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Mary Brainerd
Written by Mary Brainerd

Benefits of Virtual Group Music Lessons

Mary Brainerd
Written by Mary Brainerd

 

Technical Music Skills

Learning music theory can sometimes be challenging and boring, but learning music theory in a group gives the teacher opportunities to teach theory in fun and engaging ways that will help your child enjoy and learn more about music. Ear training is also another skill that is best learned in group training.

Overcoming Shyness

Private lessons can put a lot of pressure on a child, but playing in a group helps kids relax and enjoy the music more. Since your child would be playing music in front of people every week, they would become less inhibited and more confident in playing their instrument. If your child is shy or bashful, group lessons could help them overcome insecurity and build confidence – all while being with friends!

Versatility

In a group setting, children would be exposed to different types of music and instruments that would allow them to be more flexible and versatile in their playing.

Motivation and Positive Competition

If you’re a parent, you know that nothing can motivate your kids more than their peers. In group lessons, your child will be motivated and inspired to work hard and try new things. Playing music in group lessons also encourages positive competition. Children can learn from and encourage each other to enhance their musical skills.

Teamwork

Teamwork in Group Music LessonsPhoto by Bro. Jeffery Pioquinto, SJ/ CC-BY

Playing in ensembles and regularly performing helps develop a sense of team spirit that is not really achieved in private music lessons. Playing music in a group helps develop music skills, as well as a support system among the kids as they work together and encourage each other.

These are only a few of the benefits your child would receive if given the opportunity to be in group music lessons. Each of these reasons also helps your child develop socially as well as see their value as a group member. They will grow in creativity and be more likely to sing in a group as opposed to a private lesson. Also, if your child tends to have a short attention span, the variety of options and activities available to them in a group setting would help them find something they really enjoy.

Benefits for Busy Moms

If you think these lessons would only benefit your child, think again! Knowing that your child is making friends and acquiring lifelong skills will bring you great joy. Also, while your child is in their lesson, you have time to run errands or have some time to yourself for a change!

Creative Soul School of Music

If this article has convinced you to enroll your child in group music lessons, Creative Soul Music School would be a great option for you and your child! This school offers a wide variety of options that will suit you and your family, including:

  • Private Lessons
  • Rock Bands (a great group lesson option!)
  • Music classes for ages 0-7
  • Adult Classes

Creative Soul also offers several different summer camp options. Summer Rock Day Camp is a week-long day camp where kids play in a band, write an original song, make a music video, and perform in a live rock show! Any child age 7-17 is welcome. Creative Soul also has camp options for younger children. Their “Once Upon a Time” and “Superhero Training Camp” are guaranteed fun for the kiddos, and rest for the parents! 

Group music lessons offer so many benefits for you and your child. They will learn so much about music, making friends, and developing skills that will benefit them for years to come! Check out Creative Soul Music School to get your child enrolled today!

 

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Mary Brainerd
Written by Mary Brainerd

FREE FLUTE STARTER CLASS - THIS SATURDAY!!!

Mary Brainerd
Written by Mary Brainerd
FREE FLUTE STARTER CLASS - THIS SATURDAY!!!
FREE FLUTE STARTER GROUP!!! THIS SATURDAY!!!
 
FREE WITH EVERY NEW RENT-TO-OWN!!!
 
ALWAYS WANTED TO LEARN FLUTE? NOW'S YOUR CHANCE!!!
 
We have been hosting a FREE starter Virtual Group Flute Class every week for new rent-to-own customers. This Saturday from 11-12:00, 11/7, we have two open spots left! This is part of the three FREE SESSIONS you get with your new rent-to-own agreement at Golden Music.
 
