The Viola. Why Does Everyone Hate It?

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  • Опубликовано: 8 авг 2020
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Комментарии • 4,4 тыс.

  • @silviomp
    @silviomp 4 года назад +4825

    French horn is a heavenly instrument.
    Only God knows what note will come out.

    • @thimovijfschaft3271
      @thimovijfschaft3271 4 года назад +109

      I accidentally read "heavier" instrument. And that also fits since it's a common instrument to use during "breakdowns" of symphonic metal or cinematic music.

    • @paavobergmann4920
      @paavobergmann4920 4 года назад +102

      😂😂😂!!! *Giggle* . A French horn player myself: so true! The mystery spiral, as we called it....

    • @PapaPhilip
      @PapaPhilip 4 года назад +14

      Oh, the memories you have brought back.

    • @AAbshier
      @AAbshier 4 года назад +53

      How do you get a trombone to sound like a French horn? Put a hand up the bell and miss half your notes!

    • @paavobergmann4920
      @paavobergmann4920 4 года назад +8

      @@AAbshier ;-)
      "Pfffffieeeerrkh!" - oops, sry...

  • @pyrobola8715
    @pyrobola8715 3 года назад +4659

    you: big violin
    me, an intellectual: shoulder cello

    • @myheartwillstopinjoy8142
      @myheartwillstopinjoy8142 3 года назад +29

      😂😂

    • @kevoinam
      @kevoinam 3 года назад +10

      Lmao

    • @Davmm96
      @Davmm96 3 года назад +102

      I'm afraid a shoulder cello would be a violoncello da spalla, my dear fellow.
      In that period, they really tried a lot of things instrument-wise. Before the viola, the violin family in France had multiple sizes (dessus, taille, haut-contre, quinte. basse) and eventually the 3 middle sizes were replaced by the viola. Altough this was mostly in the Louis IX's string orchestra. So they also tried to shrink the cello so violinist could easily play the cello hence the violoncello da spalla.
      Things only begin to be standardised in the classical era and improved later with technology like metal flutes, trumpets with valves and finally wound strings....
      refs: ruclips.net/video/2gZzo5Xp99U/видео.html
      ruclips.net/video/GWRFqsxdq-4/видео.html

    • @milotheaxolotl4709
      @milotheaxolotl4709 3 года назад +48

      @@Davmm96 ah yes a person of culture, thanks for sharing your knowledge (it's not sarcasm)

    • @Kit-gm6im
      @Kit-gm6im 3 года назад

      Ahh

  • @Beavernator
    @Beavernator 2 года назад +56

    My 16 year old daughter has played Viola for about 4 years now... She thought of quitting last year until her orchestra teacher literally freaked out and pulled her aside saying she can't because she's a "natural" Viola player which is VERY difficult... Was surprised to hear that until We really dug into what she meant... This year, she was put on the senior and college level groups and invited to go to State and National competition teams... Was really cool for her because she always felt she was just performing average... Gonna buy her a really nice black Viola because I'm dang proud of her...

    • @MsPBJTime
      @MsPBJTime 6 месяцев назад +2

      Thank you for being so supportive! Viola players are treated like second fiddles in a school orchestra often.

    • @rafaelernestorosabal8734
      @rafaelernestorosabal8734 5 месяцев назад

      I don't see why I should choose between violin or viola I believe if you can play either one you can play the other! The C string's sound is awesome! As a late beginner (18) and a non-musician who took up the violin after retirement I don't feel the difference, not to say that it's easy but the viola's special tone even for the same notes as the violin are worth the effort Great video! Gracias!

    • @Beavernator
      @Beavernator 5 месяцев назад +3

      @@rafaelernestorosabal8734 I agree... I know I wrote this comment 2 years ago, but as an update, My daughter found that playing the Violin and other string instruments were WAY easier after spending so much time with the Viola...

  • @johnsidoti3215
    @johnsidoti3215 3 года назад +795

    as a bassist, I've always had a lot of respect for the viola players. Reading C clef is a pain, and you have to be able to switch between clefs quickly... and the tone is so much warmer than a violin

    • @vaultedhollow
      @vaultedhollow 3 года назад +42

      As a viola player: c clef is a different concept, where it's movable and the arrow thing points to middle c. There are only two still in use, alto clef (what violists usually use), and tenor clef (sometimes cello uses it).
      I've also played things written in both treble and bass (on viola, I also do piano), which is actually really hard because they're both one note off from alto clef. Learning alto clef wasn't so bad, but the first time I played violin music on a viola (it's completely impossible to find viola music for obscure video games) was absolutely awful.

    • @johnsidoti3215
      @johnsidoti3215 3 года назад +5

      @@vaultedhollow for me switching from bass to C clef was always a stretch when I was reading solo music and had to switch to thumb position... but that's my brain :)

    • @frankcooke1692
      @frankcooke1692 2 года назад +3

      Also there's no guitarist to show you what to play

    • @Dany715gd
      @Dany715gd 2 года назад +9

      @@frankcooke1692 He meant classical double bassist. Rock musicians dont even know how to read music

    • @frankcooke1692
      @frankcooke1692 2 года назад +3

      @@Dany715gd They don't need to read music. They play the songs from memory

  • @ianhuangncubed
    @ianhuangncubed 3 года назад +3709

    Honestly I bet most people who "hate" on violas don't actually hate them, they just do it for the memes.

    • @data4385
      @data4385 3 года назад +187

      Yeah, we don't actually hate it. We just rofl.

    • @cbfedge5593
      @cbfedge5593 3 года назад +33

      We hate them. Don't spread lies pls

    • @dominique5970
      @dominique5970 3 года назад +107

      bruh wtf it's literally an instrument there's no need to actually hate it

    • @isaactrefz9744
      @isaactrefz9744 3 года назад +164

      Only people who practice 40 hours a day can hate the violas fully.

    • @Bubukat7777
      @Bubukat7777 3 года назад +64

      Nah, no one hates it, they just joke about it

  • @ALoonwolf
    @ALoonwolf 4 года назад +2652

    Violin player: "I would really like to be able to play a bit lower."
    Cello player: "I would really like to be able to play a bit higher."
    Viola player: "I would really like a sandwich. I'm a bit hungry."

    • @tiki_trash
      @tiki_trash 4 года назад +12

      moar likes

    • @williamhiegel2756
      @williamhiegel2756 4 года назад +37

      It’s called getting a 5 or 6 string violin/cello

    • @Qyver
      @Qyver 4 года назад +5

      CyclonicWings 29 there aren’t acoustic ones though

    • @austenmidland7034
      @austenmidland7034 4 года назад +110

      @@williamhiegel2756 it's called sacrilegious

    • @vetlerradio
      @vetlerradio 4 года назад +39

      Good cello players don't worry about that, they can go almost as high as the alto.

  • @ManuelRodriguez-wm2gv
    @ManuelRodriguez-wm2gv Год назад +136

    Came across this video by accident, and it immediately struck a chord. My late father, Jose Rodriguez, was a professional musician for more than 50 years. And, yes, most of his career was as a violist, starting with several small, regional orchestras and eventually making it to the "big show," the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. He spent 27 years as a member of the PSO viola section. Music directors he worked under included William Steinberg, Andre Previn and Lorin Maazel. Not to mention a long list of guest conductors and soloists ranging from Leonard Bernstein and Isaac Stern to Yo-Yo Ma and Alicia de Larrocha.
    As you did, my Dad started as a violinist but moved to the viola after a few years. He reasoned (correctly) that he'd have an easier time making it to a top orchestra on the viola. He never regretted the switch.
    As soon as you began playing here, I was immediately taken back to my youth in Pittsburgh, listening to my Dad practicing daily in in our home's music room. The viola is an instrument with a sound all its own.
    I admit I hadn't heard the "viola jokes" you brought up. Then, again, that would've been shop-talk during orchestra rehearsals and I wasn't privy to that :)
    At my Dad's funeral, many, many of his former orchestra colleagues came. Even the Pittsburgh Symphony Society president was there. After the service, a member of the PSO viola section, who had played with my Dad for years, told me how much he was missed. He descibed my Dad as a "musician's musician," which I consider as fine a compliment as one can receive.

