What's the difference?

The violin is the soprano member of the string family. It has four strings and is played under the chin. The viola is the alto member of the string family and also has four strings. The violin and viola look very similar, except that the viola is much larger which gives it a rich, mellow sound.

All students begin on instruments that are sized to their height and body build. Students choosing to play viola start on small violins strung as violas. When they are able to play a full size violin, they move to a junior size viola. Full size violas range from 15 – 18 inches with most players choosing a range from 15.5 – 16.5 inches.

There is a wide array of music written for both instruments. When you visit the studio I would be happy to play both for you to make a choice!