5-string viola – D Rickert Musical Instruments

What Are ‘Alternative’ Violin Family Instruments?: Three New Articles On that Topic

Mar 13, 2025

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in 5-String Violins and Fiddles, Announcements, Backpacker Violins and Pochettes, Baroque Instruments, Don Rickert Musical Instruments, Don Rickert Musician Shop, Octave and Baritone Violins, Pochettes, Kit Fiddles, Pocket Fiddles, Tenor and Octave Violas, Travel and Backpacker Fiddles, Violoncello da Spalla

Introduction These recent posts on www.RickertMusicalInstruments.com, by luthier Donald Rickert (me), will be of particular interest to players of such instruments as 5-string violins, octave violins, tenor violas, 5-string violas, octave violas and revival instruments such as the violoncello da spalla. With the exception of maybe the violoncello da spalla, classical repertoire is NOT the…

Brief Descriptions for Various Alternative Violin Family Instruments

Mar 11, 2025

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Donald Rickert

in 5-String Violins and Fiddles, Backpacker Violins and Pochettes, Baroque Instruments, Don Rickert Musical Instruments, Don Rickert Musician Shop, Observations and Opinion, Octave and Baritone Violins, Pochettes, Kit Fiddles, Pocket Fiddles, Tenor and Octave Violas, Travel and Backpacker Fiddles, Violoncello da Spalla

Introduction This post provides brief descriptions of the various alternative and extended range violin family instruments made by D. Rickert Musical Instruments. The descriptions include the normal tuning for each instrument, as well as links to other reference material about each instrument. There are two related posts: Travel / Backpacker Violin A travel violin, also…

Alternative Violin Family Instruments: Relative Sizes and Shapes of Soprano, Alto, Tenor and Baritone Range Instruments

Mar 10, 2025

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by

Donald Rickert

in 5-String Violins and Fiddles, Backpacker Violins and Pochettes, Baroque Instruments, Don Rickert Musical Instruments, Don Rickert Musician Shop, Observations and Opinion, Octave and Baritone Violins, Pochettes, Kit Fiddles, Pocket Fiddles, Tenor and Octave Violas, Travel and Backpacker Fiddles, Violoncello da Spalla

This article, which includes a photo essay, is about the different “form factors” of various “alternative” or “non-standard” violin family instruments, all of which are made by Don Rickert Musical Instruments. With a few exceptions, the images in the photo essay part of this post are of actual instruments made in the workshop of Don…

Alternative Violin Family Instruments: What Are They For?

Mar 9, 2025

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Donald Rickert

in 5-String Violins and Fiddles, Backpacker Violins and Pochettes, Baroque Instruments, Guitars, Observations and Opinion, Pochettes, Kit Fiddles, Pocket Fiddles, Tenor and Octave Violas, Travel and Backpacker Fiddles, Violoncello da Spalla

Related Articles: Alternative Violin Family Instruments: Relative Sizes and Shapes of Soprano, Alto, Tenor and Baritone Range Instruments Brief Descriptions for Various Alternative Violin Family Instruments In this context, “Alternative” or “Non-Standard” bowed string instruments refer to the following: Violin Variants 5-string Violins: See 5-String Violins and Fiddles Travel / Backpacker Violins: See Travel and Backpacker…

Alternative Violas for Non-Conformists Who Play Non-Orchestral Music

Mar 10, 2024

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by

Donald Rickert

in 5-String Violins and Fiddles, Announcements, Don Rickert Musical Instruments, Don Rickert Musician Shop, Observations and Opinion, Tenor and Octave Violas, Tertis Violas, Violoncello da Spalla

Introduction If you want to do anything with a viola, such as use it to play anything other than classical orchestral music, good luck finding a luthier who has ANY clue about what you are talking about. There are a few of us, but not many. If you are a member of the growing sub-culture…

Tag: 5-string viola

What Are ‘Alternative’ Violin Family Instruments?: Three New Articles On that Topic

Brief Descriptions for Various Alternative Violin Family Instruments

Alternative Violin Family Instruments: Relative Sizes and Shapes of Soprano, Alto, Tenor and Baritone Range Instruments

Alternative Violin Family Instruments: What Are They For?

Alternative Violas for Non-Conformists Who Play Non-Orchestral Music