I too am a twoset violin fan but I appreciate music first and being a fan second. Although viola jokes are supposedly light-hearted, I do feel bad for them. All instruments in the orchestra are equally important. I love the sound of the viola too. Kinda like being an alto ok a choir. :)
@@authenticbaguette6673 it is indeed terrible. Once again we can't hold the brains of others. I'm not fond of jokes at the expense of others truly... The viola jokes really don't dwell well for me. Hope you're okay!
@@moonori4595 i don't play strings. But i honestly find viola's sound is more pleasant and soothing than violin. Violin is... more on the loud and obnoxious side compared to other stringed instruments.
Ahmad Deedat Ibrahim Viola is a joke among us string players. Mostly because it’s pretty much the only mainstream one in the Alto clef. But jokes aside it is ultimately a nice sounding instrument.
@@moonori4595 i follow two set violin so i know the "joke". Even me who is not a musician find the "joke" grating. It sounds like "harmless racism". Maybe I'm overthinking overacting, but seriously it makes you wonder if all these "jokers" ever thought of how it feels to be on the receiving end virtually constantly.
@@moonori4595 the worst part is when i see non musicians commenting on their channel are making fun of violists too because their idols who are professionals signaling 'it's fine to make fun of violists', inadvertantly or not.
My two sons have just signed up for their school orchestra. They originally chose to play violin but an over abundance of violin players caused them to "volunteer" to play the viola. This video helped the boys picture how the viola relates to the violin and the rest of the orchestra. Thanks for posting this series.
The heart and soul is absolutely correct. It is the foundation upon which the violin sits and comes to life. Without the viola, there would be a very empty space there.
The viola is the best, coming from an ex violinist. I love the tone of the viola , that why I switch to it in high school. I do all my gigs , and my music covers on my viola. VIOLA GANG , VIOLA GANG!!!
I'm a violin player, but I actually like the Viola, I hate how people always disregard the Viola. I want to play a Viola Edit: Update, I play the viola now and I'm entering 2nd year university for classical performance on viola - best decision I ever made!
Yeah, it seemed that the violinists who made fun of my viola were never the better violin players. The better violin players worked to build me up, not tear me down.
@@stanleygagner If you've heard a decent size viola and one that has good strings, it sounds so lovely, rich, and warm. You should definitely listen to one in real life when you have the chance. :)
I am an amateur classical pianist and studied violin for a few months. I just love viola's sound. It does'nt have the same bright the violin does have, but it has its own character that I found very interesting for some musics and melodies. It's sound is smoother and warmer. I really enjoy it. And even the violin sounds better when accomplished by the viola. It is the reason all the great composers use it together with the violin. Even if you prefer the violin, it sounds even better when accomplished by the viola.
Why do so many people hate the viola? I love it. One of my favorite instrument, next to the cello. I've been playing viola for 6 years now, and its beautiful sounding. Like a warm and roaring fire.
i played viola in grade school for three years. when i moved my teacher begged me to continue but my dad wouldnt buy me one and the new school didnt have one for me. i had been using my teachers at the other school. my teacher there was incredible and really liked me. i even had a chance to conduct an orchestra that he took me to. i am 50 now and have started playing again two years ago. what a wonderful instrument and thank you for posting these videos on the internet.
I prefer the sound of a viola tbh. It's a lot more comfortable to listen compared to the overly harsh/bright tones of a violin to my ears. Cellos are wonderful too, but the viola sits right in the middle and that's what I love about it.
Viola is really imperfect instrument. That's because it's sound box is too small in realtion to strings and lower tones. I think that this makes viola the best for modern music. That's because of this characteristic, a little bit humming sound. For me - viola is one of the most unique and versatile instruments.
I am an amateur classical pianist and studied violin for a few months. I just love viola's sound. It does'nt have the same bright the violin does have, but it has its own character that I found very interesting for some musics and melodies. It's sound is smoother and warmer. I really enjoy it. And even the violin sounds better when accomplished by the viola. It is the reason all the great composers use it together with the violin. Even if you prefer the violin, it sounds even better when accomplished by the viola.
What does that even mean? There's no such thing as a "perfect" instrument. Either you like the sound or you don't. Using words like "perfect" or "imperfect" is very subjective and therefore meaningless. People who prefer the viola sound might as well say that the violin is imperfect.
@@specodhec341 The golden rule of music is "if it sounds good, it is good". IMO, if an instrument has a nice sound, then, by definition, it is not flawed. And physics laws say nothing about the sound box size being flawed. All physics laws say is the sound box size will affect the timbre (by amplify harmonics in a certain frequency range). What makes a good musical sound is actually something outside the realm of physics, by which I mean, physics says nothing about it. In fact, physics doesn't even care about audible frequencies - ultrasound is also sound, as far as physics is concerned, even if our ears can't hear it.
I switched from violin to viola five days ago. I've been learning to read in C clef and I'm very involved at learning at a steady pace and combining with technique and repertoire. It's a pleasure you enjoy once you try it by yourself. It's a delight.
I'm a violinist and I wouldn't give up playing my violin, but viola is so beautiful! I would love to play one. They're like a mix of violin and cello and they have such a deep, mellow sound. They also add something special to orchestras and ensembles.
After 10 years of playing the violin I just started playing the viola and OMG, IT'S SO BIG!!! This fact just makes me SO happy, you can't believe it!!!
