A viola’s range is three and a third octaves. The range extends from one octave below middle C to two and a half octaves above middle C on the E note. For a stringed instrument, this range is considered moderate.
An octave is a set of 12 notes that are made up of whole steps and half steps. Beginning with the letter A and extending to the letter G, musicians label notes in an octave. The octave resumes at A after G. A, A sharp or B flat, B, C, C sharp or D flat, D, D sharp or E flat, E, F, F sharp or G flat, and G are the twelve half steps in the octave.
The viola’s three and a half octaves are part of the chromatic scale, as defined by musical experts. Another method of evaluating this range is to use full note steps from A to G, ignoring sharps and flats, in what is known as the diatonic scale. In a similar way, half steps in the octave are used in various modal scales.
To compare the viola’s range with that of other similar instruments, consider one of the most common stringed instruments in this family. The violin has a four-and-a-half octave range. It begins on the G note below middle C and ends four octaves above middle C on the C note. As a result, the violin’s range is slightly greater than the viola’s range, and the two ranges overlap significantly.
The guitar, another stringed instrument, provides a useful contrast. The guitar has a four-octave range that starts at low E and ends several octaves above middle C. The fretboard on all of these stringed instruments shows the musician how the notes are set up in the instrument’s actual range. Students can compare the range of a viola to the ranges of largely obsolete instruments like the lute or specialty stringed instruments like the mandolin for even more contrast.
Look at representations of the viola fingerboard and learn where each note is placed to get a better idea of the viola’s range. This will also assist beginners in better understanding chord structures and improving their ability to follow note progressions. Understanding a viola’s range and fingerboard is an important part of the learning process for this instrument.