Viola da gamba strings: how to restring
A viol has six strings, seven on many French-style bass viols, tuned in fourths with a major third in the middle. The strings are knotted at the tailpiece, wound on friction pegs in an open pegbox and pass over a loose bridge that tension alone holds in place. Gut or gut-like strings also stretch far more than steel.
Bass viol tuning, string by string
From the 6th string (the lowest) to the 1st, equal temperament at A 440 Hz.
| String | Note | Hz |
|---|---|---|
| 6 | D2 | 73.42 |
| 5 | G2 | 98.00 |
| 4 | C3 | 130.81 |
| 3 | E3 | 164.81 |
| 2 | A3 | 220.00 |
| 1 | D4 | 293.66 |
How to use it
- Choose your viol in the tuner at the end: bass (six or seven strings), tenor or treble.
- Do a step and tick its box; progress stays saved on this device.
- Bring the new string up to pitch slowly. Gut stretches, so expect to retune it many times in the first hour.
Help and explanations
This guide changes one string at a time, so the bridge and soundpost stay put, and ends with a tuner for the bass, seven-string bass, tenor and treble viol. The bass viol is D2 G2 C3 E3 A3 D4, 73.42 to 293.66 Hz, as listed by the Viola da Gamba Society of America.
String names and tuning
Viol players count from the top string down: the 1st string, the treble, is the highest, D4 (293.66 Hz) on a bass viol, and the 6th is the lowest, D2 (73.42 Hz). The seventh string of the French bass adds A1 (55 Hz) below. The tenor sits a fourth above the bass (a fifth below the treble), G2 C3 F3 A3 D4 G4, and the treble sounds an octave above the bass, D3 to D5 (587.33 Hz). The open strings form fourths except between the 3rd and 4th strings, which are a major third apart.
Plain gut on the upper strings, then wound or roped gut on the lower ones, is the usual makeup of a historical set; synthetic and wound strings are common on student instruments.
Bridge, frets and pegs
The bridge is not glued and the soundpost inside is held by the pressure of the top. Take every string off at once and both can fall. Changing strings one by one keeps them in place; after each string, check that the bridge is still upright, since tightening pulls its top toward the fingerboard.
Viols have tied gut frets, usually seven, and a new string can drag them out of position when you slide it under them. Check each fret afterwards against its mark and push it back square. Friction pegs need to turn smoothly: if a peg slips or sticks, a little peg compound on the contact surfaces is the fix.
Tips
- Keep a spare top string: plain gut trebles break most often, usually at the bridge or the nut.
- A soft pencil line in the nut and bridge grooves helps gut strings slide as they settle.
- Tied frets move: if a fretted note is off after the change, check it with the strobe tuner and slide the fret a little rather than moving the bridge.
Frequently asked questions
How many strings does a viola da gamba have?
Six on most viols. Many bass viols, after the French style of Marin Marais' time, have seven, with a low A1 (55 Hz) added under the D.
What is the tuning of a bass viol?
From the 6th string to the 1st: D2 73.42, G2 98, C3 130.81, E3 164.81, A3 220 and D4 293.66 Hz, at A 440. Many players tune lower, to A 415.
What are the viola da gamba string names?
Viol players number them from the highest: the 1st string is the treble, the 6th (or 7th) the lowest. On a bass viol, the 1st is D4 and the 6th D2.
How is the tenor viol tuned?
G2 C3 F3 A3 D4 G4, from 98 to 392 Hz at A 440: a fourth above the bass viol and a fifth below the treble.
Should viola da gamba strings be gut?
Gut is the historical choice and still the standard for early music. Wound gut or metal-wound strings are used on the lower strings, and synthetic sets on many student viols.