The viola is my favourite musical instrument. From the moment I heard the sound of this instrument, I instantly fell in love with it. Viola music always makes me happy when I'm down.
As a Cellist. Today for the first time. I tried to play the Viola (yes i can play violin too) and i must say. I really liked the sound of the viola. I love it! All instruments are awesome!!! ☺️
I've played viola for around 3 years now. I played violin for 1 year and transitioned as school offered me the viola it is by far the best sounding string instrument I've found the are crisp and it's not that screechy sound you can get from violins this is all in my opinion
I play the violin. however this also sounds like fun to play. I love the warmth it has while the violin does contain a portion of warmth it can switch to cold just as quick however I might try the viola one day.
One of my absolute favourite pieces of music is Telemann's Viola Concerto in G major. The combination of Telemann's masterful writing and the viola's rich, deep, emotional sound almost brought me to tears in the first movement.
I love this instrument's sound so much! Violins have such a.... high? Thin? sound sometimes that is almost too much for me. This has the sounds I like from the violin (I think cause as he said it shares some strings with the violin?) without the super thin ones, while the deeper sound from the viola is so beautiful! I wish these guys had more solos, or more... melodies (from what I understand from the comments) in orchestras. I just started liking classical music and I'm in love with this instrument. So beautiful.
I played the violafor 7 years in my youth. We're often forgotten, and usually few in number, but we are the rhythm section and very important in the orchestra
London phil be giving hearts all the viola appreciation and i just feel like that needs to be appreciated (Secret: twosetters and violinists actually have lots of respect for yall violists; can confirm i am both)
I honestly think viola is such an underrated instrument i love the richness of its sound...kinda like a cross between violin and cello. I play the flute in my school band but love viola also :)
Really enjoyed this video. Nick is clearly a master of his instrument, and it was an honor and pleasure to listen to him play. Keep up the good work, Nick!
I don't consider myself a violist, but it is still my favorite instrument in the orchestra, it has a very beautiful and strong intonation if is played alone
It is remarkable how twoset is on virtually every single stringed instrument youtube videos. They have generated hundreds of millions of people to consider classical music. Most influential classical musicians in this century.
They’re like the altos of the strings! No melody, you just kinda fill in some spots. It sounds so beautiful, i wish they could get the melody more often :)
Your videos are really enjoyable, thank you. I love the sound of the viola, It's something more sober than the violin. I think because of the medium register, also because it's less hyped. It's its charm.
Thank goodness I've discovered these videos! As a young composer of film/tv music, I often struggle with orchestrating my work sometimes and these videos have proved such a useful tool for people like me.. Thank You!
Philharmonia Orchestra (London, UK) I downloaded the App yesterday, and have since been having a blast reading through all of the scores, its been incredibly useful.. I would love to see the orchestra do some film music and post it to the app, that would be amazing.. some Miklos Rosza, Bernard Herrmann, Elmer Bernstein, John Williams, Max Steiner, John Barry, Franz Waxman.. that would be really cool, but so far Im overjoyed with it!
ibanezman04, We happen to have a lot of film music related content elsewhere. Check out our concert series devoted to music from the movies tinyurl.com/ndfwy5h Also, you should watch our listening guides to Holst's 'The Planets'. Much of contemporary film music is inspired by these works. The series is a great insight into the orchestral textures you hear in film. tinyurl.com/qzpvstd
Philharmonia Orchestra (London, UK) Thank you again! Im a huge fan of the Planets! What a great series of videos you've made on them! and my tickets for the concert at royal festival hall are booked, thank you for letting me know about it!!
As someone who primarily plays bass guitar, it’s fascinating to me how similar the playing techniques are in regards to playing near the bridge, over the finger board, Bartok pizzicato (popping or plucking on bass), etc.
I feel like Twoset fans don’t actually hate viola, we just make jokes about it for the heck of it. Like, the Twoset community actually respects viola and it does sound very good as an instrument, so please know all viola jokes are just that- jokes. We aren’t serious when we joke about violas
Some people are and even if you are not the jokes do not get funnier the more often you hear them. Non Musicians also have no place of telling them and a huge base of twosetters are non musicians. It just hurts at some point.
You don't need people's attention whatever your instrument is. You just play the amazing music. You like it. You love it. That is the only thing that matters
Now that I can play the Violin a little bit, I am seriously thinking to play the Viola. I wonder Why there are less Violists than Violinists ! I really prefer the sound of the Viola as much as that of the Violin.
It is such a beautiful instrument and I feel it is a good medium between high and low. I hope you were able to give it a try. And it is a shame, but it’s also not very known in an orchestra. I didn’t even know what it was until I played it!
Cyber Leaf Warm and majestic? It's sounds like a calf screaming out in pain as it is slowly being flayed alive into veal, your feeble little brain must have trouble interpreting vibrations into sound.
I miss playing so much, I played in school but I rented the viola I used and I had to turn it in at our last performance and I cant wait for school to start so I can start playing again.
i really want to play the viola in 5th grade because that's when we get to play in the orchestra. After i watched this video it urged me to play it even more. I really found this amusing when he explained the different ways you can play it. Right now i play the guitar and i know all of the strings on it, so maybe that will help me? I will keep doing more research on the viola because it sounds more soft and airy to me. This really helped me. Thanks!
