the spruce top the back, sides, blocks, even the fingerboard vibrate. It is impossible to duplicate this combination of vibrating parts from one instrument to another. Therefore don't let the name intimidate you when trying a viola. If it dosen't sound well don't feel guilty if you don't hear the magical quality that is supposed to be in there.

Over and over I hear the complaint that "I have this Vuillaume, Gagliano or Scarampella. The only problem I have with it is it doesn't sound well." I have seen any number of fine violists trade-in a fine sounding viola for a big name instrument that doesn't sound. They think there is some sort of way of coaxing this mythical or supposed tone out, or trying a new bridge, soundpost, bass bar, etc. There are many very expensive violas that don't sound worth a darn and some inexpensive ones that sound fabulous.

Country of Origin
Most people think the Italian instruments are the best. The Italians have a few advantages here. The viola was invented in Italy and the earliest music for the viola comes from Italy. Also the Italians have rarely gone in for commercialism in string instrument making like France and Germany, for instance, where there are whole factories devoted to string instrument making. Chances are if the viola is Italian it was made by one person or if the person had some reputation, with the help of apprentices, assistants or students in a small enterprise supervised by the person whose name is on the viola. "Handmade" is the catchword here as opposed to machines or many hands making the same viola.

Condition
With an older viola condition becomes very important. A viola with a lot of cracks that have been repaired can give the owner fits. It may sound well when it is purchased, but changes in the weather, bumps, lack of humidity or too much humidity can cause structural and/or tonal problems. Cracks can open, form, the neck can drop, buzzes can occur and endless problems can result from many repairs. I never send a viola to Puerto Rico or Alaska that has any structural repairs because of the extremes in their climates.

Age
There is no question that all things being equal, an old viola will sound better than a new one. With age the wood hardens and becomes more resonant. If the viola has a soft varnish age will make the varnish harden also. However, a new viola is much more preferable to an old viola with many repairs. A good new viola will improve with age. (On the other hand a new viola with plates that are too thin may deteriorate with age). All in all, the condition of an old viola must be weighed with the advantages of the structurally perfect condition of a new viola.

Physical Beauty
If I line up 5 or 6 violas for a customer to try, the first one he or she usually goes for is the best looking one. Quite often people will zero in on a viola if it is highly flamed or if it has a one piece back. The flaming has little to do with the tone. Even if I ask the person before he or she tries the instruments "does the appearance matter?" and they say "all I want is a beautiful tone" they will gravitate to the best looking instrument. It is difficult to enjoy a meal which may taste great but looks horrible. There are many modern makers who take great pains to make violas look like an old Italian masterpiece. If there is a connection with the physical beauty and tone it has to do with how much time and money the maker has put into working on the instrument and the quality of the materials used. However, the antiquing doesn't make the viola sound better. The choice of wood for its beauty as opposed to its acoustical properties will be detrimental to the sound.

Tone
There are hundreds of adjectives that describe the tone of a viola. "Warm, lyrical, rich, clear, deep, smooth, brilliant, and on and on. The most important one though, is power. A good viola will be loud. Power is measurable in concrete terms. Over and over I ask these hypothetical questions. Why do you think an orchestra has 12 violas and 3 flutes? The answer is one flute produces the power of 4 violas. Have you ever seen a viola drown out a piano? Other tonal characteristics to look for are of lesser importance such as evenness, wolf tones or lack of them, clarity of sound, etc. A viola can never be too loud. It is the only instrument with the exception of the violin where the tone comes out of a hole three inches from the left ear and aimed directly at the ear. The viola sounds much louder to the player than to the audience. A flute blows the tone out away from the players ears, as does the clarinet, trumpet etc. If you have been playing on a viola with a sweet and warm quality under the ear, a viola with a strong tone will make you jump when you first try it. However within one hour or so you can get used to it and going back to a viola with a soft tone will leave you frustrated.

Investment Potential
A good Italian and or French viola with papers from a reputable authenticator can be a good investment. In the past 50 years or so the prices on these instruments have increased dramatically. However, if you are a player trying to make a career, a viola that has the type of tone and durability, size, etc. that you want should outweigh the investment potential. For a collector or an amateur this might not be the case. I tell customers that after you play a recital and nobody can hear you you can't turn to the audience and say "but the viola has great investment potential and marvelous papers!!!"