This Group starter class is built for you! It's for the brand new beginner! You'll have fun meeting other beginner flute students and working with our wonderful flute teacher, Liz Hicks-Kimmey. Several students have already tried it and then decided to stay on working with Liz. Here's some information about her:
 
Elizabeth Hicks-Kimmey - Flute, Piccolo, Recorder
 
Liz earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Flute Performance from the Manhattan School of Music. She recently secured her Bachelor’s Degree in Music Education from Metropolitan State University in Denver. Liz has taught flute and piccolo for the past 30+ years.
 
Liz describes her teaching style as “traditional” but makes it a lifelong passion to continue to learn new and exciting information about education by attending workshops and masterclasses as much as possible.
 
Besides learning to play the flute, Liz incorporates music theory into lessons helping students become well rounded musicians. Students have the opportunity to play in the Flute Ensemble Class and learn fun ensemble music!
 
Recitals and competitions are always available to her students. Liz also makes sure that her students are aware of any great concerts going on in the area.
 
She performs as principal flutist with the Jefferson Symphony Orchestra and has performed with the Colorado Symphony, Cheyenne Symphony, Denver Chamber Orchestra, Colorado Springs Orchestra, and the Colorado Ballet Orchestra. Liz substitute teaches for school music classes in the Jefferson County area.
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Mary Brainerd
Written by Mary Brainerd

Group Music Lessons Make Sense

Mary Brainerd
Written by Mary Brainerd
Group Music Lessons Make Sense
In and Outside this Environment of Covid Group Music Lessons Make Sense
Most parents want their child to be a music maker. Learning to play music, instructed in private or group lessons, benefits and enriches their lives in many ways.  The benefits are supported by hundreds of research studies.
One of the benefits, confirmed by research is that making music in a group setting improves quality of life and even helps us build deeper relationships.  The benefits of being a part of a group with shared interests and a common purpose cannot be underscored. Below is a list of just some of the benefits you could see in your children if you enrolled them in group music lessons.
 
Group Music Lessons provide better social experiences.  Students can gain a sense of belonging to a peer group and other children interested in music making.  Students are motivated often by seeing other kids doing the same thing, not to mention learning direct skills by watching the other students be directed by the teacher.
Group activities can be fun, too.  In our Musical Study Hall, we play games at the white board drilling the musical symbols and notes on the staff.  There's laughter and fun as the students try to get the correct answer!  It's surprising to learn that most students haven't had much direct repetitive drilling in this area, which is what it takes to learn to read music, essential a second language.  
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Mary Brainerd
Written by Mary Brainerd

Music Industry Association Speaks Out - NAfME

Mary Brainerd
Written by Mary Brainerd
NAFME (National Association for Music Education) states that in the time of COVID-19, "we collectively believe that music programs are more vital than ever, given their ability to support the social and emotional well being of students and their ability to foster community."
By maintaining access to safe and meaningful music-learning, music educators will continue to support the artistic, academic, social and emotional development of students, schools, and communities across the United States."
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Mary Brainerd
Written by Mary Brainerd

Viola Introduction

Mary Brainerd
Written by Mary Brainerd

The viola is sometimes not as prominent as the other string instruments, it's smaller and larger family members.  Yet it's rich, dark timbre and interesting history deserve a closer look.  Do you know, for example, that Bach, Mozart, and Beethoven all played the viola?  Or that the famed instrument maker, Stradivari, also made violas that are worth more than his violins?

In the popular realm, bands including Velvet Underground, The Who, Van Morrison, The Goo Goo Dolls, and Vampire Weekend have featured the viola prominently on various songs and albums. 

The viola is hundreds of years old. In fact, some reports say that it is the oldest of the string family.The viola is the middle voice of the string family, sitting comfortably between the violin and cello. It has the same A, D, and G strings as the violin with the addition of a C string (an octave below middle C). It has the same four strings as the cello (C, G, D, A), but is one octave higher. As the middle voice in a string section, the viola similar to the alto voice in a choir. In fact, the viola uses its very own clef, called the alto clef.  It is an unusual clef, but it's just as easy to learn as other clefs.