PLAY IT!!!! I play the viola and with a orchestra family Believe me when I say it's so much fun and lively!!!!!! When u put the bow to the strings u make music with your family so everyone can enjoy the music including yourself!!!!! And the viola is the base of the orchestra Without it There will be no orchestra without it
I always considered this instrument a much superior instrument to the violin. It has such a beautiful sound,full and rich compared to the high ear scratching notes of the violin.
Razvan Sorin shut up you're insulting all the people who play the violin!! Violin is just as good as viola if not better. It does not have ear scratching notes. You just don't know how to play it properly or you listened to the wrong people :(
Prakash Ke Sadabahar Geet Am I not allowed to have a prefference?It's a matter of taste,I didn't mean to disrespect anybody,it's just my opinion and you shouldn't be so offended by it,it's not a royal decree you know...
Rainbows_Rock I would recommend you to either pay attention while reading something or take some English lessons. I never said the violin is better. I didn't say that the viola is bad, either. Also, how was I adding on to the criticism?
I just started playing viola, I gotta say its a great instument! It makes you happy when you play it, i doesn't have that sqeaky (?) sound of the violin, I dont know why all the people I know in my schol like the violin better, but we all know the answer, the violin is just too popular. Obviously people hardly play or even know the viola but if you do your research you'll fall in love with it!
I really appreciate your style of teaching; not too wordy, and you demonstrate everything you are talking about as yu speak, resulting in a dense, clear and thus invigorating instruction. I'll be back. (new student here and have been watching lots of vids of instructors and I cannot bear most ( wordy & opinion ridden, with very little useful info as "lesson".) So thank you for sharing your talent for sharing knowledge and understanding, as well as proper, and myriad ways to bow! Cheers sir.
Thank you for the lovely feedback and for spending time on our channel. We'll pass this note on to Nicholas. We hope you enjoy the other instrument films in our series!
Violist are the best, Go Violist and I am a Viola player I been playing for 5 years almost going to my 6th year of playing. I am a freshmen in Highschool in Chamber Class. I'm the only Freshman in Chamber class in my school.
The Viola is a beaut. I've heard this instrument so many times throughout watching Little Bear and some shows, movies and games. Very underrated this instrument.
people forget that lots of the great composers played the viola, including Mozart, dvorak, Britten, Hindemith, schubert, Beethoven, Mendelssohn and Glinka among others.
Philharmonia Orchestra (London, UK) I've just watched them all. They are wonderfully informative and interesting. I've always loved the suite as it combines my love of music and astronomy. You can definitely hear how it has influenced composers, particularly those writing film scores. I've already recommended your channel to one of my friends.
Than you Nicholas for a genuinely interesting and informative video. I found your comment about breathing/bowing thought provoking re: the idea of a player's gesture and an instrument's response. If I might: wind players are breathing through the instrument; by way of bow movement string players are breathing for the instrument, both so the music may breathe beyond just its pulse. I'm a pianist, and our "ebb and flow", our breathing (beyond the score's phrase markings) is a different sort of thing, and not for the first time I feel a bit envious! Nicely done, and even in your short examples, beautiful tone. Hope all is well with you and the Philharmonia. Take care.
I played violin for three years and then one day after a school concert and turned to my mom and randomly said “I think I might switch to the viola” It was actually a good desicion as I much enjoy the sound and it’s mellow tones. Plus I couldn’t stand some of the snarky people in the violin section at my school.
Came here after watching twoset. They are pro violinists but are beginners at the viola. So obv they cannot demonstrate it. Came here to find its true beauty. Such depth
I am playing the violin for 9 years and the Viola for almost there, and I must day that I like playing the Viola almost Better. I only play the Viola in the orchestra that I play in, but I love the warmte and the deepness of the sounds of the Viola in the orchestra. As for the violin, I stil love playing it, because when you consider the small difference between the violin and the Viola themselves, the technique when playing them stil differs, and it is a great Challenge to play them both.
As a lover of classical music and beginner in the world of composition, this video series is a wonderful education. Thank you for sharing these with the world and allowing a Trombone player learn the details of the rest of the orchestra.
Get involved in our #popupplanets! We want to see you playing your favourite extract of Holst's The Planets and you have a chance to win a pair of tickets to our concert in London on Saturday 1 Oct: th-cam.com/video/9UY29P2CW1o/w-d-xo.html
good that Nicholas was kind enough to explain the sound and capacity of its instrument broadly. I think all we've seen this video have nowe the knowledge of what a viola can make in the orchestra today.
+Alice Compton Try picking up Cello as well. Generally speaking, you can play the Viola when you can already play the Violin and vice versa. Cello is a bit different in this regard due to the considerable difference in size and the position in how you hold it. But boy, do these three instruments sound divine when played well.
I too am a twoset violin fan but I appreciate music first and being a fan second. Although viola jokes are supposedly light-hearted, I do feel bad for them. All instruments in the orchestra are equally important. I love the sound of the viola too. Kinda like being an alto ok a choir. :)
Fr! I’m a viola btw appreciate it ❤️
Ye I feel like twoset would be better off not trying to roast the other instruments and being inclusive to all musicians
Elle key word being "supposedly" because a lot of people have come to genuinely hate violists because of viola jokes , not cool !
