Viola da terra

Viola da terra

Viola da terra
String instrument
Classification	String instrument
Hornbostel–Sachs classification	(Composite chordophone)
Related instruments
Viola caipira, Viola beiroa, Viola braguesa, Viola campanica, Viola de arame, Viola sertaneja, Viola terceira, Viola toeira, Viola amarantina.

A close-up, showing the string arrangement and sound-holes of the Viola da terra.

A close-up, showing the bridge and saddle of the Viola da terra.

The Viola da terra is a stringed musical instrument from the Portuguese islands of The Azores. It has 12 strings in 5 courses. The strings are made of steel.

Tuning and further info

An antique Viola da terra in its case.

It is tuned A4 A4 A3, D4 D4 D3, G3 G3, B3 B3, D4 D4. The lower 2 courses have 3 strings each (2 of them high octaves and the third a low octave). The higher 3 courses have 2 strings each, all tuned in unison.

The scale length is about 520mm. There is also a smaller version called a Requinto. Like all Portuguese violas, the number of bridge pins does not match the number of strings, and often there are 3 or so strings on each pin, as can be seen in the close-up of the bridge and saddle.

Traditionally, like the picture to the right, the Viola da terra had wooden friction pegs from behind, instead of the watch mechanism used on other Portuguese instruments such as the Guitarra Portuguesa. Nowadays the Viola da terra usually has machine heads, like the picture in the infobox.

References

• The Stringed Instrument Database
• ATLAS of Plucked Instruments