  • @chrisjackson1266
    @chrisjackson1266 Год назад +98

    The orchestra string section is incomplete without it. The richness of the sound, and the dissonances and harmonies you get from the inner voices are what truly make things click harmonically.

    • @saucysos
      @saucysos 6 месяцев назад +2

      Take a cello, put a capo on 12

  • @MminaMaclang
    @MminaMaclang 4 года назад +1987

    The non-musician two-setters in the background clicking on this video so fast because they've been curious for the longest time

    • @Crisposhot
      @Crisposhot 3 года назад +52

      That brought me here tbh

    • @eatyourcereal6837
      @eatyourcereal6837 3 года назад +30

      No, everyone knows the viola is sh*t

    • @Axolautism
      @Axolautism 3 года назад +36

      I'm a viola simp two-setter clicking it. (Violinist but I do love the viola)

    • @Christofblueberry
      @Christofblueberry 3 года назад +2

      Haha so true

    • @lilithian0
      @lilithian0 3 года назад +2

      Yuuuup

  • @idk7721
    @idk7721 3 года назад +3011

    "Why does everyone hate viola?"
    Literally every lingling wannabe: *IT'S THE LAW*

  • @johngviolaman3531
    @johngviolaman3531 3 года назад +479

    After almost 60 years, I am getting a viola. I learned a little in junior college in 1963 because I liked the tone of the viola compared to the violin. Life stopped my learning and now I want to try it again. Thank you for the insight that you have shared with us! Next week (hopefully) my journey will continue!

    • @ianwilkinson4602
      @ianwilkinson4602 3 года назад +14

      Go John go...

    • @johngviolaman3531
      @johngviolaman3531 3 года назад +12

      @@ianwilkinson4602 Thanks, Ian! So far, it's been a lot of fun.

    • @johngviolaman3531
      @johngviolaman3531 3 года назад +11

      @Greg Monks I just wish I'd started sooner. After a month I've improved, but still am trying to get relaxed playing even simple tunes.

    • @sciaj
      @sciaj 3 года назад +2

      practice you got this🖤

    • @codyv308
      @codyv308 2 года назад +1

      @Greg Monks could you recommend some simple tunes i can learn? i just got my first viola a couple weeks ago, and ive got a feel for it but dont know where to go from here

  • @benjaminclegg7109
    @benjaminclegg7109 3 года назад +83

    I have always favored the more mellow and warmer viola sound over the high pitched sharp sound of the violin

    • @neilpickup237
      @neilpickup237 2 года назад +4

      A boon when you have to suffer someone learning!
      Sometimes I wish that learning to play the violin was banned until a certain viola proficiency has been reached!

  • @ketchakik
    @ketchakik 3 года назад +1701

    My wife played the viola. She chose it because it reminded her of herself. Often forgotten middle child between two better likes siblings

    • @jacobsaccount9353
      @jacobsaccount9353 3 года назад +133

      Thats deep

    • @joaquimgianini1234
      @joaquimgianini1234 3 года назад +206

      Is she made of wood and people rub horse hair on her belly producing distinctive sound frequences?

    • @eliyahsegura5058
      @eliyahsegura5058 3 года назад +57

      @@joaquimgianini1234 WTF LMAAOOOO

    • @luka243
      @luka243 3 года назад +13

      @@joaquimgianini1234 this comment is gold lol

    • @yonatanbeer3475
      @yonatanbeer3475 3 года назад +10

      @@joaquimgianini1234 very vivid image there.

  • @lexi-op5vk
    @lexi-op5vk 4 года назад +1829

    I feel like Mary is not joining TwoSet vs Davie fight, she’s just coming to them and smiling

    • @Arthur-qe8xc
      @Arthur-qe8xc 4 года назад +130

      "While you guys are fighting, I'll get some snacks."

    • @reinq_5584
      @reinq_5584 4 года назад +6

      😂

    • @wallybonejengles5595
      @wallybonejengles5595 4 года назад +25

      Shes like Switzerland. Or Portugal even.

    • @luisramirez6518
      @luisramirez6518 4 года назад +33

      Even the viola gang is better than that 😉

    • @ghostpotato6260
      @ghostpotato6260 3 года назад +14

      I find TwoSet cringe and annoying

  • @musician1971a
    @musician1971a 3 года назад +424

    Everyone hates it?? It's the instrument that makes orchestral pieces sound warmer, it's apparently very underrated. Not seldom is it the viola section that plays a run that totally opens up a chord or musical part. I don't play violin by the way, but I love the sund of the viola

    • @Fyodor48
      @Fyodor48 3 года назад +3

      Agree

    • @ChamiKhan13
      @ChamiKhan13 3 года назад +30

      I’m a violist and had to come here after watching two set violin just because they hate it so much. Thank you 🥺

    • @theSkin_of_a_Killer_Bella
      @theSkin_of_a_Killer_Bella 2 года назад +8

      Lol true, but no one really hates it. And anyone who does is usually considered insignificant as far as I’ve seen.

    • @andrewbarrett1537
      @andrewbarrett1537 2 года назад +9

      Your right in that the viola holds down notes comfortably that are a bit low for the violin and a bit high for the cello. It sounds really good in that range and so is necessary.

    • @vz_aliyah
      @vz_aliyah 2 года назад +1

      Yeah for some reason people hate it🙄

  • @sourisvoleur4854
    @sourisvoleur4854 2 года назад +13

    At university I worked at a campus eatery with a guy majoring in viola. He invited us to his senior recital; we were blown away. Beautiful sounds. Wherever you are Mike, thanks for that memorable afternoon!

  • @jehmarxx
    @jehmarxx 4 года назад +1097

    That's why Brett's lofi sounded perfect.

  • @jdmarino
    @jdmarino 4 года назад +797

    A trumpet player friend of mine tells this joke: What's the difference between a violin and a viola? A viola burns longer.

    • @adflaker
      @adflaker 4 года назад +100

      A viola player I know asked me if I knew why they burned longer when I told him this joke. When I told him "because it's bigger..." he said "No, because it's probably still in the case."

    • @austenmidland7034
      @austenmidland7034 4 года назад +44

      @@adflaker it's because we hear so many of these jokes, we've become pro at burning ourselves. Because that's the only way a violist could ever bring warmth and happiness to anyone else.
      Why's a viola melody similar to peeing your pants? Because you can't hear it, but you get a nice warm tingly feeling.

    • @annoynymouse1146
      @annoynymouse1146 4 года назад +5

      @John Verne An alternative is "Hi, I can hit higher notes"

    • @robercoli6136
      @robercoli6136 4 года назад +1

      @John Verne lol, my college roommate, who was a trumpet player, would tell the same joke about guitar players! 🤣

    • @kernowrock555
      @kernowrock555 4 года назад +12

      What did the drummer call his twin daughters >,,, Anna 1 Anna 2 .....

  • @laurenmontera9516
    @laurenmontera9516 3 года назад +171

    I heard it for the first time in 3rd grade. I picked it because I knew it sounded most like me. It's not a happy, chipper showman. It's a bit darker, more soulful and acts as an extension of my voice. I have an extreme shyness about my voice, so I can easily let my hands sing for me and hit those manly tenor and deep rich alto notes with ease and feeling.