Violas are held almost exactly the same way as violins: to one’s left side, over the shoulder, and under the chin. In fact, the two instruments are so similar that many people have trouble telling them apart! This makes sense considering that they share the same playing position as well as three strings, but the viola’s slightly larger size creates a unique sound.  Violin has a body length of 14 inches whereas Violas found in orchestras generally range in size from 15 to 18 inches, with the most common size being 16.5 inches. The extra size is the crucial element in the creation of the viola’s unique sound, which is often described as being mellow and dark, a chocolaty."  Because it is larger, it requires a wider bow and strings and the body is thicker.

Famous Composers Who Played Viola:

  • J.S. Bach
  • Ludwig van Beethoven
  • Benjamin Britten
  • Antonin Dvorak
  • Joseph Haydn
  • Paul Hindemith
  • Wolgang Amadeus Mozart
  • Franz Schubert

Td earlier, the viola and violin are played in a similar manner. The main difference is that the viola is slightly larger, meaning that you must place your fingers slightly farther apart when playing viola than on the violin. Since the instrument is larger, is it also heavier and requires

.

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Mary Brainerd
Written by Mary Brainerd

Baritone Learn More

Mary Brainerd
Written by Mary Brainerd
Baritone Learn More
The baritone is played with the right hand on the valves. The left arm usually supports the bottom of the instrument. There are a number of shapes and sizes of baritones. Some have vertically angled valves with the mouthpiece attaching on the left side of the instrument. Others have diagonally angled valves with the mouthpiece attached on the right side of the instrument. The bell on baritones can be either straight up or bent forward. None of these differences really matter for younger players. Good brands of instruments are made with all of these configurations.

The difference in sizes for baritones is caused by how tightly the the tubing is coiled. Very small “baby” baritones look about half the size of a regular baritone but they are really the same length and the same pitch. The tubing is just coiled tighter. Another version of the baritone has a different name. It’s called the euphonium. Euphoniums are played exactly like a baritone. The difference is similar to the difference between a trumpet and cornet. The tubing of the euphonium and cornet is more cone shaped or “conical” than the baritone and trumpet. However the euphonium is not a typical beginning instrument. Virtually all euphoniums are produced for advanced players. They tend to be more expensive and most have a fourth valve to allow use of advanced alternate fingerings. Beginners should use a baritone rather than a euphonium.

The baritone has unique uses in various types of groups. We can hear baritones in bands, small ensembles or as a solo instrument. On the professional level, baritones or euphoniums are used heavily in military bands.

The Birth of the Baritone

The first tuba was made on September 12, 1835

One of the seminal events in the history of brass instruments was the invention of the valve apparatus in the 1820s. After their invention, valves were incorporated into a variety of brass instruments and spurred the creation of one new musical device after another. The basstuba, historical precursor to the modern tuba, made its appearance on September 12, 1835.
The German military bandmaster Wilhelm Wieprecht and the musical instrument inventor Johann Moritz were the basstuba's creators. September 12, 1835 was the date that Moritz filed the patent application for this instrument.

Named after an ancient instrument?

The name "tuba" comes from the Latin word for "tube," but was also used for an ancient bronze instrument used in Greece and Rome. The name was later used as a blanket term for horns, trumpets, and bugles. Moritz called his invention the "basstuba" since it had a lower tone than historical "tubas."

What low-pitched brass instruments existed before the modern tuba?

Before the trumpet and horn were equipped with valves in the 19th century, they were used in simpler forms without valves. However, since the tuba was invented in the 19th century, it had valves from the very beginning.
What type of instruments filled the role of the tuba before it was invented?
Although their structures were entirely different from the tuba, the ophicleide, serpent, and other instruments had a similar function to the modern tube in orchestras. Widely used until the mid-19th century, these used keys (metal caps over the tone holes) like woodwind instruments. For example, Mendelssohn's overture A Midsummer Night's Dream (1826) calls for an ophicleide. Also, when Wagner first wrote his Faust Overture in 1840, he did so with the serpent, not the basstuba, in mind.

