Violone facts for kids

The violone (say it like: "Vee-o-LOH-ne") is a very large string instrument. People used it a lot in the 1500s and 1600s. It looks a bit like a double bass. But it actually belongs to the viol family of instruments. The name "violone" means "large viol." It was like a "double-bass viola da gamba."

Most violones had six strings. They also had frets on the fingerboard. These are like the frets on a guitar. They help you know where to put your fingers to make the right notes. Players held the bow underhand. This means their palm faced upwards when they played.

How the Violone Was Used

A violone made by Amit Tiefenbrunn

You can sometimes hear the violone today. It is played by early music groups. These groups play Renaissance and early Baroque music music. They try to play music exactly as it sounded long ago. The violones used today are usually new. But they are made to look and sound like the old ones.

History of the Violone

The violone was the last instrument in the viol family to stop being used. Other viol sizes were replaced by violins, violas, and cellos in orchestras. But the violone was often used instead of a double bass. For example, Bach used the violone in his cantatas. Cantatas are pieces of music for singers and instruments.

Eventually, people stopped using the violone. The double bass took its place. The double bass still looks a little like the old viol. It has sloping shoulders. Also, its strings are tuned in fourths. This means the notes are four steps apart.

"Violone" in Organs

Sometimes, the name "Violone" is used in organs. It names a soft organ stop. This stop makes a sound like a violone. It is usually made of metal or wood. You often find it in the pedal section of the organ.

Related Pages

• Viol
• Double bass

Images for kids

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  A "G violone" by Ernst Busch, in Berlin

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  Some early double basses were changed from violones. This 1640 painting shows a bass violone being played.

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  A violone or "great bass viol." This painting is by Sir Peter Lely, from around 1640. It shows a large bass instrument. It has a very wide fingerboard. It is played with an underhand bow grip and no endpin.

See also

In Spanish: Violone para niños