So i just got told I have to perform the Mendelssohn octet in 2 weeks with 7 pros (as in all graduated from music college, aged between 25 and 45). Great! Except...I'm 2nd viola. Even that wouldn't bother me except for a few tiny little problems:
I have never played viola before.
I cannot read the music.
I don't know where the notes are on the damn instrument.
I lack any knowledge about the viola.
I am small for a violinist, let alone a viola.
I have no access to a viola teacher.
We will only have 2 rehearsals before doing 2 concerts.

Help me pleeeeeeeease!!! If anyone can tell me what the transposition is so that you can basically play the notes you see in alto clef on viola as they would be in treble clef on violin (I have tried and came out with down a major third but this is probably wrong) that would be a great start.

Technique tips, and anything specific for the octet also appreciated.

I'm no string player, but I just worked it out and also came out with down a major third

Good luck though! Sounds like loads of fun

I play Violin, but I must say i thought they were the same except the viola is bigger

ccc

Technique of viola playing is quite a bit different to be honest. The instrument needs to be held more towards the front of the body and generally, the scroll is held at a lower angle than you would with a violin. In order to produce the same quality of sound as you would on the violin, the bow arm has to bear further into the strings. They are quite big and heavy instruments to play for any length of time, especially if you are only used to the violin.

I know, and I'm sure many people on here will agree, that in general it pays just to learn the clef/notes etc. in the long run.
But in your situation I understand the urgency. I have been told (and I think it works) that you can read the alto vlef as treble and the fingering is the same as third position on the violin, give or take an octave possibly. I don't know how that works out for key signatures, but I hope it's helpful

Good luck for the concert, hope it goes well

I don't know if this would work or not but you could try putting the viola part into a music programme such as Sibelius, change it to a treble clef and then just transpose it down a perfect 5 and play the viola as if it was a violin in a different key. (if that makes sense!)

There really isn't an easy way of learning the alto clef quickly and also learning where the corresponding notes are on the viola. I have recently started viola and this is the problem i've been facing.

You'll find you have to bow differently with the viola to get a good sound but this also benefitted me with my violin playing and I now have a much stronger tone.

Just been mentally trying to get my head round that, and yes it would work. It would however be an octave out.

Best of luck!

Liz

Yes, that does work (though I've found it's easy to get reliant on it and not learn to read alto clef properly ).

Hi Bohemian,

Firstly, congratulations - this is a great opportunity. Secondly, if you want to have even the tiniest chance of pulling it off - put your violin away for the next few weeks and play only viola to get used to the technique which, once you get beyond basics, is quite different - there's a whole different feel to how you draw a sound from the strings etc.

For the alto clef - you could probably learn to read it in 2 weeks by sight singing with it - but if you haven't time for that, tell yourself that's it's one note up - if you see what looks like it would be a 'b' on the fiddle (middle line) then it's a 'c' on the viola (third finger on the G string) - or finger it down a major third if you're thinking purely in terms of fingering - I used the first approach when I began learning viola because I need to hear the music in my head, so the major third thing would have had me coming out with a G and I would have been confused when I fingered it and heard a c...

I think it depends on how you work - if you like to hear the music in your head as / before you play it - then remember it as a note up, (which will also help you learn the notes of the instrument) if you don't do that and don't have absolute pitch of any kind (where it might be uncomfortable to see a b, tell yourself to finger a g then hear a c...), then use the major third method.

Good luck - let us know how it goes.

Allan

I question the planning of this performance. Are none of the graduate violinists able to play viola, so that you can take over Violin 4?

I was once asked to play horn with three horn players from the Sadlers Wells orchestra (at the wedding of the fourth). He was Horn 4, so that was where I was intended to slot in. The two snags were that Horn 4 is the bass line, and therefore the second most important for tone quality; and my bottom register was relatively weak in those days. I asked if I could swap parts with Horn 2 (also a low note specialist) and the others agreed. The bride knew nothing of this, and was astounded to hear the Lohengrin Wedding March on four horns as she walked up the aisle!

Phew thanks guys, some really helpful stuff here.

Amanda - Thanks for the technique difference tips. I have been given a viola to play on which is the size of a big 4/4 violin so hopefully that will make it a little less difficult...

Ken - the other players are teachers, I am a student of one of the teachers, and nope, none of the violinists play viola. At least viola 2 is a pretty inconspivuous part.

Allan - I know the Mendelssohn and for that reason I'm happy thinking down a third, besides I don't think of note names when I play violin at all so it wont get me too confused, expecting to hear one note and hearing another. Although just playing viola would be the best thing, I have an important consultation lesson on Friday, and am performing 2 mvts of Shostakovich vln concerto on the same day as the Mendelssohn so it's just not an option! Besides, part of the deal with doing this octet is that I never have to play viola again