How the vihuela makes its sound
In the Hornbostel–Sachs system, which classifies instruments by how they produce sound, the vihuela belongs to the lutes: strings run parallel to a soundboard and along a neck – the family of the guitar, violin, sitar and oud.
More broadly it is one of the chordophones (string instruments), where sound comes from vibrating strings, amplified by a resonating body.
Its timbre – the colour that lets you tell it apart from other instruments playing the same note – comes from the mix of overtones its body and resonator emphasise.
From Wikipedia
The vihuela was a fretted string instrument developed in Spain during the 15th century and widely used there throughout the 16th century. In its best-known form, the vihuela de mano ("plucked vihuela"), it was plucked with the fingers, had a flat, waisted body resembling that of a guitar, and was typically tuned like a Renaissance lute. It became an important instrument for solo and accompanied music in 16th-century Spain, and a substantial repertory survives in printed collections.
The name vihuela was also applied to bowed instruments, known as vihuela de arco ("bowed vihuela"). The bowed vihuela developed in the Crown of Aragon, in eastern Spain, in the late 15th century and subsequently influenced the early development of the viol family.
Other lutes
Frequently asked questions
What does a vihuela sound like?
As one of the lutes, its sound comes from the way strings run parallel to a soundboard and along a neck.
What type of instrument is the vihuela?
It is classified as lutes (Hornbostel–Sachs 321.322-5).
Sources & credits
- Wikidata Q751884 – CC0
- Wikipedia: Vihuela – CC BY-SA 4.0
- Image by Matthias Gruber Original uploader was Matthias Gruber at de.wikipedia – CC BY-SA 3.0