 

Twists and Turns in the Development of the Tuba

Did the euphonium come from the tenor tuba?

Three years after inventing the basstuba, Moritz created the tenor tuba, an instrument with a higher tonal range. A fellow German named Ferdinand Sommer made the tubes of the tenor tuba thicker and more tapered. He called this instrument the "euphonium." The name was taken from "euphonos," which means "beautiful sound" in Greek.

A different instrument steals the euphonium's name!

While Sommer was developing the euphonium in Germany, Adolphe Sax, noted father of the saxophone, was creating one saxhorn instrument after another in Paris. First the sopranino, then the soprano, alto, tenor, and baritone saxhorns all had high tonal ranges that exactly matched the increasingly popular euphonium. The bass saxhorn, in fact, was sold under the name euphonium and was a great success.
Incidentally, the baritone saxhorn made by Adolphe Sax became the prototype for the modern baritone, which, although seldom used in typical brass bands, is an indispensable instrument in British-style brass bands.

The modern euphonium

The modern euphonium

The modern baritone (also called a baritone horn)

The modern baritone (also called a baritone horn)

Another low-pitched instrument is born!

As various brass instruments with low tones were being created, the one with the deepest pitch came in the 1840s by a Czech craftsman named V. F. Červený. A modern tuba is typically a C or B♭ tuba. As an instrument, the tuba can have various pitches, but these were not all invented by the same person. Craftsmen in various situations came up with diverse ideas and created instruments that were vetted in actual use, eventually leaving us with the instruments we use today. As a group, we call them tubas.

 

Tonal ranges of mid- and low-pitched brass instruments including the tuba

Tonal ranges of mid- and low-pitched brass instruments including the tuba

*The above diagram shows the range of each instrument in terms of actual notes.

 

The baritone

Usually equipped with three piston valves, this B♭ horn has the same tonal range as the euphonium. Some euphonium and trombone players will also play the baritone.
The timbre is bright and the tubes are considerably thinner than the euphonium. Despite having tubes thinner than the euphonium, the B♭ horn is called the baritone.
In the U.S., a euphonium with the bell and pistons facing forward may be called a baritone to differentiate it from a true euphonium.

The baritone

Can smaller people and women play the tuba?

You may have heard that the tuba is not suited to smaller people or those with less robust lung capacity. However, this is not necessarily true. To be sure, the tuba requires more lung capacity than a clarinet or trumpet, but it pales in comparison to the flute. There are women of small physical stature who are professional tubaists. Anyone with normal lung capacity is encouraged to give it a try.

Lung capacity can be increased through deep breathing

There is no denying that having greater lung capacity is an advantage for playing larger tubas. Dedicating some time to daily training can assist with increasing your lung capacity. The ideal approach would be to adopt an exercise habit like swimming or jogging. If this is not feasible, you might want to try deep breathing practice called "abdominal breathing." If you practice breathing by using your abdominal muscles to fully exhale to the bottom of your abdomen, you will boost your lung capacity while also increasing control of your breath.

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Mary Brainerd
Written by Mary Brainerd
Filed under
Bowed Instruments

Three Rules of Thumb for Stepping up To a Better Violin

Mary Brainerd
Written by Mary Brainerd
  1. Set-up
  2. Sound
  3. Longevity

Set-up - Buy from a reputable brick and mortor store rather than the internet. They can make sure your instrument is properly adjusted, and keep it sounding as good as possible. A good setup is vital for any violin, both for playability and tone. The quality and fitting of the bridge, and especially the fit and adjustment of the sound post make a huge difference in how a violin sounds. Setup is so, SO important... and I love an instrument that has a history... warm, big tone... and is set up easily playable.