    • @theSkin_of_a_Killer_Bella
      @theSkin_of_a_Killer_Bella 2 года назад +12

      Yk, this may or may not have just helped me make my decision of which instrument to play

    • @patriciajrs46
      @patriciajrs46 2 года назад +6

      Lauren, it's great that you speak so eloquently about how your music helps you speak. Thank you.

    • @Xoider
      @Xoider Год назад +3

      I’ve had a similar experience. The school I had attended around 4th grade had required students to chose one of the four string instruments known as Violin, Viola, Cello, and String Bass. My older sister had wanted me to play the Cello, and my father wished for me to play the violin. Yet when the teacher presented the instruments to us and showed their voice, I immediately knew I wanted to play the viola. I had never heard of it previously, but it had called to me. It may have been because of how rich it was, or similar to how Lauren said, it being darker. But it’s part of my identity now, and I don’t regret choosing it one bit.

  • @thomassicard3733
    @thomassicard3733 2 года назад +16

    W. A. Mozart's favorite string instrument was... the viola.
    He correctly recognized that its sound is closer to that of a human voice than other string instruments.
    I agree. It is by far my favorite string instrument!!!

  • @mahikakumar8767
    @mahikakumar8767 4 года назад +760

    Finally someone who doesn't hate us. Also, Twoset *needs* to react to this

    • @mahikakumar8767
      @mahikakumar8767 4 года назад +6

      @@user-gk5ob4lp4q yeah

    • @kungfuviolist7284
      @kungfuviolist7284 4 года назад +1

      yeah lol

    • @rileysykes1746
      @rileysykes1746 4 года назад +4

      @@user-gk5ob4lp4q lol same that's so true

    • @judit116
      @judit116 3 года назад +18

      I don't think there's much for them to react to in this video. It's always cool to see videos from other musicians, but there's no reason to "react" to this (there's no reference to Twoset violin). This is just a normal video introducing the viola and just talking regular stuff about it. Brett and Eddy know these things already, they've studied music at univerity and played in an orchestra. They both know how to play the viola and I'm sure they know where viola jokes origin from. So yeah, seeing their reaction probably wouldn't be that interesting.
      Not trying to sound rude or anything by the way :)

    • @piffle14
      @piffle14 3 года назад +2

      I agree

  • @psalm8306
    @psalm8306 3 года назад +587

    Me: *sees the title "Why does everyone hate viola".*
    Also me: TwoSet. It has to be them.

    • @mrssradams
      @mrssradams 3 года назад +39

      *cough
      Ling Ling insurance
      *cough *cough

    • @omniqwerty4175
      @omniqwerty4175 3 года назад +8

      No, because it makes a worse sound, and it has less competition. So it generally attracts under achievers

    • @randomperson-en8kq
      @randomperson-en8kq 3 года назад +3

      Ling ling insuranceeeee

    • @luablau
      @luablau 3 года назад +2

      I love TwoSet but I love viola too

    • @omniqwerty4175
      @omniqwerty4175 3 года назад +1

      @Sama Salim it is a general statement

  • @neilhalieninvader
    @neilhalieninvader 2 года назад +13

    As a viola player, I learnt it from the get go 50 something years ago and never learnt the violin, I've been playing in my local amateur orchestra for 30 odd years and lead the section usually 2 or 3 of us against 15 to 20 first and second violins and four or more cellos, I have always been needed in the orchestra to fill those melodic and harmony holes and have enjoyed playing.

  • @davidhayes7596
    @davidhayes7596 Год назад +16

    I love the sound of the Viola . It's richness and depth of resonance is unmatched. It's a bit deeper in the soul than a violin. They are cousins in the same family. The tone of the Viola is unique and as versatile. Lovely sound !

    • @saucysos
      @saucysos 6 месяцев назад +1

      Cello in thumb position has the same range as a viola and more resonance.

  • @kellwillsen
    @kellwillsen 3 года назад +782

    "The viola is the alto of the string family." As an alto, this is painfully relatable.

    • @Nikioko
      @Nikioko 3 года назад +4

      I would rather say, in this respect, the viola is the bass of the string family.

    • @sunrise5710
      @sunrise5710 3 года назад +48

      @@Nikioko bruh there’s literally an instrument called a double bass what do you mean

    • @Nikioko
      @Nikioko 3 года назад +10

      @@sunrise5710 Don't you know viola jokes? Well, there are also bass jokes among singers...
      And a double bass isn't a violin, it's a gamba.

    • @misodent9794
      @misodent9794 3 года назад +43

      its literally the alto instrument of the strings family, it plays in the alto clef

    • @aprilsoriano7668
      @aprilsoriano7668 3 года назад +8

      Yeah.. but not all can sing alto properly. I love singing alto. ,,♥️♥️

  • @Carbon2861996
    @Carbon2861996 4 года назад +285

    TwoSetViolin: *finally burying their battle axe*
    *Mary Spender entered the chat*

  • @rahpradnyaaliffa399
    @rahpradnyaaliffa399 3 года назад +100

    I'm a violinist and I actually pretty like viola! Sometimes I wish I picked up viola instead of violin, but I think of both instruments as wonderful. Great video!

    • @littlemisskimmycat78
      @littlemisskimmycat78 2 года назад +7

      It's not too late.

    • @johneichmann1028
      @johneichmann1028 2 года назад +5

      I started violin at age 8, but tried viola in my last year of high school. Enjoyed it, but never took it up again. Then, I got lucky and I traded a guitar for a viola, and now I play it.
      I play in a worship group at church and use the viola and violin on different days. I just improvise over the songs A lot of people like the viola, especially on the quieter worship pieces.
      Reading the music is annoying, but think of positions are opposite. First position on a viola reads like third position on viola, and third position on a viola reads like first position on a violin. If that makes any sense.

    • @arnas4899
      @arnas4899 2 года назад

      I relate to you

    • @laufey.k
      @laufey.k Год назад

      @@grassblock6964 bruh go away

    • @giovanna4540
      @giovanna4540 Год назад +1

      same!! i like the sound of viola better than the violin because it's less high-pitched, so now i have to save money to buy a viola because i fell in love with its sound

  • @Kenji1685
    @Kenji1685 2 года назад +2

    6:05 Yup. 👍 It's very simple. The center line of the Alto clef is middle C. 🙂

  • @BerserkPublishing
    @BerserkPublishing 4 года назад +249

    My wife is a professional violist. I fell in love with her while she played in an orchestra when we were in college thirty-five years ago. We've been married thirty-three years,. She now teaches viola and violin. As someone who grew up during the 60s and 70s rock era in southern California, I will say she has greatly expanded my music appreciation over the decades. I really enjoyed your video. Thank you for covering this oft-forgotten instrument.

    • @martinh1277
      @martinh1277 3 года назад +9

      What is the best thing of the viola? You can marry the violist.

    • @ada.3880
      @ada.3880 3 года назад +6

      @@martinh1277 jfc come ooon this was such a sweet comment why you gotta do this😭

    • @KariIzumi1
      @KariIzumi1 3 года назад +1

      Awwwwwwwww

    • @martinh1277
      @martinh1277 3 года назад +2

      @@ada.3880 Violist myself.

    • @icedtohfuu9555
      @icedtohfuu9555 3 года назад +1

      @@martinh1277 That's pretty gay

  • @andrewhcit
    @andrewhcit 3 года назад +1254

    Q: Why are violins smaller than violas?
    A: They're not, they only look that way because violinists have such large heads.

    • @XxKidnoffxX
      @XxKidnoffxX 3 года назад +10

      loll nice one

    • @OhKnow379
      @OhKnow379 3 года назад +15

      Is the a roast to viola or violin players?