True. Im not a mucisian but i do think that every instrument is important and not something to joke about.
@@authenticbaguette6673 it is indeed terrible. Once again we can't hold the brains of others. I'm not fond of jokes at the expense of others truly... The viola jokes really don't dwell well for me.
Hope you're okay!
Something that a lot of violinist do not want to admit is that the viola actually sounds pretty good.
Agree:)
They're only joking. Everyone knows the Viola is a magnificent sounding instrument, people just meme on it because it's a little under-utilized.
Viola is really underrated.
Well I like it, when Zukerman plays it 😀
As a violinist, I wish I would have picked up the viola instead.
all jokes aside,
lets respect this accidental hybrid love child of a violin and cello and appreciate how deep and rich it sounds.
Deep and rich hahaha.
@@moonori4595 i don't play strings. But i honestly find viola's sound is more pleasant and soothing than violin. Violin is... more on the loud and obnoxious side compared to other stringed instruments.
Ahmad Deedat Ibrahim Viola is a joke among us string players. Mostly because it’s pretty much the only mainstream one in the Alto clef. But jokes aside it is ultimately a nice sounding instrument.
@@moonori4595 i follow two set violin so i know the "joke". Even me who is not a musician find the "joke" grating. It sounds like "harmless racism". Maybe I'm overthinking overacting, but seriously it makes you wonder if all these "jokers" ever thought of how it feels to be on the receiving end virtually constantly.
@@moonori4595 the worst part is when i see non musicians commenting on their channel are making fun of violists too because their idols who are professionals signaling 'it's fine to make fun of violists', inadvertantly or not.
My two sons have just signed up for their school orchestra. They originally chose to play violin but an over abundance of violin players caused them to "volunteer" to play the viola. This video helped the boys picture how the viola relates to the violin and the rest of the orchestra. Thanks for posting this series.
Rob Reynolds, it's great to hear how our videos have helped you and your sons. Hope to see them performing for the Philharmonia one day!
HAHA, exactly the same happened to me!
No regrets though.
Play flute. My band director was so happy to have a male flute player.
Same thing happened to me.
No regrets
Happened to me, too! I hope that your sons enjoy playing the viola! :)
If the violin is the voice, the viola is the heart and soul of the orchestra
The heart and soul is absolutely correct. It is the foundation upon which the violin sits and comes to life. Without the viola, there would be a very empty space there.
The viola is such a beautiful instrument. It sounds so rich to me - the violin can often end up sounding so high and screechy, in my opinion.
@@kaotic2256 wow. that's the only timestamp you have?
@@kaotic2256 eh idk why I'm wasting my time with someone who probably doesn't even play in an orchestra
@@kaotic2256 well then you're probably just jealous of violas 😂
TubbyWubby lol?
TubbyWubby if anything a Violin is ripped off by the Viola, the Violin sounds squeakier, and the Viola just sounds more rich as Kovu said.
The viola is the best, coming from an ex violinist. I love the tone of the viola , that why I switch to it in high school. I do all my gigs , and my music covers on my viola. VIOLA GANG , VIOLA GANG!!!
Awesome.
that's not very ling ling
@@hdaervmaonn I love you
* *ling ling disappointment noises* *
Ling ling has left the chat
I, Cellist, approve of viola awesomeness.
I, ukulelist (Not professionally), approve of your approval.
Elianna Eccleston | I, singer (shower-only sessions), approve of your approval of J's approval.
I, violist (Dreaming-only), approve of your approval of Elianna's approval of J's approval.
J
yall crazy
I, Giorno Giovanna, disapproves you
/﹋\
(҂`_´)
I'm a violin player, but I actually like the Viola, I hate how people always disregard the Viola. I want to play a Viola
Edit:
Update, I play the viola now and I'm entering 2nd year university for classical performance on viola - best decision I ever made!
Same
Yeah, it seemed that the violinists who made fun of my viola were never the better violin players. The better violin players worked to build me up, not tear me down.
Yeeeeeeees awesome! Any updates?
This the most popular western music instrument in my country, Morocco. We use it for folk music repertoire.
That's very interesting. Thank you for sharing!
HEY a Moroccan here too.
Never knew this and it's 4 years later but now i'm going to search, are there any composers or artists you'd recommend?
As any violist will tell you (me being one) is that we rarely get much melody, but I personally love player counter melody
Blue yes so do i! and it sounds better than violin for sure
The violas strings are just a bit too low for the body of the instrument and it can't resonate as much.
Harmony for life!
@@stanleygagner If you've heard a decent size viola and one that has good strings, it sounds so lovely, rich, and warm. You should definitely listen to one in real life when you have the chance. :)
I am an amateur classical pianist and studied violin for a few months. I just love viola's sound. It does'nt have the same bright the violin does have, but it has its own character that I found very interesting for some musics and melodies. It's sound is smoother and warmer. I really enjoy it. And even the violin sounds better when accomplished by the viola. It is the reason all the great composers use it together with the violin. Even if you prefer the violin, it sounds even better when accomplished by the viola.
Why do so many people hate the viola? I love it. One of my favorite instrument, next to the cello. I've been playing viola for 6 years now, and its beautiful sounding. Like a warm and roaring fire.
How do you keep your violin from being stolen? Put it in a viola case!