Size and Physical Comfort
The viola unlike the violin is too small for its acoustical range -- to be correct for its acoustical range a viola should be 21" long as opposed to the generally considered full size of 16 1/2". The size of a viola has never been standardized as all things being equal, the bigger it is (up to 21") the better it will sound. Unfortunately at 21" it is virtually impossible to play. I get many complaints about back problems, carpal tunnel syndrome, etc., from people with a 17" viola. There have been attempts over the years to play the viola between the legs like a cello that haven't worked. Contemporary makers are experimenting with different shapes such as inverted upper shoulders, an inverted shoulder just on the upper treble side to make it easier to shift and other shapes. All of these shapes have one object: to increase the size of the air mass inside the viola and still make it relatively easy to handle. One should choose the size that protects your health rather than the one that gives you a slightly better tone but is damaging to your body. I find that a good 15 1/2" and larger (up to the 16 1/2") will work quite well.

The string length, like the body size, has never been standardized. There are some larger violas with a shorter string length which might work well with somebody who has long arms but short fingers. Occasionally a larger nut can shorten the string length and make it easier to play.

Arching (high as opposed to flat)
Most people don't like high arching as a viola with high arching will tend to have a nasal quality and not produce the power of a good viola with relatively flat arching. There are some contemporary makers who copy the Stainer model with the high arching. I generally try to avoid this model as in my opinion power is the most important quality in any stringed instrument. The Italian instruments with high arching have not gone up in value anywhere near as much as the ones with the flatter arching.

Responsiveness/Playability
Violists generally prefer an easy response as opposed to violinists who like the violin to fight back a bit. The viola being bigger and heavier requires more physical effort to get the sound out and stop the strings with the left hand. In general if a viola has a dark alto-like tonal quality the response and playability will be easier than if the tone is bright and brilliant. Unfortunately if the tone is dark on the lower strings it will tend to be dark on the upper strings where more brilliance is necessary. This is a trade-off that must be addressed. A good solution would be a viola that is not too dark on the bottom but has a top that is brilliant enough.

Additional Considerations

It is very important to deal with a violin shop as opposed to a store that sells other musical items such as flutes, guitars, keyboards, etc. Bowed string instruments need people with specialized training and focus who can do proper set-ups, select the best strings for the individual instrument, and generally maximize a stringed instrument's potential. An expensive instrument can sound and behave as badly as a student instrument if it is not properly set-up. Since a violin shop is so specialized most string players in a particular city will usually know about and recommend the best shops.

Frequently Asked Questions

Should a viola teacher help students pick a viola?
A teacher's input can be very helpful in selecting a viola, particularly if the teacher is a good player. Sound can be very subjective and the student should have the benefit of a good ear for sound from the teacher.

It is important, however, to make sure the teacher can be objective in the selection. There are occasions where the teacher is getting a commission from the dealer or shop. Since the teacher is spending a lot of time in the decision process he or she should be compensated. However, if there is a choice for instance between a couple of instruments, one from a shop where the teacher gets a commission and another from a shop that doesn't give commissions, it is important that the best instrument is recommended. This can be a very awkward situation.

What is the price range for an intermediate or advanced instrument?
For a reasonably serious student to professional the range is likely to be between approximately $1250 - $5000. Depending on your situation it may be better to start from the other side of the equation: how much can you spend? Then, look for the best sounding instrument in good condition in that range. Viola making is a very inexact science. There are many fine expensive violas that don't sound well and there are many inexpensive cellos that do sound well. You need to pick up as many as you can and play them.

When should I rent instead of buy or vise versa?
It is a good idea to rent if the person playing is a beginner. This gives you the flexibility of getting rid of the instrument if there isn't progress. However, most rental instruments are of the most basic quality, which means they don't have a great sound and may not be as "playable" as a higher quality instrument. There is always a dilemma here. Ideally you should rent a viola long enough to evaluate whether there is a true interest in learning and playing the instrument. When an adequate level of seriousness is evidenced, invest in the best instrument you can afford at the next level. (The "next level" is a very broad place.) A playable, good sounding instrument makes practicing much more pleasurable and will increase progress. If the student is committed, the time to upgrade is at the point the when the musician can tell the difference between a cheap starter instrument and a better one.

Many shops give you credit for a certain amount of money in the rental and will apply it to the purchase of either that instrument or a better one.

Should I buy from eBay?
Occasionally there are good buys on eBay but most of the time it is a bad idea. The main problem is that you can't try the instrument before you buy it. The instrument might be a bargain but unplayable. The viola might be "worth" the money but have an inferior tone. Once again a high price doesn't guarantee a good tone and visa versa. I have seen at least three instances where a violin purchased on eBay -- supposedly from abroad with a high price and purportedly made by such and such a maker -- turned out to be a fake for which the customer grossly overpaid. Buyer Beware!

Making stringed instruments is both an art and a science. Selecting one is similar. Some of your considerations should be logical: is the instrument in good repair? Will it hold or increase its value? Is it "playable" for me? But you also have to use your emotions and artistic judgement: does this instrument delight me? Can I make it sing? Does it give me chills? You're going to spend a lot of time with this instrument, whatever you pay for it, so evaluate it on as many levels as you can.