    • @crispynuggets1580
      @crispynuggets1580 3 года назад +8

      Oliver Knowles violinists I’m assuming

    • @OhKnow379
      @OhKnow379 3 года назад +20

      @@crispynuggets1580 It should be their egos. Becuase saying they have big heads could be taken as a complement calling them "big brain

    • @crispynuggets1580
      @crispynuggets1580 3 года назад +3

      Oliver Knowles true

  • @Ind0nesiannationalteamgoated
    @Ind0nesiannationalteamgoated Год назад +181

    Violin is like a kid. Small and screaming with high notes
    Viola was like a mature adult that can control how high or low things are.

    • @talhaselimacar5621
      @talhaselimacar5621 Год назад +6

      Tell that to the a-string

    • @marvinsilverman4394
      @marvinsilverman4394 Год назад +6

      and the cello is the grandpa

    • @thomassicard3733
      @thomassicard3733 Год назад +3

      @@marvinsilverman4394 I thought the basson was the grandpa. The oboe is the duck. The flute is the bird. The clarinet is the cat. The French horns are Peter OR the Wolf. C'mon!!! Oh, yeah... the accordian is SATAN.

  • @fireinateacup89
    @fireinateacup89 2 года назад +8

    I started on the violin and gave it up after a year and a half of getting headaches from the high notes. 😖 I love the viola more than any other string instrument because of its warmth and range. It's the perfect range to enjoy those rich low notes as well as soar high enough with the high ones! You can express both beautifully on this gorgeous instrument!

  • @jen-ms8bz
    @jen-ms8bz 3 года назад +767

    When people start bullying bass players: 👁️💧👄💧👁️
    Violists: First time?

    • @ttonya_ma
      @ttonya_ma 3 года назад

      So true 😂

    • @alzarian3702
      @alzarian3702 3 года назад +44

      Bass players will slap you real hard if you bully them. Bass Stronk!

    • @christien6230
      @christien6230 3 года назад +21

      Bass players don't get bullied they are the big dude nobody bothers

    • @noesunyoutuber7680
      @noesunyoutuber7680 3 года назад +10

      They really are quite similar, when you think about it. The rock bassist, much like the classical violist, is usually assumed to be the least talented and least impressive member because their parts are typically simpler than the lead instruments, and it's like the lead instrument but bigger so everyone compares them even though they play different roles.

    • @luciahernandezmartinez2208
      @luciahernandezmartinez2208 3 года назад +3

      Im a Violists and basson player

  • @juanmat68
    @juanmat68 4 года назад +829

    A viola player is running late for a gig and as he drives he realizes that he's about to run out of gas. He pulls up to the gas station and runs inside the store to pay. When he gets back to the car he sees that someone broke his car window. Horrified, he runs to his car concerned that someone stole his viola, he opens the door only to find another viola in the backseat.

    • @r_palmeri
      @r_palmeri 4 года назад +14

      Best joke so far!!

    • @user-cy6xl3vd3f
      @user-cy6xl3vd3f 3 года назад +24

      Lmao 😂😂😂 poor viola players stop bullying them 😂

    • @juanmat68
      @juanmat68 3 года назад +27

      LOL, I actually love the viola myself. My wife plays both violin and viola and 90% of the time when playing together I ask her to reach for the viola instead. The joke is funny nonetheless ...

    • @badger2649
      @badger2649 3 года назад

      😂😂😂😂

    • @3takhan
      @3takhan 3 года назад +31

      @@juanmat68 haha this is so funny, everyone knows viola players don't have gigs

  • @carlymartin2191
    @carlymartin2191 3 года назад +81

    I am 13 years old and I've been playing the viola since i was eight. I became first chair when I was eleven without taking any lessons in my life, I was only taught at school and in elementary i only played with an orchestra once a week. last school year i had made all city strings but then covid hit and i wasnt able to play with kids all over my city of half a million population. Now that im back in the class room im the only viola in the whole orchestra and all the violin 2s are quiet and tbh not very good so i have to take over almost their whole part lol. When there is a melody (very rare as you say in the video) I start to act like a violin one and just play super loud bc i finally have a part!

    • @tsidkenu4333
      @tsidkenu4333 2 года назад +3

      our stories couldn't be any more similar

    • @StudyTeatime
      @StudyTeatime 2 года назад +1

      yesssss

    • @ksharpe10
      @ksharpe10 Год назад

      Good for you Carly, way to go.

  • @stevemiller7433
    @stevemiller7433 2 года назад +15

    The violin, viola, cello are so like the human voice.. it is perfect that you, an alto, play the Viola. So much respect.

  • @albikes8484
    @albikes8484 4 года назад +470

    Davie504 is going to love you flashed his picture when your talking about bringing home boyfriends. lol

    • @exho_oooo
      @exho_oooo 4 года назад +39

      E P I C O

    • @TheChadPad
      @TheChadPad 4 года назад +21

      She burned his ass lolll

    • @peter-subramanian
      @peter-subramanian 4 года назад +43

      Twoset fans like 👀👀👀

    • @Gin132456
      @Gin132456 4 года назад +3

      Does this mean bass is big guitar? Or guitar is small bass?

    • @gilb_4
      @gilb_4 4 года назад +5

      Mary legit used to follow Davie when he was the mute bass player, I would love to know if she follows Davie the meme lord

  • @bledlbledlbledl
    @bledlbledlbledl 3 года назад +441

    “The difference between a violin and a viola is that a viola burns longer.” - (a quote by Victor Borge)

    • @jaybee9269
      @jaybee9269 3 года назад +1

      Lolol! I love his phonetic punctuation.

    • @sirfoe81
      @sirfoe81 3 года назад +3

      I know that as difference between a viola and a wardrobe...

    • @southron_d1349
      @southron_d1349 3 года назад +8

      That's because viola is usually still in the case. (I love the viola, despite the jokes.)

    • @Martin_Entertains
      @Martin_Entertains 3 года назад +19

      "The viola is the same size as a violin. It's just that the violin player's head is bigger. " Victor Borge or P.D.Q. Bach.

  • @pinkpandamiranda
    @pinkpandamiranda 3 года назад +558

    The Viola is the Hufflepuff of the orchestra. Often over-looked but very important!

    • @Smoke---
      @Smoke--- 3 года назад +18

      I don’t want to be a Hufflepuff please no 😭😂

    • @vicoeril8210
      @vicoeril8210 3 года назад +16

      I am a hufflepuff my self lmao and I play the viola.😂

    • @Scrimjer
      @Scrimjer 3 года назад +15

      Read another book Jesus Christ

    • @rosewoodstone6527
      @rosewoodstone6527 2 года назад +11

      As a hufflepuff who plays viola, this is 100% accurate.

    • @storibrown6250
      @storibrown6250 2 года назад +10

      I'm a viola player and a hufflepuff :))

  • @martinmaccauley
    @martinmaccauley 2 года назад +5

    I've just discovered your podcasts Mary & I could never ever tire of listening to your voice. You are the doyenne of dulceticy.

  • @RickBeato
    @RickBeato 4 года назад +924

    I really enjoyed this Mary!🙏🏻

    • @Rex-sf8qj
      @Rex-sf8qj 4 года назад +6

      Nice

    • @SantiSixto
      @SantiSixto 4 года назад +57

      What makes viola great

    • @hheerth
      @hheerth 4 года назад +9

      Now you gotta make an upright video

    • @felipeuchida3378
      @felipeuchida3378 4 года назад +15

      Rick is such a sweet man

    • @SpadaFer
      @SpadaFer 4 года назад +1

      Thats what i wanted to say .............I really like videos about music.