Made my day
Both cases look the same
Some smartass in school hid my viola in the DUMPSTER!!!!
Duuuuuudeeeeeeee
Why don't violinists play hide and seek?
Because no one will look for them.
wooh virtual high five for anybody that plays viola!!!
yay i play viola
wooh ^_^/
I play viola too
(\ whoop
yeah, man. viola all the wayyyy!
i played viola in grade school for three years. when i moved my teacher begged me to continue but my dad wouldnt buy me one and the new school didnt have one for me. i had been using my teachers at the other school. my teacher there was incredible and really liked me. i even had a chance to conduct an orchestra that he took me to.
i am 50 now and have started playing again two years ago. what a wonderful instrument and thank you for posting these videos on the internet.
Now you’re 60
Viola is da bomb! LONG LIVE VIOLISTS!!!
Ayyyy
+Elisabeth Komprs thank you!
yass alto clef is life!!
lol cello
+TheCommentRage what???
What a warm and comforting sound it makes!
Like a mother, lulling a child to sleep. I genuinely find it richer, though more dangerous, than the violin.
I prefer the sound of a viola tbh. It's a lot more comfortable to listen compared to the overly harsh/bright tones of a violin to my ears. Cellos are wonderful too, but the viola sits right in the middle and that's what I love about it.
When u r scrolling through the comments to find twoset fans
Annice Lim u seem to be a double intellect as u also know of mystic messenger
so trueeeeeee
Ling ling
LINGLING40h!!!!!
Lol yea
Im also a fan of 707 😍
Viola is really imperfect instrument. That's because it's sound box is too small in realtion to strings and lower tones. I think that this makes viola the best for modern music. That's because of this characteristic, a little bit humming sound.
For me - viola is one of the most unique and versatile instruments.
I am an amateur classical pianist and studied violin for a few months. I just love viola's sound. It does'nt have the same bright the violin does have, but it has its own character that I found very interesting for some musics and melodies. It's sound is smoother and warmer. I really enjoy it. And even the violin sounds better when accomplished by the viola. It is the reason all the great composers use it together with the violin. Even if you prefer the violin, it sounds even better when accomplished by the viola.
What does that even mean? There's no such thing as a "perfect" instrument. Either you like the sound or you don't. Using words like "perfect" or "imperfect" is very subjective and therefore meaningless. People who prefer the viola sound might as well say that the violin is imperfect.
I mean imperfect, as it’s construction is really flawed according to physics laws
@@specodhec341 In what way flawed?
@@specodhec341 The golden rule of music is "if it sounds good, it is good". IMO, if an instrument has a nice sound, then, by definition, it is not flawed. And physics laws say nothing about the sound box size being flawed. All physics laws say is the sound box size will affect the timbre (by amplify harmonics in a certain frequency range). What makes a good musical sound is actually something outside the realm of physics, by which I mean, physics says nothing about it. In fact, physics doesn't even care about audible frequencies - ultrasound is also sound, as far as physics is concerned, even if our ears can't hear it.
I play the viola not many people do it's always about the violinist but the Viola is my passion ♥
Great passion!
Thank you!
Nah I feel more like there is more violists but I'm not offended by you
I do too!
Just came here to know why Eddy and Brett shade this instrument.
It sounds amazing tho~
We love the viola, thank you for the positive comment!
It's a joke, they are not serious.
@@classicalhero7 but some dumb people watching them are
@AmonomyHitlerBOi I cant tell if that is sarcasm or not
@@classicalhero7 They should play something good using violas to show that it's really just a joke.
I switched from violin to viola five days ago. I've been learning to read in C clef and I'm very involved at learning at a steady pace and combining with technique and repertoire. It's a pleasure you enjoy once you try it by yourself. It's a delight.
every violin and viola player gets a double chin when they use the chin rest
I've noticed it too
True
yep it's been bothering me
When I started playing the viola we put our jaws on the chin rest (im still a beginner)
Because they’re the only ones that use a chin rest. :) but yeah. It’s true. LmaoooOo
The viola has such a rich, deep tone. Sounds like a warm hug 🥰
🎻just cause violas are fabulous🎻
+WCC Gaming that they are!
Kawaii_Pai that’s the violin emoji. Violas don’t get an emoji :(
Bombiss _ *Patrick voice* “What’s the difference?” (JK love viola don’t kill me)
Harry Rees that’s right I would have eaten you
You used a violin emoji though.
"String players, of course, breathe when they play."
God, that was dry.
That part made me cringe
Was that supposed to be a joke???
I'm a violinist and I wouldn't give up playing my violin, but viola is so beautiful! I would love to play one. They're like a mix of violin and cello and they have such a deep, mellow sound. They also add something special to orchestras and ensembles.
After 10 years of playing the violin I just started playing the viola and OMG, IT'S SO BIG!!! This fact just makes me SO happy, you can't believe it!!!
If your excitement is proportional to the size, try switching to the cello then, you will be in nirvana. Hahaha
umm. double bass.....
octobass
Lemmings-Gaming I have to admit that it wasn't intentional
Its sad that the viola doesn't get as much attention as the violin or cello. It is a great instrument but many people ignore it.
j-quizzle it's weird that the viola video has more views than the violin video
Because people already know what a violin is
Base gets no attention.
viola sounds like a dying cow lol
Same with the Double Bass.
