How To Choose A Viola
Congratulations! You are about to buy your first Viola...
Looking for the right Viola to buy can be exciting, if not a little daunting. As part of our ‘Beginner’s Guide To Learning Viola’ series, this section will help you start your journey by helping you pick the right instrument.
Things you should know before buying your first Viola
To decide what viola is best, you’ll need to think about what you intend to do with it. Now, I know you’ll be thinking “what a stupid thing to say! I intend to play it!”, but choosing a musical instrument is based on a series of choices that include:
- What sort of budget do you have? Remember, as with most things in life; you get what you pay for – so try to have the largest budget you can afford
- What type of music do you want to play? Having a Stradivarius is probably not the best instrument for you if you’re only interested in playing at the back of an orchestra!
What sort of Viola should I buy?
It doesn’t matter what type of viola player you are, you’ve got to love playing your instrument. Choosing the right instrument is one of the hardest decisions you’ll make as a musician, so it’s important to get it right!
Firstly, think about what situation you want to play your viola in.
solo concerts or with piano
with orchestra
for outdoor events
solo concerts or with piano
If you want to play solo concerts or with piano, you’ll need a viola with a big, beautiful sound that carries all the way to the back of a concert hall.
with orchestra
If orchestral playing is your thing, then you’ll need a viola which doesn’t ‘stick out’ of a section because it’s too loud but still has a good sound.
for outdoor events
If you mainly play for outdoor events, such as weddings, or for performances where it’s likely you’ll be amplified, then choose a less valuable model. The sound will be less important here as the finer subtleties of your viola’s sound will be lost either outside or through a microphone.
Playing solo or with piano
If you want to be a soloist, you’ll need a great viola. Higher quality violas will be constructed using ‘exotic woods‘ to make their sound as beautiful as possible. These include rosewood and boxwood, which some makers will use to make the chinrests, tailpieces and pegs. If you’re looking to buy a particularly good instrument, look out for these woods!
Secondly, you’re likely to spend a lot of time playing your viola with piano accompaniment, so make sure that its sound is big enough that the piano doesn’t drown it out. This is particularly important in the lower register, so find yourself an instrument where you can be heard comfortably on the C and G strings.
Size
Make sure your new viola is the right size for you. Violas don’t come in sizes like violins do (quarter size, half size etc) but an average size would be about 16 inches long. If you’re a younger player, you can buy an instrument which is perhaps a little big for you right now as you’ll grow into it, but don’t buy one where you’ll be waiting years for it to fit properly.
The important thing to remember about violas is they’re heavy! Don’t buy any instrument which you can’t physically hold up for long periods of time. You don’t want to sit in rehearsals for six hours each day in agony because your viola is too heavy for you.
You will want to play an instrument that isn’t too much hard work. By this, we mean a viola that you don’t have to force the sound out of, as this will exhaust you! Finding an instrument which is easy to play is so important and will allow you to enjoy making music with it, too.
For a more comprehensive article on what size viola you need, click here.
Our Highly-Recommended Violas
Here are some violas we really love. To complete this list, you may check our article Top 5 Violas For Beginners too.
DESIGNED FOR: Students
COMES WITH: A backpack style case, Beechwood bow, and rosin
FEATURES:
- Hand-carved Canadian tonewoods
- Integral fine tuners ensure fast and efficient tuning
- Guarneri-style chin rest for a comfortable playing position
COMES WITH: A backpack style case, Beechwood bow, and rosin
FEATURES:
- Hand-carved Canadian tonewoods
- Integral fine tuners ensure fast and efficient tuning
- Guarneri-style chin rest for a comfortable playing position
6/10
Student Viola by
Gear4Music
When you check the price above, you’ll see there are loads of great places to buy this item. Our personal favorite is Gear4music.
It is the largest music retailer in the UK and fast becoming the most respected online music shop in the US too. Their customer service is excellent, they have competitive prices, really fast shipping, and usually have the longest guarantee.
Most professional musicians use Gear4music, so there is no reason why you shouldn’t too!
PROS
- Very affordable
- Lightweight and durable
- Available with other accessories
CONS
- The bow and strings will need to be replaced if used after beginner level
The TedScore™ is our unique system of scoring products.
The professional musician who wrote this article combined many things,
from the product build, manufacturer’s reputation through to feedback
from other users, to create our famous TedScore™.
The professional musician who wrote this article combined many things,
from the product build, manufacturer’s reputation through to feedback
from other users, to create our famous TedScore™.
DESIGNED FOR: Students
COMES WITH: Hard Case and Bow with Maple Bridge
FEATURES:
- Carved From Solid Tonewoods
- Ebony Pegs and Fingerboard
- Most Recommended Among Schools and Teachers
COMES WITH: Hard Case and Bow with Maple Bridge
FEATURES:
- Carved From Solid Tonewoods
- Ebony Pegs and Fingerboard
- Most Recommended Among Schools and Teachers
7/10
Stentor Student II
When you check the price above, you’ll see there are loads of great places to buy this item. Our personal favorite is Gear4music.
It is the largest music retailer in the UK and fast becoming the most respected online music shop in the US too. Their customer service is excellent, they have competitive prices, really fast shipping, and usually have the longest guarantee.
Most professional musicians use Gear4music, so there is no reason why you shouldn’t too!
PROS
- High-quality sound
- Available with other accessories
- Comes with Prelude strings
- Has maple sides and back
CONS
- Slightly higher price than some other brands but higher quality sound
The TedScore™ is our unique system of scoring products.
The professional musician who wrote this article combined many things,
from the product build, manufacturer’s reputation through to feedback
from other users, to create our famous TedScore™.
The professional musician who wrote this article combined many things,
from the product build, manufacturer’s reputation through to feedback
from other users, to create our famous TedScore™.
About the Author
Mark Gibbs
My name is Mark and I’ve been playing the viola since I was ten years old. I studied at the Royal College of Music in London for four years. Since then, I’ve played with Rod Stewart at the Brits, played with the likes of Katherine Jenkins and travelled all over the world, doing what I love!
In my spare time, I love learning languages. I’ve been learning German for several years now and speak some Czech, too. I also enjoy studying maps, as well as playing and watching football.
Other posts by this author
How To Choose A Viola - Summary
Let’s keep things easy…
Choose a viola that is a good size for you – 16 inches is average.
Choose a viola that suits your needs i.e. solo, orchestral, outdoor
Find out what materials have been used to make your viola
Hopefully that helps you make up your mind about what type of instrument to buy. Now you’ll need to do some research over which exact model to go for.
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