Sound - I think violin sound and the ability to color it is part of the addiction to get us to keep playing! Be leery of buying a violin without trying it out first. A well setup and responsive good sounding violin will make you progress a lot faster as you'll enjoy practicing and be motivated since you actually sound good. As it is always a joy to drive a responsive car, it's the same with a violin and bow. If you can get good sound, handling, and feel, then you'll really enjoy it a lot more.

Longevity - I'd look at what you would be willing to spend on something that will carry you through many many years of playing. Spend some money to get the best… A good, responsive violin (and bow) make practicing much more enjoyable, and you'll progress faster. A few hundred dollars' difference in price, amortized over all the hours you're going to be playing, gets pretty insignificant in the long run. quoted from Violinist.com

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Mary Brainerd
Written by Mary Brainerd

Alto Sax Introduction

Mary Brainerd
Written by Mary Brainerd

Alto Sax

The saxophone is an instrument with a tone somewhere between a brass instrument and a woodwind. The sax is a must in all types of music from jazz, to classical, to pop, when a smooth and bright sound is called for.

Invented by Adolphe Sax (1814 - 1894), a musical instrument designer born in Belgium who could play many wind instruments. His idea was to create an instrument that combined the best qualities of a woodwind instrument with the best qualities of a brass instrument, and in the 1840s he conceived the saxophone. This invention was patented in Paris in 1846.

A metal woodwind?

The saxophone has always been made of brass since it was first invented. Because of the principles by which it produces sound, however, it is classified as a woodwind, much like the clarinet and flute.

What metal is used to make a saxophone?

The metal parts of a saxophone are made of brass

Brass is used to make the metal parts of a saxophone. Brass is an alloy composed of copper and zinc, and compared to iron, it has good rust resistance properties and is easy to work with. Some saxophones are gold plated or silver plated, but underneath the plating is brass.

 

Uses of the saxophone

What is the role of the saxophone?

Though the saxophone is made of metal, it generates sound with a single reed, and so it is classified as a woodwind rather than as a brass instrument. Be that as it may, the original goal of the inventor was said to be to bridge the gap between the brass and the woodwinds, to blend the divergent tones of the two groups in wind-instrument music, to reinforce the lower range of the woodwinds, and to create a tonal balance. The saxophone, in fact, blends in well with both brass and woodwinds, and is now heavily relied upon to firm up the tone of the band and give it a rich voice and charm.

Used in both jazz and classical music

The dynamic range of the saxophone is the widest of all the woodwinds. It has tonal qualities very close to those of the human voice, and it is capable of a wide range of expression, so it is no wonder that it features prominently in the history of jazz music as a solo instrument. In classical music as well, it enjoys a robust repertoire, particularly from French composers, and it is used in a wide range of instrumental groupings, including chamber music, orchestra, and even as a solo instrument.

 

Some Different Things You Can Do with the Alto Sax

Alternate rapidly between two notes

There is a technique called "trilling" that allows musicians to embellish a melody by alternating rapidly between one pitch and the one just above it. The video below shows an example of trilling between F and F♯ using fingering.

https://youtu.be/JGMA3La0zSg

 

Growl while playing

If you sing with your mouth on the mouthpiece, it produces a unique growling sound.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JGMA3La0zSg&feature=emb_rel_end

 

 

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Mary Brainerd
Written by Mary Brainerd

Viola Learn More

Mary Brainerd
Written by Mary Brainerd
Viola Learn More

The viola is sometimes not as prominent as the other string instruments, it's smaller family member Violin and larger family members, Cello and Bass.  Yet it's rich, dark timbre and interesting history deserve a closer look.  Do you know, for example, that Bach, Mozart, and Beethoven all played the viola?  Or that the famed instrument maker, Stradivari, also made violas that are worth more than his violins?