I really enjoy the sound of a viola, it's like the down to earth brother of a violin
The viola is my favourite musical instrument. From the moment I heard the sound of this instrument, I instantly fell in love with it. Viola music always makes me happy when I'm down.
As a Cellist. Today for the first time. I tried to play the Viola (yes i can play violin too) and i must say. I really liked the sound of the viola. I love it! All instruments are awesome!!! ☺️
I've played viola for around 3 years now. I played violin for 1 year and transitioned as school offered me the viola it is by far the best sounding string instrument I've found the are crisp and it's not that screechy sound you can get from violins this is all in my opinion
Try using some commas
I play the violin. however this also sounds like fun to play. I love the warmth it has while the violin does contain a portion of warmth it can switch to cold just as quick however I might try the viola one day.
wolf 24 you should its great!!
The only violinists that shows respect to us violists.... Thank you :)
Thank you. Just for showing respect for violists. 😊 thank you.
I love playing the viola and it is really inspiring to see someone like this who can play so well!
One of my absolute favourite pieces of music is Telemann's Viola Concerto in G major. The combination of Telemann's masterful writing and the viola's rich, deep, emotional sound almost brought me to tears in the first movement.
I love this instrument's sound so much! Violins have such a.... high? Thin? sound sometimes that is almost too much for me. This has the sounds I like from the violin (I think cause as he said it shares some strings with the violin?) without the super thin ones, while the deeper sound from the viola is so beautiful! I wish these guys had more solos, or more... melodies (from what I understand from the comments) in orchestras. I just started liking classical music and I'm in love with this instrument. So beautiful.
What a beautiful rich warm resonant tone/timbre his viola has! Wonderful.
I played the violafor 7 years in my youth. We're often forgotten, and usually few in number, but we are the rhythm section and very important in the orchestra
London phil be giving hearts all the viola appreciation and i just feel like that needs to be appreciated
(Secret: twosetters and violinists actually have lots of respect for yall violists; can confirm i am both)
I honestly think viola is such an underrated instrument i love the richness of its sound...kinda like a cross between violin and cello. I play the flute in my school band but love viola also :)
my daughter is in K2 and will be playing the viola for her school orchestra. I'm so excited.
Played this as a child and been thinking of picking it back up for fun :)
me too
+Cristofper Martínez I really should, wish I had the money to buy one tho
you should!!!
Really enjoyed this video. Nick is clearly a master of his instrument, and it was an honor and pleasure to listen to him play. Keep up the good work, Nick!
Music is so beautiful. It's one of the things that keeps me grounded to this Earth when I feel that life is just too much.
I love the viola. The sound is just right and comforting. :)
So far I’ve been playing for half a year and I am now a 2nd chair viola! I’m so excited to play in my concert in a few months.
I don't consider myself a violist, but it is still my favorite instrument in the orchestra, it has a very beautiful and strong intonation if is played alone
Thanks for this. We're so pleased you like the video.
woow I just love his viola
Me too
It is remarkable how twoset is on virtually every single stringed instrument youtube videos. They have generated hundreds of millions of people to consider classical music. Most influential classical musicians in this century.
They’re like the altos of the strings! No melody, you just kinda fill in some spots. It sounds so beautiful, i wish they could get the melody more often :)
I don't know how you couldn't love that lovely, plaintive tone.
Yay! Violas! I love playing the viola it's so fun. (I've been playing 3 years and I'm 13.)
Shadowsoverthecity life update where are you now I must know I gotta
What do you call two violas playing in unison?
A minor second.
I don't get it
*****
It kind of is the definition of a minor second...
I just understood that
Why are viola jokes so short?
So that violinists could understand them.
*laughs in viola*
This is what TH-cam needed a whole seven minutes dedicates to the best instrument there is: the viola!!
I thought I liked the violin... turns out I like the viola all along 😁 lol
fullguayaco I think every viola player in the world dreams of hearing that!
+fullguayaco :D THANKS
+fullguayaco I already play the Viola :D
yay :)
Same haha i've been searching about violin for so long.. but i think i was confused lol i just loved the viola
Your videos are really enjoyable, thank you. I love the sound of the viola, It's something more sober than the violin. I think because of the medium register, also because it's less hyped. It's its charm.
IrokoSalei Thank you, we're glad you're enjoying our videos. Make sure you stay tuned because we have a new video coming out soon featuring the viola!
Philharmonia Orchestra (London, UK) I enjoy your videos very much and I only watched two, Subscribed
Philharmonia Orchestra (London, UK) Is there a video of all of you guys playing together?
oscar Velez Sure! Several! Here's a short clip you might enjoy: th-cam.com/video/-gm5GJjJzBM/w-d-xo.html
Viola is defiantly the main instrument that I play. Love viola!
Thank goodness I've discovered these videos! As a young composer of film/tv music, I often struggle with orchestrating my work sometimes and these videos have proved such a useful tool for people like me.. Thank You!
ibanezman04, Amazing! That's exactly the sort of reason we created them.
Philharmonia Orchestra (London, UK) I downloaded the App yesterday, and have since been having a blast reading through all of the scores, its been incredibly useful.. I would love to see the orchestra do some film music and post it to the app, that would be amazing.. some Miklos Rosza, Bernard Herrmann, Elmer Bernstein, John Williams, Max Steiner, John Barry, Franz Waxman.. that would be really cool, but so far Im overjoyed with it!
ibanezman04, We happen to have a lot of film music related content elsewhere.
