How much difference is there usually between a 15 and a 15.5 inch viola? Particularly in quality of tone and response, rather than projection and volume.
I could stretch to play a 15.5, but would probably be more comfortable with a 15 inch and if comfortable would play more. What I wanted to do is hire a 15 for a while to get used to the position (I play harp and play about with recorders / flute/ etc but other than occasionally messing around on a 3/4 Skylark violin these last few months am new to bowed strings) and then decide on the extra stretch, but the nice local music shop doesn't have cheap and cheerful in 15 so I may just buy straight away. Playing around on the shop's stock it seemed to me that as well as lacking richness on the C string (which I can live with) the smaller violas also were slower to respond on that string- is this standard?

Yes, yes OK I am contemplating Gliga, are there any other makes I should look at who have a good reputation for small violas or make very light/small feeling 15.5, ideally under £250 for the instrument alone or equivalent for an outfit as I can always upgrade later when I have a better idea what I want.

My eventual aim is back desk of the viola section in good amatuer orchestras for those irritating occasions where composers wrote lovely music and somehow carelessly forgot to include a harp part...

QUOTE (erard @ Nov 24 2004, 01:46 PM)

My eventual aim is back desk of the viola section in good amatuer orchestras for those irritating occasions where composers wrote lovely music and somehow carelessly forgot to include a harp part...

Have some sympathy for composers We learn about the bowed and blown instruments and then spend the same amount of time as all of them put together on this complicated mechanism and all the clever things people can do on it, plus the things we want them to but they can't (e.g. play fast chromatic scales).

Good luck with the viola. Its orchestral parts are sometimes mind-numbingly boring, but its chamber music includes much of the best.

I would say stick to 15 inch if that's what's more comfortable for you. A viola that is too large can cause excruciating backache if you play it for too long (too long can be just over half an hour!) and it really isn't worth all the pain (I have had experience of playing a large viola and I'm just so glad i've got a smaller one now).
kenm is right orchestral viola music can be boring but every so often you'll find a real gem somewhere!
Good luck.

QUOTE (kenm @ Nov 24 2004, 04:07 PM)

all the clever things people can do on it, plus the things we want them to but they can't (e.g. play fast chromatic scales).

Yes we can, we just generally don't... but only in harmonics and it takes both hands. If you have a harpist willing to play not only the octave harmonics (probably in the RH) but the 12th (probably in the LH) then you can for instance ask for C' Fs" D' Gs" E' Bb" Fs' C" Gs' D" Bb' E" with ' and " denoting first and second harmonics respectively.

Oh dear- I think I just proved your point!

It might be the quality of the C string that affects the responsiveness and the tonal quality, because I had a 16 and 1/4 viola, now I've gone down to a 15 and 3/8's, my new viola is 10000 times better and the C string is lovely. And viola orchestral parts are the most boring thing I've ever come accross, I ahve one orchestra part, and I have about 50 bars rest, and later on in that part I have about 30 bars of plain A quavers, but when you find a lovely viola part, they are real gems, and they make it all worth it!!!

I'd stick to a 15 inch if it's more comfortable for you. I'm 5 foot 9 and I only play a 15 inch (i will however admit that is due to being bone idle!) Half an inch extra will give you a better sound but that is little help if you end up with backache.

As for any viola under £250 that will compete with a Gliga Gems 2, unless you can get a good used one, forget it. It can't be done.

Liz being totally unbiased

QUOTE (erard @ Nov 24 2004, 04:35 PM)

QUOTE (kenm @ Nov 24 2004, 04:07 PM) all the clever things people can do on it, plus the things we want them to but they can't (e.g. play fast chromatic scales). Yes we can, we just generally don't... but only in harmonics and it takes both hands. If you have a harpist willing to play not only the octave harmonics (probably in the RH) but the 12th (probably in the LH) then you can for instance ask for C' Fs" D' Gs" E' Bb" Fs' C" Gs' D" Bb' E" with ' and " denoting first and second harmonics respectively. Oh dear- I think I just proved your point!

Wow! I think I might just write that one day (not in fast semiquavers though).

I recall a colleague at school announcing quite confidently to the GCSE music class "The harp has seven pedals, one for each foot"

Liz

Thanks- 15 inch it (probably!) is.

All the warnings about viola parts are taken on board, but really it would be nice to join in the general texture of a piece more often. I prefer the lower strings, refuse to house/move a cello too and want an instrument where an extra player is likely to be welcomed to the orchestra. As for tedium I refer you to the first act of Siegfried- scored for 6 harps which proceed to sit around for over an hour tacet, play 14 rather tedious and uninspired bars and then tacet to the end of the act and rest my case!

The harp is unique- there are 2186 different ways to be wrong before you touch the first string...

it really sounds a most fascinating instrument. one day when I have a little more space and a lot more money .....

Liz

QUOTE (erard @ Nov 26 2004, 01:36 PM)

Thanks- 15 inch it (probably!) is.

The best length! Mine's a 15-inch too, yay to people with short arms!

QUOTE (cheeble @ Nov 27 2004, 03:11 PM)

Mine's a 15-inch too

I suppose it would have to be in order to fit in the cupboard with your violin, pianoforte, French Horn, Organ, guitar and recorder!

QUOTE (zoda @ Nov 27 2004, 04:11 PM)

QUOTE (cheeble @ Nov 27 2004, 03:11 PM) Mine's a 15-inch too I suppose it would have to be in order to fit in the cupboard with your violin, pianoforte, French Horn, Organ, guitar and recorder!

lol!!!!!!!!!!!!

I don't keep my instruments in a cupboard though... I like having them where I can see them!!!

My viola's actually a little bit too small for my double violin/viola case... I keep having to pad it with about a million dusters each time I use it!

QUOTE (cheeble @ Nov 27 2004, 04:43 PM)

my double violin/viola case...

now that sounds like a serious piece of kit - like Pete Sampras arriving on centre court with his multiple tennis racquets When Cheeble arrives at orchestra you know she means business!