Open position chords for Viola da Gamba and Lute
Open position chords are the type of chords all guitarists, lutists, and therefore viol players, learn first. They are the beginners chords, the Major and minor triads that occur within the first 3 frets and the open strings. These large 6 string shapes are the foundation (and gross) chord voicing shapes that will reappear over and over again across the fretboard aligned for any particular root or tonic. From these larger gross shapes, smaller triad voicings (e.g. those that occur on three adjacent strings), inversions, and arpeggios, can be isolated — yet still associated to the larger patterns.
Guitarists will recognize these chord shapes (but shifted over one string) because of the fundamental similarities between lutes, viola da gambas, and present-day 6 string guitars. They’re all tuned essentially the same way — in Perfect 4ths with a Major 3rd interval at or near the middle. What this means of course is that Viols are of the guitar/lute/vihuela family, not the violin family.
The viols were deemed unneeded, unwanted, unnecessary, obsolete, in classical music circles, once violins and cellos were fully developed. We might, by now, have grown too accustomed to hearing violins and cellos deliver us our bowed string musics? It’s for you to decide. [listening to master gambist Paolo Pandolfo’s adaptatiopn of Bach’s six cello suites for Viola da Gamba will aid your deliberations ;’) . If you want an insightful read, download that PFD of the liner notes (CD booklet 2) “An Imaginary dialogue between a Cello and a Viol”. ] The most frequent reason people give for the decline of the viols is that they weren’t loud enough. That is, not loud and piercingly bright enough to be heard in large orchestras and in large halls. Viola da gambas do (sometimes) have quieter and softer voices then violins and cellos, particularly with the gut strings they were originally designed for, and in the more intimate chamber-music settings and forms they were typically used in. But that softer, gental, and expressive voice was (and is) their charm.
Gamba and Lute chord charts
Viola da Gamba tunings for the open position chords and barre chords — three pages of chords per tuning:
Note: the Gb shown in this open tuning is actually F#, the enharmonic spelling and proper Major 3rd spelling from D up. Likewise; F# up to B is the proper spelling for a P4th up from F#. Using Gb just makes it easier to remember, but you should know and remember there is a difference.)
This E tuned guitarist reference is to provide an introduction to gamba tuning associated to something you already know (standard guitar tuning). All you have to do is lower your G string one semitone to Gb. You’ll recognize these open position chord shapes but everything will be bumped one string to the left compared to what you’re used to. Note, with this tuning you get a nice open position B Major chord ;’)
Regarding the B Major chord, (one to the two most difficult chords for beginning guitarists to finger); Gamba and Lute chords are nearly identical to Guitar chords, but just pattern-shifted over one string (to the left or bass side), i.e. the 3rd in the guitar’s tuning pattern is moved to dead center on a Gamba. What this means is that in Gamba tuning you'll now finger an open position D Major guitar chord *shape* for your A Major Gamba chord (on the same strings you normally play your A chord on guitar). So again, the shapes you already know are all shifted one string towards the bass side like this: guitar D shape is used at and for A on a Gamba
guitar A shape is used at and for E on a Gamba
guitar E shape is used for B on a Gamba (on the three lowest pitched strings)! Yep, a nice B Major open position chord voicing. So now try the I-IV-V progression E-A-B in Gamba/Lute tuning. Use the Guitarist’s E based Gamba tuned open position chords I’ve provided. There’s three pages of chords there. Just tune your G string down one semitone to Gb (is actually F# when spelled correctly) and you’re ready to go. On another note; some of you know that the biggest complaint against "all 4ths" tuning is that you loose you're barre chords. You don't loose them with Gamba/Lute tuning. Further, you get a bonus movable Major/minor voicing too, and a really beautiful one to boot, a voicing you'll remember hearing in "early musics" (on Lutes for example ;'). The bonus movable voicing is similar to the movable C type Guitar voicing but better because it only needs a 3 fret span (rather than 4) AND you also get a great minor triad from it as well (something you don't get at all with the Guitar version, one that's usable enough to be used as a rule. The Gamba version can be used as a rule because it's so easy and always available and has it's Major triad counterpart).
Viola da Gamba or Lute D tuning
Note, at some point you might want to read this note explaining the 213 fingering for the open position D Major chord.
Viola da Gamba or Lute 7 string Bass Viol (is D tuning plus low A string)
Viola da Gamba or Lute A tuning
Viola da Gamba or Lute G tuning
Conceptualizing the 7 string Viola da Gamba or Lute fretboard — specifically in light of open position chords
Life isn’t so simple all the time. We now face some complications trying to decide how to conceptualizing the 7 string Viola da Gamba fretboard. Here in the 21st Century we have two ways to approach this:
view the fretboard as a 6 string gamba tuned instrument with an added bass string
view the fretboard as a 6 string guitar tuned instrument with an added treble string!