  • @L.Scott_Music
    @L.Scott_Music 4 года назад +401

    I would love to see a "Mary And Mary" guitar and viola duet.

    • @jessemurphy2369
      @jessemurphy2369 4 года назад +4

      Everybody like this comment

    • @TheGhostGuitars
      @TheGhostGuitars 4 года назад +4

      If there's enough likes, I'd say Mary needs to do that duet. I'm sure we will allow her to practice first to get back in the groove! :)
      At time of posting this comment:
      130 likes at 20 hours.

    • @tombruges1557
      @tombruges1557 4 года назад

      There’s a little bit too much clash in the ranges of the instruments so she’d need to be quite careful but it’s certainly possible

    • @aidand.7911
      @aidand.7911 4 года назад

      Fudge yee

    • @meadish
      @meadish 4 года назад

      @@tombruges1557 This potential issue might be solved by tacit capotastic tactics.

  • @InkedGnome
    @InkedGnome 2 месяца назад +2

    Viola was the first string instrument I learned to play. I've always liked it over violin, probably because I often find the high pitch of the violin painful to listen to no matter how well played. Unfortunately my viola became unplayable in high school and we couldn't afford to get it repaired. Though it's been more than 30 years since I last put serious effort into playing an instrument I've been wanting to change that. First step is to get my viola repaired. I'd also like to aquire a double bass and piano as I enjoyed playing those as well.

  • @ThePuppetMaster429
    @ThePuppetMaster429 Год назад +4

    Hello! As a violinist, let me tell you all that the viola is a beatiful instrument! It sound, technique and all the factora that makes the viola sound heanvly is impressive.

  • @Crisposhot
    @Crisposhot 4 года назад +100

    As a bassist, it was the same for me. In a world where everyone wanted to be a guitarist, bass made me different and now a sacrilegious boi

    • @0x777
      @0x777 4 года назад +18

      Bass IS basically the viola of guitars. You'll notice that most viola jokes work well on bass too.

    • @Crisposhot
      @Crisposhot 4 года назад +5

      @@0x777 nah it might be the underdog status but jokes can't translate. I mean we bassist are able to find the key as we are the foundation of the band XD

    • @tlanhluachuteh174
      @tlanhluachuteh174 3 года назад +4

      Big pp 69420 slapper

    • @Crisposhot
      @Crisposhot 3 года назад +2

      @@tlanhluachuteh174 you noticed because of your big brain

    • @akiakiii5879
      @akiakiii5879 3 года назад +3

      I n T E r i s T I n g

  • @sibandy
    @sibandy 3 года назад +124

    I'm a composer and write a lot of string orchestral music. I've always thought the viola as an essential paert of any string piece, be it quartet, quintet or fill orchestral music. I always write sections that show what the viola can do. I love the rich tonesthat it produces.

    • @humzatebai
      @humzatebai 3 года назад +2

      Same here Andy, I always venerate the violas in some ways where I find violins too weak or basically cannot reach the low notes and celli too screaming and aggressive to deliver the phrase. Only violas can give you that punch and depth where violins will never go.

    • @rustykoenig3566
      @rustykoenig3566 3 года назад +3

      Not to mention that whatever the violin can do...... the viola can do all that and when it gets done doing everything a violin can...... It can THEN hit the C string and do the things violin CAN'T do!!!!

    • @humzatebai
      @humzatebai 3 года назад

      @@rustykoenig3566 that's a good one, hit the c string and the violin goes muted forever 🤣 indeed, there's a layer of depth and expression that's only found in violas

    • @NidusFormicarum
      @NidusFormicarum 3 года назад

      Same here.

  • @hueyiroquois3839
    @hueyiroquois3839 3 года назад +265

    Q: Why are viola jokes so short?
    A: So violinists can remember them.

  • @leinonibishop9480
    @leinonibishop9480 Год назад +1

    This is similar to how I started playing the oboe. We had an over abundance of alto sax players at my school and the instructor asked if anyone would be willing to switch to oboe or bassoon. I’m always willing to try a new instrument so I volunteered. They were able to provide me an oboe and free instruction from the local college to get me started. As the only oboe player around I had many great opportunities to play in quartets and symphonies at that level that I never would’ve had if I’d stayed with the alto sax. I’m not a professional musician by any means but I still play with friends and family and the oboe is still one of a handful of instruments I love to plink around on. Don’t be afraid to try something new and stretch your musical horizons!

  • @rechellezammit2558
    @rechellezammit2558 3 года назад +179

    Hahaha "isnt often recommended by teachers." I wanted violin but when I first started the teacher recommended it over violin. Will never switch to violin. Absolutely love the viola. I am part of the percentile of rare people who start with the viola.

    • @jen-ms8bz
      @jen-ms8bz 3 года назад +6

      I am also though being bullied by the violinists did hurt

    • @RolandHutchinson
      @RolandHutchinson 3 года назад +10

      I am another one who started on viola. Our school orchestra (in the USA) had violas right from the start in beginners orchestra ("junior orchestra")--this isn't as common now as it used to be. I later branched out and learned viola da gamba, and I can now also play violin, though I have never actually had a lesson on that instrument. (I came close to having one at a workshop about ten years ago, but the teacher and I were both very busy and the timing didn't work out.)

    • @popatochisps6712
      @popatochisps6712 3 года назад +11

      I too started on viola. I actually never gave the violin a second thought, I always thought it was the hated instrument since it’s so squeaky etc... then in a few years I noticed how few violas were, with the numbers growing fewer in the years to come. I still prefer the viola though, and I love it’s warm, resonating sound to the violins sound, to which I still find traditionally quick paced and demanding in a way. The violas underrated-ness is part of what makes it so great, but unfortunately almost no one sees it that way, and that underrated-ness has only increased with schools not recommending viola and people discouraging violas with most of them not even knowing its sound.

    • @popatochisps6712
      @popatochisps6712 3 года назад

      Oh boy, that was longer than I meant it to be.

    • @skylermadisonfrost5845
      @skylermadisonfrost5845 3 года назад +2

      same, i started with viola too haha

  • @ellik02
    @ellik02 4 года назад +25

    The reason you play the Viola instead of the Violin is the exact same reason as to why I play the French Horn instead of the Trumpet. Big Brain.

  • @WarrenPostma
    @WarrenPostma 2 года назад +2

    That really hits me hard and I love that you want to give back to programs for giving Children the gift of learning musical instruments.

  • @cj719521
    @cj719521 3 года назад +4

    As a violist-first, I so appreciate the love it gets in between the (frankly often accurate) jokes. I never had the funds to put to real lessons or a nicer instrument than the 3/4 beginner one I learned with, and so I’m also inspired by the vision of supporting music programs. I quit in high school when more talented (and better funded) violinists began to take up the Viola to distinguish themselves-which was good for the overall orchestra and for the talent pool within the viola section. I think if I’d been able to afford proper lessons and an instrument that was more comfortable, I would have been able to contribute more, though. So _please_ get that music program dream going. The paywall that exists in the music world is a tragedy. The more we can do to make it scalable, the better.
    Thank you!

  • @matthewv789
    @matthewv789 4 года назад +90

    It is natural that violin is the preferred solo instrument for concerti: playing high and fast constitute some of the more brilliant and impressive moments of any concerto, and naturally those are both far easier on a violin. It also tends to cut through over the sound of the orchestra better. But for mellow, earthy richness, viola is wonderful. Which is why I'm trying to learn it myself. :)

    • @guelo757
      @guelo757 4 года назад +2

      Bless your heart

    • @jcortese3300
      @jcortese3300 4 года назад +6

      Violin: sounds like Alvin and the Chipmunks
      Viola: sounds like Aretha Franklin
      No contest.