Check out our concert series devoted to music from the movies tinyurl.com/ndfwy5h
Also, you should watch our listening guides to Holst's 'The Planets'. Much of contemporary film music is inspired by these works. The series is a great insight into the orchestral textures you hear in film. tinyurl.com/qzpvstd
Philharmonia Orchestra (London, UK) Thank you again! Im a huge fan of the Planets! What a great series of videos you've made on them! and my tickets for the concert at royal festival hall are booked, thank you for letting me know about it!!
ibanezman04 Don't forget Erich Korngold, William Walton and Georges Auric for some great film music!
I love the soulful voice of the viola it sounds really nice with the heavenly sound of the beautiful graceful harp.
As someone who primarily plays bass guitar, it’s fascinating to me how similar the playing techniques are in regards to playing near the bridge, over the finger board, Bartok pizzicato (popping or plucking on bass), etc.
What a beautiful tone. I like that rich, full body sound. It's warm, yet strong. I love it.
I feel like Twoset fans don’t actually hate viola, we just make jokes about it for the heck of it. Like, the Twoset community actually respects viola and it does sound very good as an instrument, so please know all viola jokes are just that- jokes. We aren’t serious when we joke about violas
@River Some of them actually do, and that’s an issue
some people really do hate it, and its a big issue. if past composers were to see our state of music today, they would be so disappointed.
Some people are and even if you are not the jokes do not get funnier the more often you hear them. Non Musicians also have no place of telling them and a huge base of twosetters are non musicians. It just hurts at some point.
Brett and Eddy themselves have said they respect violists and have thanked them for taking all of the many viola jokes so graciously
You don't need people's attention whatever your instrument is. You just play the amazing music. You like it. You love it. That is the only thing that matters
Now that I can play the Violin a little bit, I am seriously thinking to play the Viola.
I wonder Why there are less Violists than Violinists ! I really prefer the sound of the Viola as much as that of the Violin.
It is such a beautiful instrument and I feel it is a good medium between high and low. I hope you were able to give it a try. And it is a shame, but it’s also not very known in an orchestra. I didn’t even know what it was until I played it!
Judex Young because violins are better :)
Kachuluin bleed? The E is a majestic note.
Honestly same
Cyber Leaf Warm and majestic? It's sounds like a calf screaming out in pain as it is slowly being flayed alive into veal, your feeble little brain must have trouble interpreting vibrations into sound.
I miss playing so much, I played in school but I rented the viola I used and I had to turn it in at our last performance and I cant wait for school to start so I can start playing again.
My 8 year old is about to take Viola lessons. I'm excited!
That's great! We wish them luck on their musical path!
I love that he said that the violas were the heart of the orchestra. That's so cute I love it.
Really underrated and extremely beautiful coming from a violinist. 😊
I love this brief yet thorough explanation of the viola! I was also quite impressed with the playing, too
i really want to play the viola in 5th grade because that's when we get to play in the orchestra. After i watched this video it urged me to play it even more. I really found this amusing when he explained the different ways you can play it. Right now i play the guitar and i know all of the strings on it, so maybe that will help me? I will keep doing more research on the viola because it sounds more soft and airy to me. This really helped me. Thanks!
megan jones I am in 6th Grade, and that is when we start orchestra, I too play viola, and I hope you choose it too
Omg its so fun
Your in like 7th grade now
Hope this worked out for you!
My 6 years old boy is learning Viola now! Thanks for this video!!!! It’s so useful!!! He loves Viola more than violin 🎻 love this video!!! Thank you
I played the viola for 4 years. I miss playing. I still own my old viola though.
We hope this might inspire you to pick up the instrument again?
2 Years on That
PLAY IT!!!!
I play the viola and with a orchestra family
Believe me when I say it's so much fun and lively!!!!!!
When u put the bow to the strings u make music with your family so everyone can enjoy the music including yourself!!!!!
And the viola is the base of the orchestra
Without it
There will be no orchestra without it
Little Lucy
Sorry meant to write cello
Great introduction to the Viola. My 10 year old Granddaughter has chosen to learn the instrument and I am grateful for the introduction
Viola's my favorite string instrument!! so beautiful😭😭
Dawn Barway It is also often played pizzicato
You misspelled violin
I always considered this instrument a much superior instrument to the violin.
It has such a beautiful sound,full and rich compared to the high ear scratching notes of the violin.
Razvan Sorin agreed,lucky I knew that 6 years ago. Love my viola!
Razvan Sorin shut up you're insulting all the people who play the violin!! Violin is just as good as viola if not better. It does not have ear scratching notes. You just don't know how to play it properly or you listened to the wrong people :(
Prakash Ke Sadabahar Geet Am I not allowed to have a prefference?It's a matter of taste,I didn't mean to disrespect anybody,it's just my opinion and you shouldn't be so offended by it,it's not a royal decree you know...
Prakash Ke Sadabahar Geet e is an earscratching note-.-
Rainbows_Rock
I would recommend you to either pay attention while reading something or take some English lessons. I never said the violin is better. I didn't say that the viola is bad, either. Also, how was I adding on to the criticism?
