violino piccolo

musical instrument

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July 14, 2026

Quick Summary

The violino piccolo is a small violin, typically tuned a third higher than a standard violin. The name itself is Italian for "little violin". This instrument dates back to at least 1776.1

While the violino piccolo is a type of violin, it's important to distinguish it from the viol family of instruments. Viols, such as the viola da gamba, were popular from the 16th to 18th centuries and are characterized by sloping shoulders, deep ribs, and a vertical playing position. Viols generally have a deeper, more resonant tone compared to violins. The violin, with its brighter and more penetrating sound, eventually surpassed the viol in popularity, especially in the soprano register.23

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stringed instrument
Other violins
…high-pitched instrument known as the violino piccolo; now and then his works also require the viola d’amore (a fretless hybrid shaped like a viol but sized and played like a viola with sympathetic strings) or the elusive violoncello piccolo (a small cello). These instruments have been in disuse for many…
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…high-pitched instrument known as the violino piccolo; now and then his works also require the viola d’amore (a fretless hybrid shaped like a viol but sized and played like a viola with sympathetic strings) or the elusive violoncello piccolo (a small cello). These instruments have been in disuse for many…
Read More