descant viol

The descant viol is a type of treble viol, also known as a pardessus de viole. The viol is a bowed, stringed instrument primarily used in chamber music from the 16th to 18th centuries. Viols are characterized by their sloping shoulders, deep ribs, thin flat backs, and vertical playing position, often resting on the knee or between the legs, hence the name viola da gamba (leg viol).12

The descant, in a musical context, refers to a countermelody sung or played above a familiar tune. It can also refer to an instrument with a higher pitch than normal, such as a descant recorder. While the treble viol (descant viol) and tenor viol declined in favor of the violin due to their hollow, nasal timbre, the bass viol persisted longer, eventually falling out of use until its revival in the 20th century for performing early music.32