    • @rubenlazz6685
      @rubenlazz6685 4 года назад

      Good luck! And remember no day of no practice shall pass.
      Lol

    • @salonii6345
      @salonii6345 3 года назад

      true. even violists gotta practice 40 hours a day

  • @violaliketheinstrument
    @violaliketheinstrument 3 года назад +168

    "why does everyone hate viola?"
    you know, i ask myself that question every day

  • @john2477
    @john2477 3 года назад +12

    The viola was my first instrument when I was ten. I played it until university and still have my Karl Hofner viola. Thanks now I will have to dust it off and practice!

  • @markm1565
    @markm1565 10 месяцев назад +3

    Thank you. That was so interesting and enjoyable. I saw a concert performance yesterday as part of York Chamber Music Festival. Sextet pieces by Boccherini and Dvorak. The beauty of the sound blew me away. So uplifting and refined. I was most attracted to the sound of the two violas.

  • @merryhunt9153
    @merryhunt9153 3 года назад +291

    I like the viola. Warm, mellow, friendly.

  • @theyhaventfedmesince
    @theyhaventfedmesince 4 года назад +192

    "they read Alto clef and I hate them for it"
    ~Adam Neely~

    • @orionredden4839
      @orionredden4839 4 года назад +4

      Vinnie Syarif at least it’s not tenor clef

    • @marichristian1072
      @marichristian1072 4 года назад

      I agree alto clef is a pain, especially for cellists who sometimes have to go from bass to alto at the drop of a hat.

    • @daviddotorg
      @daviddotorg 4 года назад +2

      @@marichristian1072 Cellists almost always go to tenor though, not alto.

    • @theyhaventfedmesince
      @theyhaventfedmesince 4 года назад +1

      @@daviddotorg I always called them moveable C clef anyway

    • @marichristian1072
      @marichristian1072 4 года назад +2

      @@daviddotorg Tenor, but occasionally alto clef. I try to anticipate by studying and annotating the music first.

  • @GenKrug-bl8mq
    @GenKrug-bl8mq Месяц назад

    I love the viola. For me, the high pitch of the violin can get annoying after a while but the viola is so soothing to my ears. MORE VIOLA PLEASE!!!💗🙏👌🎻

  • @Toasttoasttoasttoast
    @Toasttoasttoasttoast Год назад +6

    Im a violist who also plays the violin, and honestly the tone of the viola is so mellow compared to the violin that it’s crazy we don’t get the melody more often.

  • @troysmithfr
    @troysmithfr 4 года назад +653

    What do a viola and a lawsuit have in common?
    Everyone's satisfied when the case is closed.

    • @216trixie
      @216trixie 4 года назад +4

      I had no idea that snooty people didn't like the viola.

    • @Qyver
      @Qyver 4 года назад +5

      216trixie mate, it’s. a. joke.

    • @Qyver
      @Qyver 4 года назад +3

      216trixie it’s not that people really don’t like it, they’re just the butt of the jokes.

    • @laur-unstagenameactuallyca1587
      @laur-unstagenameactuallyca1587 4 года назад

      stop lmao 💀

    • @OliverBatchelor
      @OliverBatchelor 4 года назад +4

      They're mostly bass-less?

  • @liamstrain
    @liamstrain 3 года назад +445

    The first chair viola at the NY Symphony Orchestra accidentally left his very valuable Italian viola in his unlocked car while shopping... in a panic, he rushed back to his parking spot, worried he'd find it long gone... only to find that four more had been thrown in the back seat with it.

    • @promerops
      @promerops 3 года назад +7

      Leo Kottke tells a very similar story related to an accordion.

    • @dream_of_music40
      @dream_of_music40 3 года назад +3

      Really?! Omg

    • @nancystratton1587
      @nancystratton1587 3 года назад +4

      😂😂😂😂

    • @theSkin_of_a_Killer_Bella
      @theSkin_of_a_Killer_Bella 2 года назад +10

      “Be free.” They said…
      Then yeeted four more violas into the car🧍‍♀️

    • @andrewbarrett1537
      @andrewbarrett1537 2 года назад +7

      I was gonna say, this is just a slightly modified accordion joke 😄

  • @TheJamesGunson
    @TheJamesGunson 3 года назад +1

    Ms. Spender, since you are so articulate and have a generous nature, many people young and old have come to know music more. Please do keep doing the great work that you do.

  • @Kat-V
    @Kat-V 2 месяца назад +1

    As an alto-mezzo, I've always liked the sound of the viola, probably because i can relate to it. Violas feel more genuine than violins, less showy, they create comfort. But i mostly like when violas are sweet, sometimes they can be a little too rough and sandy

  • @bobpiggy3756
    @bobpiggy3756 4 года назад +73

    I have always found that instruments deep, rich, warm tone is so intoxicating. Can we have more of Mary Spendor Viola playing the classics please!!

  • @eliasbischoff176
    @eliasbischoff176 3 года назад +179

    I played the violin for 7 years, before I literally became to tall to hold it comfortably so I switched to the viola. Now to be fair, I switched from a 600€ violin to my mother´s viola, which cost 5000 German-Mark when she bought it as a student, so there is a huge difference in quallity between the instruments, but still, the difference in sound quality is amazing. The viola is sounds stronger, warmer and mor gentle, I love improvising in C minor which just sounds great.
    Also props for showing Davie when you said bassist.

    • @ghzcoolz7634
      @ghzcoolz7634 3 года назад +9

      I love how you say "i became to tall"

    • @eliasbischoff176
      @eliasbischoff176 3 года назад +14

      @@ghzcoolz7634 Yeah, I´m 1,95m (which I think is a bit more than 6ft, but I would have to look that up) Also even for my height I have relatively long arms, so holding a violin is not only uncomfortable, it also looks completely ridiculous.

    • @ghzcoolz7634
      @ghzcoolz7634 3 года назад +2

      @@eliasbischoff176 Yes i know how ridicoulous and uncomfortable you are when holding the Violin Davie lokks kinda ridicoulous when he holding a violin since he about 6 foot and 3 inches tall *bASSed* on what i saw in google holding a viola for tall people would look normal and comfortable and having a height of 1, 95 m tall is a considerable as a very tall height and i can confirm that your height is approximately 6ft and 4 inches and the fact that you are 5 cm away from being 2 meters in height is impressive

    • @eliasbischoff176
      @eliasbischoff176 3 года назад +2

      @@ghzcoolz7634 I got a rather worrying and ridiculous reply in my messages, but I can´t find it here. Did you report it? I would not blame you.

    • @ghzcoolz7634
      @ghzcoolz7634 3 года назад +2

      @@eliasbischoff176 Wow didn't know it's already a month, actually i haven't been to this comment until today so i doesn't see any other comment here so it's impossible for me to report it perhaps the comment is already been deleted

  • @nikiwan4timothy
    @nikiwan4timothy 5 месяцев назад

    My wife (before he passed away) was a second chair violist in the Detroit Symphony and taught me to love it sound and purpose. Thank you for doing this piece and reminding me of her and her essence. Thank you.

  • @southron_d1349
    @southron_d1349 3 года назад +5

    You just went up a few more marks on the "impress-o-meter". And yes, I'd like to see more Classical music on your channel. All the best!

  • @TheMicroTrak
    @TheMicroTrak 3 года назад +42

    I think that the Viola came into existence when someone ordered a Viola De Gamba from a Luthier, and when they were told there would be a delay, the customer said "Don't fret".

    • @willb3698
      @willb3698 3 года назад

      LOL! Very good....!

