One of the earliest illustrations of viols is in an altarpiece by Lorenzo Costa, in the church of San Giovanni in Monte in Bologna. This picture, dated 1497, includes a depiction of two young musicians playing viols: the curved bridges, use of bows and resting the instruments on the players' legs all mark these instruments out as early viols.
Some texts have stated that the gamba was a forerunner to the violin family, but there is no historical evidence for this at all. The violin had entirely different origins, and during the Renaissance it was thought to be a very inferior instrument to the viol.
Historians, makers and players generally distinguish between Renaissance and Baroque viols. The latter are more heavily constructed and are fitted with a bass bar and sound post like modern stringed instruments. Viol Bows
The bow is held underhand and is generally convex as were violin bows of the period, rather than concave like a modern violin bow..[image]Versions
The gamba (as the name is often abbreviated for convenience) comes in 6 sizes: "pardessus de viole" (which is relatively rare), treble, alto, tenor, bass, and double bass (also known as a Violone). The treble is about the size of a Violin (but with a deeper body); the bass is a bit smaller than a Cello. The English made small basses known as division viols; German consort basses were larger than the French instruments designed for continuo. A closely related instrument is the Viola d'amore, although the viola d'amore is played under the chin, viola-fashion.Tuning
The standard tuning of the viol is in 4ths, with a 3rd in the middle (like the standard Renaissance Lute tuning). For treble and bass viols the notes would be (from the highest) d',a,e,c,G,D. For the tenor viol the tuning is g,d,A,F,C,G'. The treble viol is one octave higher than the bass.
Other tunings were employed, particularly in the solo lyra viol style of playing, which also made use of many techniques such as chords and Pizzicato, which were not generally used in consort playing. An unusual style of pizzicato was known as a thump. Lyra viol music was also commonly written in Tablature, and there is a vast repertoire of this music, some by well-known composers, and much anonymous.Popularity
The instrument was common among amateurs, and many homes would have a so-called chest of viols which would contain one or more instruments of each size. Gamba ensembles, called consorts, were common in the 16th and 17th centuries, when they performed vocal music (consort songs or verse anthems) as well as that written specifically for instruments. Only the treble, tenor, and bass sizes were regular members of the viol consort, which consisted of three, four, five, or six instruments. Music for consorts was very popular in England in Elizabethan times, with composers such as William Byrd, John Dowland and during the reign of King Charles I by composers such as John Jenkins and William Lawes. The last music for viol consorts before their modern revival was probably that written in the early 1680s by Henry Purcell.
[image] There are several important treatises concerning the viol. The first was by Silvestro Ganassi: Regola Rubertina & Lettione Seconda (1542/3). Diego Ortiz published Trattado de Glosas (Rome 1553), an important book of music for the viol with both examples of ornamentation and pieces called Recercadas. In England, Christopher Simpson wrote the most important treatise, with the second edition being published in 1667 in parallel text (English and Latin). This has divisions at the back which are very worthwhile repertoire. A little later in England, Thomas Mace wrote Musick's Monument, which deals more with the lute, but also has an important section on the viol. After this the French treatises by Rousseau, Danoville (1685) and Loulie (1700) show further developments in playing technique.
The bass viola da gamba continued to be used (as a solo instrument and also to accompany the Harpsichord in basso continuo) into the 18th century, by which time it had acquired associations of courtliness and antiquity; composers such as Marin Marais, Johann Sebastian Bach and Karl Friedrich Abel wrote music for it. However, the instrument fell out of use as concert halls grew larger, and the louder and somewhat more strident tone of the violin family became more popular. In the last one hundred years or so, the viola da gamba has been revived by Early music enthusiasts, an early proponent being Arnold Dolmetsch.
The 1991 film Tous les matins du monde by Alain Corneau is based on the life of the Monsieur de Sainte-Colombe and Marin Marais, prominently featuring their music for the viola da gamba. The film soundtrack features performances by Jordi Savall, perhaps the best-known modern viola da gamba player.
In the early 21st century, a solid-body seven-string electric viola da gamba was developed by Ruby Instruments of Arnhem, Netherlands. The instrument has been adopted by such contemporary gambists as Gilles Zimmermann, Jay Elfenbein, and Tony Overwater.