Viola played with a quill or plectrum were known as viola de pendola or penola. Thus, some viols were played with bows, and some were plucked. The viol family was played in all three manners. It is thought that the vihuela developed in Aragon, on the Iberian peninsula in Spain.ĭuring the Middle Ages there were three ways to play stringed instruments: with a bow, with a plectrum, or by hand. Its connection to Spain was noted in the writings of Flemish music theorist Johannes Tinctoris in 14th century, who identified it as being invented in Spain. It was also used in the Libro de duen amor by Juan Ruiz. Less than a century later it was used in the Poema de Oncero by Alfonso XI of Castile (d. The term vihuela has been used in Spanish literature from the 13th century onwards. This term likely comes from the name of the Roman goddess of joy, Vitula. Vitula itself may be related to the term vitulari meaning to rejoice. It has been posited that all of these terms, vihuela included, come from the Latin vitula, which was used in the Middle Ages to refer to a stringed instrument. Languages across Europe have related terms, fiðla in Old Norse, fidula in Old High German, and vedele in Middle Dutch vedele. In the Middle Ages it was spelled fithele, which came from the Old English fiðele. I was not able to find with any certainty the etymology of these terms, and I suspect that it is unknown.įiddle had various spellings including fedele, fidel, and fydyll. It is interesting, as this large group of instruments that we would consider disparate, share names that indicate that on some level they were considered similar. It should be mentioned they also relate to the term fiddle, which is most appearent in its comparison to vielle. The closest Italian term is viola, in French it is vielle or viol, and in English it is viol. You are probably more familiar with related terms from other languages. Two alternate spellings were viguela, and figuela. The overtones will be more in tune and prominent than if the same string were tuned at a lower pitch. Higher string tension results in the string following the wave equation more closely. This provides important insight into its timbre. Luis de Milán stated that the top string should be tuned as high as possible without breaking. It was also comparatively easier to play, but could not handle the complex polyphony that is possible on the vihuela. The Renaissance guitar by contrast was not as loud.
#Spanish stringed instruments professional#
Thus, it is not surprising that it was used by professional musicians.
The vihuela was larger than the guitar, we can surmise that it was an instrument that was meant to be heard. The vihuela is distinguished from the Renaissance guitar, and cittern in that the viheula has more courses of strings, usually 6 or more, compared to 4, and had a wider and larger body. They have longer necks than lutes, typically having 10 frets, as opposed to the 7 frets on a Renaissance lute. Vihuela are easily distinguished from other plucked stringed instruments of the Renaissance.Īs mentioned above, they typically have a flat back, as opposed to the egg shaped body of the lute. Thus, again the vihuela has some similarities to the modern guitar. Modern guitars are typically tuned as follows from the bottom string: 4th, 4th, 4th, major 3rd, 4th. Vihuela were typically tuned like Renaissance lutes, with the intervals of a 4th, 4th, major 3rd, 4th, and 4th between the courses of strings. However, on the vihuela these courses were tuned to a unison, rather than having some courses tuned to an octave. They typically had six courses of strings, something like a 12 string guitar. (They typically did not have the C shaped bouts of the bowed viols of the latter Renaissance.)Īt a distance, so to speak, they also have other similarities to the modern guitar. Vihuela look something like modern acoustic guitars with their narrow waist. It is a member of the viol family, and typically had a flat back, and used gut strings. The vihuela is a plucked string instrument of Spanish origin that flourished during the sixteenth century.
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