INTRODUCTION TO THE VIOLA

The viola is the middle voice of the string family, sitting comfortably between the violin and cello. More specifically the viola’s range is a perfect fifth below the violin’s, having the same A, D, and G strings as the violin with the addition of a C string (an octave below middle C). It has the same four strings as the cello (C, G, D, A), but is one octave higher. As the middle voice in a string section, the viola similar to the alto voice in a choir. In fact, the viola uses its very own clef, called the alto clef.

How To Read Alto Clef:

Alto clef may seem unusual, but it is just as easy to learn as the treble or bass clef. The middle line, pictured below, indicates middle C. Once you know this, you can simply follow the lines up and down to find the other notes.

Violas are held almost exactly the same way as violins: to one’s left side, over the shoulder, and under the chin. In fact, the two instruments are so similar that many people have trouble telling them apart! This makes sense considering that they share the same playing position as well as three strings, but the viola’s slightly larger size creates a unique sound. A full-sized violin has a body length of 14 inches whereas there is no official full size for a viola. Violas found in orchestras generally range in size from 15 to 18 inches, with the most common size being 16.5 inches. While a couple of inches may not seem like a big deal, that extra size is the crucial element in the creation of the viola’s unique sound, It's chocolaty sound draws people to play and listen to the viola.

MORE BACKGROUND

Would you believe that the beautiful tone of the viola has often prevented it from achieving the same fame as the violin and cello? This makes sense if you think again about the vocal equivalents of each string instrument. The violin is the soprano voice of the strings and the cello is the tenor voice of the strings. It is very easy to hear sopranos and tenors in a choir and even basses for that matter, but what are the altos up to? Much like altos in a choir, the viola often fills in harmonies in an orchestra. Its dark and chocolaty sound blends the string sections together and gives body to the orchestra as a whole. You may not notice them at first, but should you lose your alto voice/violas, your ensemble would sound hollow and deflated! Violas really are the (pardon the pun) the unsung heroes of the orchestra!

THE UNSUNG HERO

The viola is hundreds of years old. In fact, some reports say that it is the oldest of the string family. The viola has been utilized as a harmonic (as opposed to melodic) instrument by composers for hundreds of years. This is the main reason that people are less familiar with it than the violin or cello. The viola has less solo music written for it than the violin and cello, and while it does have more solo music written for it than the string bass, the viola is still less recognized than the bass. Besides being visually hard to miss on stage, basses are regularly seen performing in various popular music groups such as jazz ensembles and pop/rock groups.

This lack of star power has also contributed to something curious amongst violas and viola bows. Because of their role as harmonic instruments, violas were not made in as large numbers as the violin and cello. Great old violas and bows are extremely rare and thus a viola made by Stradivarius or Guarnerius is worth many times more than a violin of the same condition. Fortunately, there are several viola makers today that specialize in producing great violas, making for many happy violists.

A term used to refer to a variety of bow and string instruments

Nobody knows for sure where and when the first viola was created. However, it is known for a fact that the instrument was in use in northern Italy around the same time as its cousin, the violin (i.e. the first half of the 16th century). Although the instrument is called "viola" in both Italian and English, use of the term only became commonplace from the 18th century onwards. Up until then "viola" was used to refer to a variety of bow and string instruments (i.e. stringed instruments played with a bow)-which should be obvious if you consider the example of the instrument called the viola da gamba (which means "viola for the leg"). In French, violas have been called "altos" since the Baroque period, because they are the members of the violin family responsible for playing in the midrange. The German word for viola ("bratsche") is said to come from "viola da braccio" ("viola for the arm"), which is what instruments in the violin family were referred to in Italy during the 16th and 17th centuries.

An early viola.

An early viola. Its sloping shoulders show its lineage from the viol.

 

How the structure of the viola has changed over the years

Size comparison between a viola and violin

Size comparison between a viola and violin

The four strings on a viola are tuned in fifths to the notes c, g, d', and a'. This tuning is exactly one fifth below the violin, expanding the instrument's low range. Of course, while the instrument itself is larger than a violin, violas are not kept to strict size standards even today.  Compared with the bright sound of violins, violas produce a refined and more somber timbre. This is likely due to the compromise that had to be struck between acoustics and size.

