Violas from twelve to twenty inches
Carleen Maley Hutchins · The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America · 1977
The normal range for the body length of the viola is usually considered to be between 16 and 17 in. When an instrument is shorter than this, 15 to 16 in., most violists consider it a small viola; and when longer than this, 17 to 18 in., an extra large one. During the 1950's, Frederick A. Saunders and I explored the possibilities of moving the main wood and air resonances of the viola around the expand this range. First in a 12-in. viola utilizing the so-called subharmonics of both the main air and wood resonances; and second in the 20-in. viola where the main air and wood resonances are in a similar position to those of the normal violin, These two instruments have been developed and explored musically over the last 15 years. They will be demonstrated and discussed acoustically in comparison to the normal viola.