  • @jdmitchell6559
    @jdmitchell6559 3 года назад +206

    Q: Why do violinists hate the viola ?
    A: Because it makes their heads look smaller.

    • @jakelama5610
      @jakelama5610 3 года назад +19

      Viola player: *hears this joke*
      1 hour later: oh I get it

    • @loolooshoopy1206
      @loolooshoopy1206 3 года назад +2

      OH LAKAOOSOSUS

    • @EudoraPrice
      @EudoraPrice 3 года назад +1

      No one hates Viola

    • @jdmitchell6559
      @jdmitchell6559 3 года назад

      @@EudoraPrice No. Bach and Mozart loved it which is good enough for me. I think violinists only make viola jokes because they are secretly jealous...

  • @KeithEngel
    @KeithEngel 2 года назад +16

    There is actually a wonderful piece that comes from Japanese Anime called Departure from Rouroni Kenshin. It does a beautiful transition starting off with Cello, then brings in Viola, and lastly Violin, hearing each instrument introduced in this way each with their own moment/solo before the next comes in, is absolutely beautiful as well hearing each step up in octave.

    • @user-oz8xr1ry8f
      @user-oz8xr1ry8f 2 года назад

      I think of playing Viola as a very creepy and dismal instrument depiction, love it

  • @ElliLavender
    @ElliLavender 2 года назад +3

    Idk, despite having learned the violin, I always honestly kinda prefered deeper, warmer sounding instruments like the cello. What I really like about the viola is that it's a great "middle ground" between the violin and the cello. It's a beautiful instrument!

  • @ajanderson283
    @ajanderson283 3 года назад +150

    I feel like no one hates the viola everyone just talks about how everyone hates it.

  • @andrewhcit
    @andrewhcit 3 года назад +89

    Fun fact: Jimi Hendrix's first musical instrument was the viola, which he played in school orchestras!
    Maybe unusually, I started out on violin already planning to switch to viola as soon as possible. I was a latecomer to classical music, because from age 3 to age 12 I was in the Middle East where Western classical music hardly existed at the time. So I came back to the United States in 7th grade, discovered classical radio, and eventually went to a symphony concert with a friend's family. The Walton viola concerto was on the program, and it was the first concerto for any instrument that I ever heard live! That's why the viola was the first string instrument I wanted to play, and I actually thought of it as a solo instrument from the very beginning. But it turned out there was an old violin in the family that had once belonged to my great-uncle and that no one had played for 20 years, and it ended up in my hands in my last year of high school, so that's what I started on. I switched to viola a year later when I went off to college and was able to borrow a viola for a while, and never looked back. Despite learning almost entirely as an adult, I've finally come full circle 20 years later and am actually working on the Walton concerto now.

    • @Hlafdige1
      @Hlafdige1 3 года назад

      there are not enough likes to award this! so glad you got back to your first love.

    • @johnhaller7017
      @johnhaller7017 3 года назад +2

      Little known fact, Jimi first practiced setting violas on fire. He moved on to stratocasters later in the year after the tremolo arm on his viola kept dropping outta' tune.

    • @aTrulyPowerfulSpirit
      @aTrulyPowerfulSpirit 3 года назад +1

      That must be the reason he used his teeth for guitar playing. He was so accustomed to using a bow.

    • @EddieReischl
      @EddieReischl 3 года назад +1

      @@johnhaller7017 I believe that was after he attempted to play the viola behind his back, and tore his rotator cuff.

    • @bobjacobson858
      @bobjacobson858 3 года назад +1

      It's probably NEVER too late to start learning an instrument. I'm a couple months away from my 69th birthday, but I just started learning trombone a week ago.. However, I have the advantage of having played clarinet and string bass for many years (although not recently, so I'm getting back into them, too), so music itself is not new to me.)

  • @millennial8441
    @millennial8441 2 года назад +4

    A very important string instrument, totally underrated. Viola fills the gap between cello and second violin parts. And I simply love those low notes of the viola. It is only a pity that only in 20th century composers wrote serious pieces for the viola.

  • @BenCDaugherty
    @BenCDaugherty 5 месяцев назад +1

    I am a HUGE Velvet Underground fan and John Cale not only is a great bassist and keys player but also a violist. He brought so much atmosphere to that band with his viola.

  • @Ktulu789
    @Ktulu789 3 года назад +141

    I always thought this was a TwoSetViolin meme or something small but now I know the instrument is actually bullied IRL for ages!
    LOL I loved learning about the viola, really!
    And I loved all the viola and other instruments jokes down the comments! LMAO
    Soooooooo... Is this a new contender to the instruments war?? FIGHT!!! I'm having the best of times with all these "battles"!

    • @andrewbuchan2232
      @andrewbuchan2232 3 года назад +11

      I completely agree with your first sentence! I didn’t know viola jokes existed outside of TwoSet Violin until I saw the Wikipedia article on them

    • @Lisa-xr6ty
      @Lisa-xr6ty 3 года назад +5

      I thought it was just meme in the musical community lol.

    • @sushih3302
      @sushih3302 3 года назад +2

      Yeah same! I thought it was just a joke in the TwoSet community...

  • @JohnDuncanAVLFiddler
    @JohnDuncanAVLFiddler 3 года назад +70

    I'm a working musician who mostly plays violin. Within the last couple of years, I bought a viola and a cello and they have been a constant source of new inspiration. I would definitely encourage violinists and fiddlers to try all the bowed string instruments including viols!

    • @seonaghjedlicka3570
      @seonaghjedlicka3570 2 года назад +5

      I agree. I learned cello in school and now self teaching myself double bass and i have to say much easier to swape cello too double bass. In primery school in played violin and wanted to learn cello now I'm in a orchestra playing double bass. Bass is so much fun to play has some great parts to play

    • @starman2671
      @starman2671 Год назад

      I agree strongly, the viola is well suited for folk music. If you play violin or viola you should get the other.

  • @skyhart1377
    @skyhart1377 2 года назад +8

    "Why would you seek the viola as a study when there are so little solo repertoire?" We may have less solo pieces than the other strings. However, some of the pieces we do have are absolutely beautiful. Take Max Bruch's 'Romanze" for Viola for example.

    • @PreservationEnthusiast
      @PreservationEnthusiast 2 года назад +2

      We don't hate the viola! It's very much valued... to chop up as firewood to keep the orchestra warm!

    • @skyhart1377
      @skyhart1377 2 года назад +2

      @@PreservationEnthusiast HWOOOOOOOOOOW. I'm not even offended by that cause it sounds like something my brother would say to press by buttons.

    • @PreservationEnthusiast
      @PreservationEnthusiast 2 года назад +2

      @@skyhart1377 You're not meant to be offended, you're just supposed to laugh, it's a viola joke!

    • @skyhart1377
      @skyhart1377 2 года назад +1

      @@PreservationEnthusiast oh, believe me. I know.

    • @pmonkeygeezer6212
      @pmonkeygeezer6212 2 года назад +1

      @@skyhart1377 My sister plays the viola. When she's not looking, I slightly make the strings randomly a tone or semi tone flat or sharp. And I drop ball bearings in the f holes to make it buzz or rattle!
      Don't worry, it doesn't make any difference to the sound she makes!

  • @ElohiElohi-ft4bd
    @ElohiElohi-ft4bd Год назад

    Thanks for your Dedication .After playing violin for 27 years & deliberately staying away from Viola I try it & It was lost fried found experience for me .Viola is to be deeply loved,, Viola will make you understand Violin Better ,

  • @dasrix5681
    @dasrix5681 3 года назад +46

    10:00 when you mentioned your goal to fund scholarships for kids to learn music I felt my eyes go watery, such a beautiful gesture

    • @ingridfausk5970
      @ingridfausk5970 2 года назад +1

      Yeah, that's when I hit the "like" button.