I just started playing viola, I gotta say its a great instument! It makes you happy when you play it, i doesn't have that sqeaky (?) sound of the violin, I dont know why all the people I know in my schol like the violin better, but we all know the answer, the violin is just too popular. Obviously people hardly play or even know the viola but if you do your research you'll fall in love with it!
I really appreciate your style of teaching; not too wordy, and you demonstrate everything you are talking about as yu speak, resulting in a dense, clear and thus invigorating instruction. I'll be back. (new student here and have been watching lots of vids of instructors and I cannot bear most ( wordy & opinion ridden, with very little useful info as "lesson".) So thank you for sharing your talent for sharing knowledge and understanding, as well as proper, and myriad ways to bow! Cheers sir.
Thank you for the lovely feedback and for spending time on our channel. We'll pass this note on to Nicholas. We hope you enjoy the other instrument films in our series!
Violist are the best, Go Violist and I am a Viola player I been playing for 5 years almost going to my 6th year of playing. I am a freshmen in Highschool in Chamber Class. I'm the only Freshman in Chamber class in my school.
Khang Dang, sounds like you've got great talent, keep going!
Alright, Will do I planned that ever since I started playing.
Played for 4 years, and I haven't even passed suzuki viola 4 which is ... xD
Good for you!
The Viola is a beaut. I've heard this instrument so many times throughout watching Little Bear and some shows, movies and games. Very underrated this instrument.
people forget that lots of the great composers played the viola, including Mozart, dvorak, Britten, Hindemith, schubert, Beethoven, Mendelssohn and Glinka among others.
Feels more fun to play viola solo rather than violin feels like it resonates with the body more.
I love playing the viola. The sound is so much nicer than the violin (in my opinion).
Also, is that a hint of Mars from the planets suite at 1:38?
IWasTheMadOne, well spotted! We have a series of videos on Holst's 'The Planets' you should definitely check out if you haven't already.
Philharmonia Orchestra (London, UK) I've just watched them all. They are wonderfully informative and interesting. I've always loved the suite as it combines my love of music and astronomy. You can definitely hear how it has influenced composers, particularly those writing film scores. I've already recommended your channel to one of my friends.
Thanks for passing on the videos to others. Much appreciated.
@@IWasTheMadOne you actually offended me as I'm a violinist and I love the Viola and violin
@@imskiiet Saying "I prefer instrument X over instrument Y" is not offensive. It's just personal taste.
So gorgeous. What a warm, engulfing sound!
Than you Nicholas for a genuinely interesting and informative video. I found your comment about breathing/bowing thought provoking re: the idea of a player's gesture and an instrument's response. If I might: wind players are breathing through the instrument; by way of bow movement string players are breathing for the instrument, both so the music may breathe beyond just its pulse. I'm a pianist, and our "ebb and flow", our breathing (beyond the score's phrase markings) is a different sort of thing, and not for the first time I feel a bit envious! Nicely done, and even in your short examples, beautiful tone. Hope all is well with you and the Philharmonia. Take care.
What a lovely comment - thank you.
I played violin for three years and then one day after a school concert and turned to my mom and randomly said “I think I might switch to the viola”
It was actually a good desicion as I much enjoy the sound and it’s mellow tones. Plus I couldn’t stand some of the snarky people in the violin section at my school.
Came here after watching twoset. They are pro violinists but are beginners at the viola. So obv they cannot demonstrate it. Came here to find its true beauty. Such depth
I am playing the violin for 9 years and the Viola for almost there, and I must day that I like playing the Viola almost Better. I only play the Viola in the orchestra that I play in, but I love the warmte and the deepness of the sounds of the Viola in the orchestra. As for the violin, I stil love playing it, because when you consider the small difference between the violin and the Viola themselves, the technique when playing them stil differs, and it is a great Challenge to play them both.
I just love the Viola. I've always wanted to play it. The Viola is a very beautiful instrument.☺️😄❤️
Lets go viola! It never gets the spotlight even though it’s awesome!
Beautifully done, Nicholas, thank you for posting ! :)
As a lover of classical music and beginner in the world of composition,
this video series is a wonderful education. Thank you for sharing these
with the world and allowing a Trombone player learn the details of the rest of the orchestra.
Get involved in our #popupplanets! We want to see you playing your favourite extract of Holst's The Planets and you have a chance to win a pair of tickets to our concert in London on Saturday 1 Oct: th-cam.com/video/9UY29P2CW1o/w-d-xo.html
The fact that this video has more views than the violin one is really funny. Justice for the violas!!!
AYEE VIOLAAA
good that Nicholas was kind enough to explain the sound and capacity of its instrument broadly. I think all we've seen this video have nowe the knowledge of what a viola can make in the orchestra today.
Picking viola up as a fifth instrument in January!
+Ethan Saintseer I play violin, piano, clarinet, guitar and have vocal lessons.
+Alice Compton Try picking up Cello as well. Generally speaking, you can play the Viola when you can already play the Violin and vice versa. Cello is a bit different in this regard due to the considerable difference in size and the position in how you hold it. But boy, do these three instruments sound divine when played well.
Best of luck to you! It's amazing:)
+Photoshop really well then I guess ill try to learn the cello as my fourth instrument:)
You have a teacher?
Thank you,Nicholas!!!you are beautiful musician and violist!!!!l love viola and all violists!!!🎻❤