The Vielle

About this tutor book In this modern tutorial , Clare Salaman introduces the Vielle — also known as the ‘Medieval Fiddle’ — with a progressive selection of 30 easy arrangements accompanied by technical notes and pictures. The mystery of this instrument is uncovered with a light exploration into its history and is further demonstrated with live recordings of all the included pieces available on a free audio download. Introducing... Series Designed as an introduction, this series provides a solid foundation in a clear and easy-to-read format. Essential for all beginners seeking a practical start to their instrument. The Author Clare Salaman (1966-2022) was a renowned multi-instrumentalist and founder of The Society of Strange and Ancient Instruments. She lectured and directed at the Royal Academy of Music, the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama, the Norwegian Academy of Music and the Royal College of Music.

Bow for Medieval String Instruments by Trouvere Music Works, suitable for rebecs, medieval fiddles and vielles. Handmade from white oak and black horse hair.

Based on 13th to 15th Century examples, this fiddle has a full violin scale length. These fiddles have a shallower bridge and flatter fingerboard than a modern violin. This is the most popular model, both because of their sound and because they are the most familiar to those players with experience playing a modern violin. They have solid poplar bodies with a spruce soundboard, maple bridge, white oak, maple, walnut or cherry tailpiece, walnut fingerboard, and boxwood or ebony nut. Individually serviced and fitted with gut strings by our luthier prior to despatch.

This medieval fiddle (or vielle) is very resonant with a versatile playing volume. It is made with a solid poplar body, spruce soundboard, walnut fingerboard, white oak tailpiece, maple bridge and Boxwood nut. It is the perfect instrument for those looking to explore the medieval fiddle, and is very accessible for a modern string player. Individually serviced and fitted with gut strings by our luthier prior to despatch.

EMS Fiddle Medieval - E.A.D.G - an inexpensive medieval fiddle made from solid wood through out and includes a semi-rigid padded bag. Vibrating String Length: 298mm Maximum Length of Instrument: 605mm Maximum Width of Instrument: 207mm Maximum Hight of Instrument: 70mm Width of Nut: 30mm Length of Fingerboard: 218mm

This medieval fiddle (or vielle) by Fabio Chiari is based on fiddles from around the 12th century. It has been designed from writings and iconography from the time, as no instruments have survived that can be copied. This instrument has been made exclusively from Italian woods: maple, willow and poplar. The vielle was one of the main instruments in the medieval period. It was played by both amateurs and professional musicians, including at court and in noble households.

This medieval fiddle is based one of the two fiddles that were recovered from hold of the Mary Rose. It has been designed with modern string players in mind and is individually serviced and fitted with gut strings by our luthier prior to despatch. This fiddle has a solid poplar body with a spruce soundboard, cherry fingerboard, maple bridge and ebony nut. The bridge and fingerboard are raised making the playing transitional easier for modern players.

This medieval fiddle is based one of the two fiddles that were recovered from hold of the Mary Rose. It has been designed with modern string players in mind and is individually serviced and fitted with gut strings by our luthier prior to despatch. This fiddle has a solid poplar body with a spruce soundboard, cherry fingerboard, maple bridge and ebony nut. The bridge is flat and the fingerboard is level in keeping with other medieval fiddles.

This medieval fiddle (vielle) is made by Italian luthier Roberto Montagna. It is based on a study of the fresco by Andrea Bonaiuti, made in 1365, of the Cappellone degli Spagnoli in Santa Maria Novella, Firenze. It is made exclusively with Italian wood. The soundboard is Italian spruce from Val di Fiemme inlaid with maple and pear, the ribs and back are pear, the neck is solid pearwood, the fingerboard is pear and maple, the button and pegs are maple and the tailpiece is hand-carved in maple. Vibrating String Length: 358mm Maximum Length of Instrument: 640mm Maximum Width of Instrument: 205mm Maximum Hight of Instrument: 90mm Width of Nut: 30mm Length of Fingerboard: 225mm About Roberto Montagna Roberto Montagna was born in Montagnana in 1981. Son of a musician father, he also developed a passion for music. In 2007 he made the acquaintance of an artisan carpenter and after he had learned the rudiments of carpentry, he began the project of building a guitar for himself. He realised he had a passion for building and at this point he began a personal study of stringed instruments. He met Maestro Fabio Chiari in 2009 and soon became a pupil in his workshop. In 2014 he graduated from the Tuscany School of Violin Making where he received recognition from his research on Quality of Sound. Today Roberto runs his own workshop making classical string instruments as well as medieval instruments.

Marco Salerno 4 String Medieval Fiddle - Strasbourg model - a hand crafted medieval fiddle with decoration by Marco Salerno and with a full bodied resonant sound

PO ref. PO0281S Trapezoidal Violin by S. Titchmarsh - in excellent condition and with case. Made in the late 80's/early 90's and fully serviced by our in-house luthier prior to despatch. For more details about this or any other Previously Owned instruments, please do not hesitate to contact us.

EMS Fiddle Medieval Kit (for home assembly) - E.A.D.G - an inexpensive medieval fiddle made from solid wood through out.

This medieval fiddle (vielle or lira) is made by Italian master luthier Fabio Chiari. Its design is inspired by an instrument made by Leonardo da Vinci around 1500. Unfortunately none of da Vinci's drawings or writings about his instrument have survived, but it is mentioned by Giorgio Vasari in his “ Lives of the Most Excellent Painters and Sculptors ”. Contemporaneous reports by Vasari and others describe da Vinci giving the Duke of Milan a silver lira shaped like a horse’s skull, with a very resonant sound. Later hypotheses suggest that Leonardo had made an in-depth study of equine anatomy and, having examined the shape of the skull, he tried using it as the sound box for a lira. This medieval fiddle is the result of Chiari's research into da Vinci's lira. The shape of the body adds to the resonance of the instrument. It has been made exclusively with Italian woods including maple, pearwood and poplar.

Salerno 4 String Medieval Fiddle - a hand crafted medieval fiddle by Marco Salerno. A typical simplified design, but with a fulled bodied resonant sound