Viola da Gamba | Richard Meares (English, London 1647–1725 London). c. 1680. London, England.
IMAGE CREDIT: Metropolitan Museum of Art
Popular in the renaissance and baroque, viols were developed at roughly the same time as the violin family, but they differ in many ways: the instrument back is flat (not curved), sloped shoulders (not square), “c” holes (not “f”), five to seven string strings (not four) and have frets, the bow is gripped in an underhand fashion (not overhand) and they are tuned differently. Viola da gamba (trans. viol of the leg) is played upright between the legs like a modern cello and employs gut strings which produce a quiet, rich sound.