The viola and violoncello are made on the same general model and principles as the violin, but with modifications. Both are, rela tively to their pitch, made in smaller proportions than the violin, because, if they were constructed to dimensions having the same relation to pitch and tension of strings as the violin, they would not only have an overpowering tone hut would be unmanageable from their size. These relatively-diminished dimensions. both in the size of the instrument and in the thickness of the wood and strings, give to the viola and violoncello a graver and darker quality of tone. To some extent the reduced size is compensated by giving them a greater proportional height in the ribs and bridge ; an increase hardly perceptible in the viola but very noticeable in the violoncello. To lighten the tension and thus allow greater free dom of vibration to the belly on the bass side, as-with the lowest string of the violin, the two lowest of the viola and violoncello are made of thin gut, covered with fine metal wire, thus providing the necessary weight without inconvenient thickness.
Many other instruments of the violin family, of various sizes and designs, and correspondingly different pitch and tuning, have existed at various times, such as the viola pomposa (a kind of small violoncello invented by Bach), the violoncello piccolo (an instrument half the size of the ordinary violoncello), the arpeg gione or guitar violoncello (a six stringed instrument for which Schubert wrote a sonata), the cellone (a deeper violoncello) and the octobass (a deeper doublebass), but all of these are now obsolete. None the less others continue to make their appearance from time to time, no fewer than six, designed to fill supposed gaps in the existing quartet, having been invented within recent years by a French violin maker, Leo Sir.
varies ; the pattern is attenuated ; the f-holes share the general rudeness of design, and are set high in the pattern. Andreas Amati of Cremona, the eldest maker of that name, effected some im provements on this primitive model; but the violin owes most to his sons, Antonio and Geronimo, who were partners. They intro duced the substantial improvements which developed the Brescian violin into the modern instrument. Nicholas Amati (1596-1684), son of Geronimo, made some slight further improvements and his pupil Antonio Stradivari (1644-1737) finally settled the typical Cremona pattern, which has been generally followed ever since. Only less famous than the last named is Giuseppe Guarnieri (del Gesii) one of several makers of the same name (wherefore the dis tinguishing "del Gesii") whose instruments if less carefully finished than those of Stradivari are remarkable for the boldness of their design and their powerful tone, so that the finest of them have been preferred by some of the great players to those of Stradivari him seif. Paganini among others habitually played on one.
Among non-Italian makers a high model was adopted by Jacob Stainer of Absam, near Hall in Tirol, whose well-known pattern was chiefly followed by the makers of England, Tirol and Germany, down to the middle of the 18th century, when it fell into disuse, owing to the superior musical qualities of the Cremona violin. The English makers may be divided into three successive groups (I) an antique English school, having a character of its own (Rayman, Urquhart, Pamphilon, Barak, Norman, Duke, of Oxford, etc.) ; (2) imitators of Stainer, at the head of whom stands Peter Wams ley (Smith, Barrett, Cross, Hill, Aireton, Norris, etc.) ; (3) a later which leaned to the Cremona model (Banks, Duke of Holborn, Betts, the Forsters, Gilkes, Carter, Fendt, Parker, Har ris, Matthew Hardie, of Edinburgh, etc.). The early French makers have little merit or interest (Bocquay, Gavinies, Pierray, Guersan, etc.), but the later copyists of the Cremona models (Lubot, Al dric, Chanot the elder, Nicholas, Pique, Silvestre, Vuillaume, etc.) produced admirable instruments, some of which rank next in merit to the first-rate makers of Cremona.