If you don’t understand what I mean, below you can see both 6 string gamba and guitar isolated from the 7 string gamba’s tuning pattern
| 6 string Gamba |
4th 4th 4th 3rd 4th 4th = 7 string Gamba tuning pattern
| 6 string Guitar |
In either event, the added string complicates the idea of “open position” chords as we know them. That is, complicates the idea of voicings and fingerings that “could” be strummed or finger-styled if desired and in this case using all 7 strings simultaneously and with one single fingering. [remember, virtually all Gamba players were lute players too, so the idea or need of open position chords even for the seven string models of either instrument was a real event, it actually happened. For example, how do you think Monsieur de Sainte Colombe came to the idea of adding a seventh string to his Viol in the first place? From the lutists of course, which is to say, from his own 7 string lute. It wasn't “out of the blue” or even new territory to him or anyone else at the time.] We have a finite number of fingers to begin with, and now the 7th string adds quite a few more options, optional fingerings, and optional conceptual models. In the 16 and 1700s this added string would still have posed some difficulty for a 6 string gamba player, but at least we could assume which model he or she was basing their newly expanded fretboard upon – the model of an added bass string.
Guitarists in the 21st century will most likely never have played a six string gamba (tuning) before, nor use that as their foundation to build upon. For a six string guitarist, transitioning to six string gamba tuning would probably be more difficult than jumping to 7 string gamba. The six lowest pitched strings of a seven string gamba are exactly like guitar tuning. Guitarists will have years of accumulated muscle memory dealing with the string set changes and offsets caused by the Major third in the guitar’s tuning pattern. For the guitarist moving to six string gamba, the location of those pattern-shifts will move. On six string gamba the 3rd is dead center in the tuning pattern, meaning moved over one string towards the bass side. It’s a small change on one hand, but it can be pretty confusing particularly if one is switching back and forth between guitar and gamba tuning. On the other hand, for a six string guitarist to move to a seven string gamba will be less of a leap (conceptually and muscle memory wise) because at least the 6 lowest pitched strings of the new instrument will be exactly like his or her old familiar guitar patterns. So any additional pattern parts and fingering options one must learn will have an obvious predetermined base and foundation -- the guitar-patterns foundation rather than six string gamba tuning foundation.
In any event, no matter which tuning model experience (6 string gamba or guitar) one brings with them to the new 7 string gamba instrument, it’s almost necessary to view all patterns (and all open position chords in particular) two ways anyway, that is both ways, two linked models, two connected 6 string string-sets and fingering patterns for every single 7 string position or gross large dot-pattern local-area chord voicing. In other words (given four chording hand fingers to work with) one could grab either of two six string fingerings depending which “extra note” they prefer or favor in the chord at any given moment -- the extreme high note (in which case grab the six string gamba shape and it’s fingering, this would be exactly like the D tuning six string gamba open position chord shapes and their names) or the extreme low note (in which case grab your old familiar six string guitar voicing and its fingering). The guitar voicings will be the same shapes on the same lowest pitched six strings but the chords will have new names. Your guitar E Major shape will now be A Major in the new (Low A) 7 string gamba tuning]. In at least one case, i.e. one of the 7 string gamba’s barre-type chords, you can simply still do (or just visualize) a full across 7 string index barre, that is use a single fingering grab or mental image across the entire 7 string width of the fretboard.
There are further complications inherent with the added 7th string if you come from a six string gamba background, e.g. visualizing your scales and roots of chords and progression root-movements etc. This should be less of an issue for a six string guitarist than it would be for a 6 string gamba player. The guitarist will still have to add some pattern bits up high on his or her newly added treble string, but in all I believe this will be less of a leap than the one a six string gamba player will face or that the guitarist would face going to a six string gamba.
So now, how do I best illustrate for you the open position 7 string chords on a gamba or lute? Is there really such a thing as “simple” open position chords and simple fingerings of same on a seven string gamba, i.e. an easy one-fingering-fits-all solution? I think not, but I’ll do my best. In the end I’ve drawn up two complete sets of the 7 string viol chords, one for 6 string gamba players to be viewed as an added bass string and another for 6 string guitarists to be viewed as an added treble string. The 6 strings familiar already to the given viewer (gambist or guitarist) are shaded gray and the new 7th string is left white.
I decided to insert and include all (or most) local area tones belonging to the given chord on either the two lowest pitched strings (gamba view) or the two highest pitched strings (guitar view). From there you’ll be able to see which tones would make for comfortable voicings and also see some of the other local area options that the inclusion of the additional string provides for. Of course, on a viol you won’t be strumming these open position chords anyway, so full seven string voicings really aren’t the goal, even 6 string voicings are a bit much on a gamba, but at minimum they can serve as a reference. Again, your best bet would be to see and compare the gamba-6 (high 6 strings) and the guitar-6 voicings (lowest 6 strings) versions side by side. Printing out the free PDF version of these two sets of chords will allow you to do that more easily.
Of the two sets of illustrations the one called “gambist's reference” might actually be more important to the guitarist because the grayed area highlighting the 6 string gamba (or treble side) voicings will be the ones least familiar to a guitarist. Like wise, the so called “guitarist’s reference” set with gray box highlighting the six lowest pitched strings will be of high interest to six string gamba players who’ve never played guitar before. So indeed these two alternate views as one larger conceptual model (applicable to all comers) is a pretty good way of approaching it I think. In the free PDF version I’ve done side by side facing pages of the two different views.
