Octave Violin or Violoncello da Spalla?

Update Intro:

This is an update to an earlier article entitled, Do You Really Need a Violoncello da Spalla?

Since publication of the original post, much has changed with respect to the instrument alternatives, including cost and variety. For example, I have rolled back prices to 2021 level on the popular Violoncello da Spalla Standard Model. See: Violoncellos da Spalla by Donald Rickert (Update Feb. 2024). We are now once again offering a decent factory-made entry-level Violoncello da Spalla for a base price of about $2,500.  A new higher-end Artist Master-Built Model will be available soon as well.

When it comes to octave violins, we now offer three models, starting at less than $2,500.

Contact Info.

• Don Rickert on Linktree: https://linktr.ee/donrickert. This link gets you to ALL of my detailed contact information, my websites and social media.
• Email: [email protected] OR [email protected]
• Phone (in US): 706-896-0909 or 706-400-1481 (mobile)

Introduction

You might find it strange that I am asking this question. After all, I am a luthier who makes violoncellos da spalla. Should I not just be happy when someone wants me to make one for them?

Caveats

Before you read this, you need to know the following:

• I am not playing “devil’s advocate” here. I am quite serious in asking the question.
• I am not a violoncello da spalla “hater” or even a violoncello da spalla skeptic.
• I do not care whether or not J.S. Bach actually had a hand in the invention of the violoncello da spalla or whether the instrument was actually a thing in the 18^th Century. I do think that is cool, however, that Bach might have been involved.
  • Likewise, I do not care whether the violoncello da spalla is a “21^st Century aberration”. Whether it is or not is simply irrelevant, although I think that it is rather rude to call it such.
  • Regardless of its actual use in the 1700s, the violoncello da spalla has a real place in the contemporary performance of Baroque Period repertoire.
• I build instruments for a living and one of my favorite instruments to make is the violoncello da spalla.
  • My violoncellos da spalla are played by some of the preeminent players of the instrument.

Just remember what I just said as you read what follows. I am a violoncello da spalla devotee!

My Discovery of the Violoncello da Spalla

Thanks to Dmitry Badiarov’s enthusiastic evangelism, I discovered the violoncello da spalla about 10 years ago. I was absolutely smitten and certain that I needed one.

Having played fiddle for about 50 years at that point, I did what I know that so many others have done. I got the best fractional 4-string cello I could find and utilized my luthier skills to make it sort of playable. Finding a suitably-sized fractional cello is easier said than done, as 1/10 size cellos, which are the closest in size to a proper violoncello da spalla, are virtually non-existent. Anyway, trying to use a kid’s cello as an adult violoncello da spalla was not at all satisfactory so, being an experienced luthier, I set about making my own violoncellos da spalla—proper 5-string violoncellos da spalla without a child-sized end pin and not made out of plywood. After a few tries I got really good at making them. I have since made more than 20, including those played by some of the instrument’s preeminent players.

Do I like playing my own instruments?

I do indeed love the sound and playability of my violoncellos da spalla. I always derived great satisfaction in making great instruments that players love, and are worth every penny that they cost. Do I like actually playing my own violoncellos da spalla? Not really. What can I say. I can play well enough to determine whether or not an instrument is ready for a discerning owner, but I just like playing a violin or viola much better. When I want to play an instrument in the tenor and baritone range, an octave violin is my preference. I make those as well, and have done so for almost two decades. In the spirit of full disclosure, I have made many more octave violins than violoncellos da spalla, mostly because I have been at it for longer.

Is my experience related to the fact that—

• I am more a fiddler than a classical violinist
• I am old
• I have gotten lazy (related to being old, I am sure)
• I never became as immersed in the Baroque repertoire as maybe I could have been.
  • I did, however, spend several years as a teenager transposing Bach cello pieces for electric bass guitar, as I learned that Jack Bruce of the Cream (one of Eric Clapton’s early bands) used many Bach riffs in his incredible playing.
• I have arthritis in my left hand and the violoncello da spalla is a bit of stretch size-wise for me. I half suspect that my arthritis may be due in part to playing too much Bach on a Fender Precision Bass slung low (very non-ergonomic) when I was young.

And so on…

All of those things I mentioned above are true, and that relates to my point. The violoncello da spalla, the enthusiasm of others notwithstanding, is NOT for everybody. That being said, I have seen players giving professional performances within a month of picking up the violoncello da spalla for the first time. What do these players have in common? They have all been VIOLists who had already reached virtuoso level skill on VIOLA. They are used to larger instruments and have mastered the skill of slower and harder bowing required for the viola.

I have also seen other accomplished musicians struggle for months, but who eventually conquer the violoncello da spalla after maybe 6 months of concerted effort. From my direct experience, this group has one thing in common. They are generally highly-proficient classical violinists and/or fiddlers (e.g., Bluegrass, Scottish, Irish). I have videos of some of these folks playing everything from video game music scores to 18^th Century Scottish airs and laments on my website (www.RickertMusicalInstruments.com).