  • @Fromdeno
    @Fromdeno 4 года назад +67

    I don’t think everyone hates the viola, because I’m pretty sure no one really even knows what a viola is... hence this video.
    Jkjkjk ❤️

  • @corywalker2904
    @corywalker2904 2 года назад +9

    It's so sad to see that music performance is being discouraged in schools nowadays. I understand that "making it" in life is not likely to happen as a musician. But without music as an inspiration, some of us would have no reason to practice the skills commonly thought of as being more scientific. Music gives us a reason to continue even trying. In grade school and high school, I spent 6 years studying the trombone (the viola of the woodwinds family) :P

  • @elxakiltse8773
    @elxakiltse8773 3 года назад +2

    wait what? Mary Spender plays viola too?!? Whoa, this may be one of the coolest things of this alt timeline. What an overall musician, wow. Can we get a Mary Spender / Paz Lenchantin violin and viola collab please?!?

  • @maxbrazil3712
    @maxbrazil3712 3 года назад +87

    I've always thought the musicians who pick eccentric instruments put off a cool vibe. If you like the violin & the cello then how could you not love the viola?

    • @jen-ms8bz
      @jen-ms8bz 3 года назад +16

      A violinist in my old class said they lived the deeper octaves of the cello but said the viola's C string was too deep. I worry for their mental health and sense of logic.

    • @SunnyD420
      @SunnyD420 3 года назад +1

      @@jen-ms8bz Lmao.. I play the cello and I can comfortably say that the C string on the cello is much different than the viola.
      I can also confirm that most violinists I've ever seen are in their own little world

    • @voldevolde7870
      @voldevolde7870 3 года назад +3

      I play violin viola and cello, and love viola, but the only problem for me is that there isn't much good music written for viola. I like the warm tones of the viola more than the violin, which has a much brighter sound.

    • @SunnyD420
      @SunnyD420 3 года назад

      @@carsonbarnesharp Because almost every violinist I've met are either mean or self centered on some level. With the exception of maybe 4 people.
      Sorry, nothing against the violin, (except for the E string... too damn high pitched for me), but from my experience, violinists seem like they feel above all the others because they always get the melody, the "hardest part."
      And they'd complain because it's "so hard," nobody else understands.
      At least you don't get stuck playing the same 3 notes over and over! That's enough to drive someone mad

    • @SunnyD420
      @SunnyD420 3 года назад

      @@carsonbarnesharp Maybe it was my particular orchestra at my particular school. My school had 4 orchestras based on level and I was the second one up. I didn't mingle much with the other groups, but from what I could tell, the higher groups definately had more laid back players.
      Maybe I only heard the pretentious ones because they talk the loudest... I didn't talk much with my violin section, either.
      In fact, I had that class with mostly the same people for 3 years and some of them I never spoke a word to.... weird af

  • @ankavoskuilen1725
    @ankavoskuilen1725 4 года назад +29

    I love the viola.
    I am an alto deep in my soul: when singing, when playing the recorder. Even my piano has that beautiful warm, low sound.
    But I play the violin (a bit) because I am too small for a viola.

    • @jen-ms8bz
      @jen-ms8bz 3 года назад +2

      When I was a student in elementary I chose to play viola because I didn't like how thin the E string was and I wanted to be a bit unique. The class contained 22 violinists, 9 violists, and 8 cellists. Me and the viola section were bullied by the violinists because of our C string but they like the cellists which I found very illogical.

  • @thomaspaul311
    @thomaspaul311 2 года назад +1

    It's been more than a year and I'm still loving this video. Thank you, Mary. Liked and subscribed.

  • @onegreenev
    @onegreenev 3 года назад

    I started Viola one year after starting the violin. Our orchestra only had one Viola player and way to many on the violin. They almost pleaded with me to take on the Viola. Glad I did. The violin was just too small even the full size one. I like the size and sound of the viola best. When playing for and audience and you have a full seat of violins and someone makes a little mistake the sound is usually drowned out by the rest but for two Viola players that is not the case. If you make a mistake everyone knows it, yet we won first place in a state competition where we played against people from Jr High through College. We beat them all. It was great. Sadly I have not played for a very long time but still love the sound. Glad I found this little video. Made my day for sure. Thanks a bunch.

  • @Alex-yl8dz
    @Alex-yl8dz 3 года назад +19

    I grew up playing the viola. Never touched a violin in my life. It was always a hobby, never a profession. Now I want to get it out the garage.

  • @TheRealHNA913
    @TheRealHNA913 3 года назад +68

    A fight broke out between first violin and first viola. After breaking it up, the conductor angrily demanded to know what it was about.
    "He started it!", said first viola; "He turned one of my pegs down, and won't tell me which one!"

  • @scowar5658
    @scowar5658 Год назад +1

    When our orchestra was in a contest playing some Mozart and I was sitting 1st chair, my G string broke in the 2nd movement in the middle of the song. With luck, I had another string with me and swapped it out quickly and tuned it to start the 3rd movement. By the end of the song, it stretched just enough to hear and I was compensating with some creative 3rd position. So +1 for viola fans! I started with the viola because in the 5th grade when we got introduced to orchestra, violins has to provide their own and cello/bass was to much to lug about so viola it was. Stayed with it into college.

  • @Musician-Lee
    @Musician-Lee Год назад +2

    This is a fascinating video, Mary. When I was 14 I was encouraged to switch from violin to viola, on the basis I had large enough hands and there would be more demand for viola players in the future. I didn’t like the alto clef, as we didn’t have digital music then and I had to get all new sheet music. In the end, I opted for guitar. I love the depth of information you give, overlaid with your personal experience. ❤

  • @JeremieLariviere
    @JeremieLariviere 3 года назад +12

    when I saw the title of this video, I thought, "What!?". I've always loved the sound of the viola, more than the violin. Thanks for the video

  • @redheadsg1
    @redheadsg1 4 года назад +42

    Finally, Viola Gang getting out of its shell .... or just youtube recommending me this video xD

  • @OrchestrationOnline
    @OrchestrationOnline 2 года назад +3

    I LOVE the viola. Anyone who wants to learn to be a competent if not brilliant orchestrator should do the same. I've composed quite a few works for solo viola plus orchestra. It's one of the most poetic instruments you can compose for.

  • @melkboi8306
    @melkboi8306 2 года назад +2

    For me the viola has always excelled in both warmth and spirit in a combination that comes far more naturally to it than the other classical strings :)) and yes I used to play it too

  • @brandonringo7459
    @brandonringo7459 4 года назад +34

    I love the juxtaposition of the Orange Terror amp and the viola.

    • @alexo5861
      @alexo5861 4 года назад +5

      Brandon Ringo Marty Mary should put a contact pick up on her Viola and play through her guitar rig?

  • @elanacarmel2135
    @elanacarmel2135 4 года назад +24

    Mary I think it's amazing that your goals are oriented towards music programs you're truly inspiring

    • @KitagumaIgen
      @KitagumaIgen 4 года назад

      Very much so - it takes a village etc!

  • @simonwood1260
    @simonwood1260 2 года назад +3

    without a doubt the Viola (in the right hands) is my most favourite string instrument. Rather than the alto I think of it as the tenor of the string section. The tone can be so so beautiful and the role so important. Violins sound scratchy, cellos sound like a meow and needy cat, violas are the passionate, lyrical sound I like

  • @nickiemcnichols5397
    @nickiemcnichols5397 Месяц назад

    I loved her reactions after playing sour notes. She seems more real than a lot of RUclips posters. And even though I play violin, I love viola.