violone

The violone is a large viol, essentially a double bass viol, often tuned an octave lower than the bass viol. Viols, including the violone, are bowed stringed instruments that were prominent in chamber music from the 16th to 18th centuries. They are characterized by sloping shoulders, deep ribs, flat backs, and are played in a vertical position, resting on the knee or between the legs, hence the name viola da gamba (leg viol). Viols have gut frets and a distinctive clear, ringing tone. While treble and tenor viols declined in favor of the violin due to their hollow, nasal timbre, the bass viol, or violone, provided harmonic support in Baroque ensembles.123