The structure of the viola has changed over the years in a similar fashion to that of the violin. The body of the instrument was reinforced in order to allow it to play louder music more evenly. The neck was attached at a sharper angle and the bridge was made more durable, allowing for the strings to be strung more tightly and dramatically increasing the instrument's volume. 

Should I Pick Viola?

Should you play viola? Well, the most important question to ask yourself is, Do you love the sound of the viola?

As I mentioned earlier, the viola and violin are played in a similar manner. The main difference is that the viola is slightly larger, meaning that you must place your fingers slightly farther apart when playing viola than on the violin. Since the instrument is larger, is it also heavier and requires thicker strings and heftier bows.

Viola bows generally weigh anywhere from 69 to 74 grams—about 10 grams heavier than violin bows. One way to tell a viola bow apart from violin bows is by looking at the frog (the part of the bow that is held in the hand). The frog on a viola bow is rounded while the violin bow is pointed. The cello bow also has a rounded frog, but is shorter than both violin and viola bows and weighs around 10 grams more than a viola bow.

Another major difference in playing viola is the use of the alto clef. Alto clef is easy to read (with a bit of practice) once you know that the center line on the music staff is middle C. Although the alto clef was used quite widely in the Baroque period, it is rarely used by instruments other than the viola in modern times. The trombone and cello sometimes use tenor clef, which looks like an alto clef floating one line higher on the music staff. It should be noted that violists also get to use treble clef on occasion when they play in higher registers.

The last major difference between playing the violin and viola is in the production of sound. Generally, because of its thicker strings the viola speaks slower than the violin. That is, it actually takes a bit longer to hear its sound from the time the bow touches the string. Violists need to be mindful of this since we don’t want to be behind the violins in the orchestra! They also need to learn to play slightly shorter strokes than on the violin depending on the desired sound. The viola can be easily lost in the sound of an orchestra, therefore they need to be able to stop and start bow strokes clearly in order to be heard. Violists have to be masters of articulation! Remember that the viola is the middle voice in the string section. They are often the mediator between the articulations of the cellos/basses and the violins (It is no coincidence that violists as people tend to be calm and stable!) Along with sound production comes vibrato! Again, vibrato on the viola is very similar to that of the violin, but it tends to be slightly slower and wider to match the larger size of the instrument. Of course vibrato is purely personal, but a slower and wider vibrato achieves the darker tone that is more commonplace on a viola.

IMPORTANT VIOLISTS

Would it surprise you to know that Mozart, Beethoven, Dvorak, Paul Hindemith and even Paganini played the viola? It’s true! Mozart and Beethoven loved to sit in the middle of the sound when performing their own string quartets. Dvorak was a very good violist and worked as a viola player early in his life. Paganini studied with Alessandro Rolla, a famous viola virtuoso and composer, who most likely introduced Paganini to the wide technical possibilities of the viola. It was Paganini who commissioned Hector Berlioz to write Harold in Italy, a symphony that features a solo viola. As the story goes, Paganini thought that the solo viola part written for him was not flashy enough and he decided to write his own viola composition. The result was the Sonata per la Grand’Viola, a piece in the same vein as Paganini’s virtuoso works for violin.

Famous Composers Who Played Viola:

  • J.S. Bach
  • Ludwig van Beethoven
  • Benjamin Britten
  • Antonin Dvorak
  • Joseph Haydn
  • Paul Hindemith
  • Wolgang Amadeus Mozart
  • Franz Schubert

 

These violists have improved the playing of viola in the last 100 years.  There are good contemporary violists too: Yuri Bashmet, Tabea Zimmermann, Roberto Diaz, Kim Kashkashian, Nobuko Imai, and Helen Callus, as well as Lionel Tertis, William Primrose.

 

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