VIOL, was an ancient musical instrument, which may be considered as the parent of all modern instruments of the violin family. It was a fretted instrument, of three sorts— treble, tenor, and base, each furnished with six strings, and played on by a bow. The Treble Viol was rather larger than our violin, and the music for it was written in the treble clef. The Tenor Viol was in length and breadth about the size of the modern viola, but thicker in the body, and its notation was in the soprano or a clef. The Base Viol scarcely differed in dimensions from our violoncello : the music for it was written in the base clef. Other instruments of the viol kind are nu merous. The Viol da Gamba was the last survivor of the family of viols. It derived its name from being held between the legs. It has been superseded by the violoncello. The Viola, or Tenor Violin, is a larger kind of violin, to which the part between the second violin and base is assigned. It has four gut
strings, the two lowest covered with silver wire, which are tuned A, D, o, and c, an octave above the violoncello. The Violin has been known, in some shape, in moat countries, and from very early times. The modern violin has four gut strings, the last, or lowest, covered with silver wire. These are tuned in 5ths, E, A, D, G. The wood of which the instru ment is made is generally of three sorts : the back, neck, sides, and circles are of sycamore ; the belly, bass-bar, sound-post, and six blocks, of deal ; the finger-board and tail-piece of ebony. The finestviolins are those which were made at Cremona, by the family of the Amati, and by Straduarius and Guarnerius. The Violoncello is an instrument of four gut strings, the two lowest covered with silver wire, and tuned in 5ths, A, D, G, and C.