The main point here is to introduce you to the instruments, show you how fundamentally similar they are to guitar, and prove to you that you could do, i.e. this could be you, as easily as guitar (once you learn how to bow). Once you hear a few classic Gamba composition recordings you’ll be able to say to yourself I could do that! And understand, that when a violin or cello player sees the gamba chords I’m showing you here they will not recognize them. They will not see their old familiar guitar chords in there because it’s really not their instrument. When you hear people subscribing to the idea that violin players should moonlight as viol players it sounds a little strange to me, because asside from the fact they sound somewhat similar, the only thing Gambas and violin/cellos have in common is some horse hair ;’).
Note: These chord charts and the entire Viola da Gamba and Lute section on this web site is the first and only such presentation in the world (to my knowledge), whether in print or on the web. [So much for the proper and effective stewardship of all of those Viola da Gamba and Lute Societies in the world. It took a guitarist, someone who cares about his family, to do the job they should have done 100 years ago. You’ll hear a lot of flapping lips about “public outreach” and “audience developement” in their non-profit mission statements. Funny that no-one though to court the guitar players all along. But then, it’s not our instrument anyway — because viols are in the violin family, right? WRONG! ]
Gamba links and resources
Speaking of instruments, here’s some links to some old and new Gambas, eye candy, food for thought, and a reason to save your pennies. I’ll also be including links to as many modern and innovative interpretations of bowed string instrument design and production techniques. This is to provide ideas and encourage any current or potential new instrument builders, manufacturers, and future entrepreneurs.
Eye Candy: historical instruments
Orpheon Foundation exhibition I don’t think it gets much better than this presently. When you get to this page notice that the opening group shot is then broken down to three groupings (three subsequent photos) of instruments isolated and highlighted individually. The three groupings are of instruments originating from England, Italy, and Austria, (French examples are much needed to round out the picture).
New instruments:
currently available Viola da Gambas, acoustic instruments, patterned after classical designs, still with tied frets. The majority of even remotely affordable new instruments are coming out of China or Eastern Europe. Here’s a few such offerings linked below. But again we’re still talking about a minimum of $2000 including bow, case, and shipping. That price point still needs to be cut in half at least, and with mass production it can be. Asia is already the largest maker of string instruments in the world today, from guitars to cellos. If you can get a large established manufacturer like Samick for instance (guitar maker to the world) the price per unit drops significantly yet quality can be good.
New Chinese Viola da Gambas 1 Direct to close-up
New Chinese Viola da Gambas 2
New Czech Viola da Gambas (Ceske) Direct to close-up, Bass
Electrified instrument solutions: non acoustic, fretted or unfretted bowed string instruments
Ruby-Gamba notice the fully fretted fretboard and interesting compromise solution to the frets themselves. The frets appear to be movable gut (nylon) but not wrap around, they’re in some kind of channel, track, or groove. Price is probably prohibitive but the design looks to be more than a little promising for satisfying the needs of both traditional and modern requirements. Also notice modern machine geared tuners.
Ruby-Gamba main page
close-up 1
close-up 2
TogaMan GuitarViol Bowed Guitar, electric
notice the bridge too, an Arco bowed bridge pickup
So called “Electric violins”, but fretted, 6 stringed, bowed, 4ths tuned (meaning they’re Gambas essentially, and can be scaled up as well).
6 string fretted all-4ths bowed electric (violin sized) at “Electric Violin Lutherie”
6 string fretted all-4ths electric (violin sized)
close-up
Jordan Music 6 string fretted bowed instrument
Wood Violins (maker) 6 string fretted bowed electrics: 6 string Sabre, 7 string Viper
Clevinger electric upright basses
see 6 string midi bass
Food for thought:
Aluminum Bass (W.W.II era Navy issue instruments)
Strings Magazine article
Peter Erickson's Aluminum bass Hybrid
Plans for making a 5 string Aluminum bowed instrument
Machine made necks and fingerboards/fretboards:
neck example (violin) at Stewart MacDonald's
fingerboard example (violin) at Stewart MacDonald's
Viol neck joint, a bolt-on waiting to happen?
Student (child) made viols W.W.II era
This is reportedly one of many such instruments made in the late 1940s in Germany by young wards of an orphanage. The child made instruments were reportedly done under the direction of a well know German luthier. Notice the fully fretted fretboard and economy of using a guitar-like head-stock and geared tuning machines.
Bows:
Gut and synthetic Gamba strings:
Commercial recordings and free sound clips: (as soon as I can get copyright clearances)
Look these up at Amazon or similar vendor (or your local brick and mortar record store)
Marin Marias, Book two of Pieces for Viol, Astree Records CDs, Jordi Savall (Gambist), tracks 1 and 2 in particular
J.S. Bach Sonatas for Viola da Gamba, Harmonia Mundi Records CDs, Paolo Pandolfo (Gambist) Get the one with Solo Viola da Gamba in D minor.
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