While I have heard about cellists transitioning to violoncello da spalla, I have not seen firsthand a single musician whose main instrument is cello master the violoncello da spalla without extreme effort. After all, for a cellist, bowing a violin, viola, and yes, violoncello da spalla is backwards! In fact, one of the world’s finest cellist/recording artist/music school professors, who is also a longstanding client, gave a hard pass on even trying the violoncello da spalla because of its playing position.

The group that experiences the hardest time with the violoncello da spalla is comprised of people who are beginners with violin or, occasionally, with viola. The violoncello da spalla is a lot of instrument to handle. If one is still learning how to handle a violin, the road ahead is always going to be a long one. It is a lot like my recent attempt to learn the accordion, after a lifetime of avoiding keyboard instruments. It did not go well.

Avoiding disappointment is an important goal.

While I derive great joy in making extraordinary violoncellos da spalla for those who are truly ready, I do not get any satisfaction in charging money to clients who will be ultimately disappointed.

One who has the disposable income can always get a luthier-built violoncello da spalla and sell it should they lose interest. That is true, but be aware that the current resale market for unusual instruments like the violoncello da spalla is not good. This is the case for new instruments as well. The post Covid-19 lockdown economy is a challenge for all of us in the high-end bespoke musical instrument business.

Why Octave Violin may be a better choice than Violoncello da Spalla for many players

Tuned exactly like a violin, only an octave lower

The octave violin’s four strings are tuned exactly like the first four strings of a violoncello da spalla. It lacks only the low C-string of the violoncello da spalla.

The C-string is important if you are playing Baroque or Classical pieces. For the fiddler in most traditional folk genres, as well as modern genres like Bluegrass and Country Swing, the C-string is often more or less irrelevant. Even fiddlers who play 5-string violins don’t always tune the low string to C anyway. The low string is often used simply as an extra drone string.

Note:

As a luthier, I have come to accept the paradox that the only reason a bowed instrument needs to be much larger than a regular violin is to optimize the playing of notes lower than G2 (i.e., G in the second octave below middle-C). The four strings of an octave violin (G2 to E4) do just fine with a body more the size of a regular violin. That is the paradox. Adding a low C-string crosses some threshold which, if crossed, requires a significantly larger instrument in order to achieve anything like a balanced response across all of the strings.

Those luthiers who build violoncellos da spalla know that achieving a balanced response between the C-string and the other 4 strings can be a challenge even with an instrument of its relative size.

Easier to learn and play

In my firsthand experience, whatever skill level that a musician has achieved on the violin (or fiddle) is pretty much immediately transferable to the octave violin. It is an easier transition than even to a 5-string violin, as the strings are usually closer together on that instrument. This goes for classical violinists as well as fiddlers in any of the traditional music genres. With only some admonishment to dig deeper and slightly slower with the bow, most can do a plausible job on the octave violin in an hour or less. In fact, because the octave violin is more forgiving than the conventional violin or fiddle, one’s playing often sounds better on the octave violin.

A well-made purpose-built octave violin is just as loud as a violoncello da spalla

A regular violin simply fitted with octave strings usually does not have really great projection; in other words, it is somewhat quiet. With a purpose-built octave violin fitted with modern octave strings, the sound is every bit as loud as a really good violincello da spalla. Purpose-built octave violins are usually somewhat larger-bodied than regular violins, which is often accomplished with higher ribs. There are differences on the inside also, such as graduation, bass bar and sound post position.

The octave violin has its own unique timbre.

Just as the timbre of a violoncello da spalla is different from a 4/4 cello, so is the tone of an octave violin different from either.

Less expensive

Purpose-built octave violins are considerably less expensive than violoncellos da spalla. In the case of the instruments that I make, an octave violin costs about ½ as much as a violoncello da spalla.

Want to hear what an Octave Violin sounds like?

The video below is a compilation of older videos of some of my early octave violins. I have included this old video because nobody does justice to the octave violin like Darci Jones, who plays in most of the clips. I plan to do a video of my most recent octave violin designs, and will post it when it is done.

 

In summary: For whom is a violoncello da spalla the right choice?

The answer to this question is actually simple:

• Accomplished violists
• Those who are interested in professional performance of Baroque Period repertoire, especially the works of Bach
• Those who can justify (and afford) the $10K to $30K cost of a good violoncello da spalla

There are, of course, others who do not fit into those categories. Anyone who is passionate about taking up the violoncello da spalla, and has the means, should by all means do so.

In closing, here are some additional questions you should consider.

• Have you ever played a viola?
• Are you a beginner or an experienced violinist or violist?
• Can you afford a good violoncello da spalla?
• Do you need to answer to someone else, such as a partner or spouse, about how you spend your money?