The pochette is a small stringed instrument that is played with a bow. It is similar in shape to a violin but is designed to fit in a pocket, which is why it is called "pochette" (French for "small pocket").

It is also known as a pocket fiddle. From the 15th century until the 19th century, it was used by dance teachers in royal courts and by street musicians. It became especially popular in the 1800s. Before the pochette, a similar instrument called the rebec was used, and some modern pochettes are based on the rebec rather than the violin family.

Some people mistakenly believe that pochettes were made for children. However, they were created for adults. Their small size made them easier to carry than larger violins and more affordable for many people. Although the pochette’s body is small, its fingerboard is long compared to its size to help play a wide range of musical notes. Pochettes come in different shapes, including narrow, boat-shaped ones called "sardinos" and pear-shaped ones. A pochette shaped like a violin is called a "kit violin" or simply "kit."

Etymology

Trichet is reported to have described the leather carrying case for the pochette as a "pochette." Mersenne noted that it was common for people who played the pochette, such as traveling minstrels or dance teachers, to carry the instrument in a pocket. The word "kit" may have come from a shortened form of the word "pocket" to "-cket" and then to "kit." Alternatively, it could be a mistaken version of the word "cittern" (Greek: κιθάρα). The word "kit" is believed to have first appeared in early 1500s England, where it was mentioned in a work called "Interlude of the Four Elements" by John Rastell, around 1517. It is possible that the word "kit" originally referred to a small rebec, an instrument used in England at that time, but later became associated with violin-shaped pochettes after the rebec was replaced by them.

History

Many fiddlers in the 18th century used pochettes because they were easy to carry. A pochette, also called a pocket fiddle, was used by dance teachers during dances and when teaching lessons.

Antonio Stradivari, a famous violin maker, created a few pochettes during his lifetime. Two of these instruments are still around today. One may be in poor condition, and the other is displayed at the Conservatoire de Paris Museum in Paris.

Sound

The pochette usually sounds one octave higher than a violin. The three-string version is even higher in pitch.

In his 1607 opera L'Orfeo, Claudio Monteverdi used the "chirp" sound of the pochette to represent bird songs in the aria Ecco pur ch'a voi ritorno. In the opera, these instruments are referred to as violini piccoli alla francese ("small French violins").

The Fellowship of Makers and Restorers of Historical Instruments has stated that even with a sound post, a violin cannot copy the sound of a pochette well enough for the two instruments to be considered the same.

Notable players

• Niel Gow was known to play a pochette, and he carried one with him in his pocket whenever he walked from his home in Inver to Blair Castle, where he had a job.
• Thomas Jefferson owned two pochettes.

Design

Pochettes were important parts of court entertainment and dance, so they were often made from special materials like unusual woods, tortoise shells, or ivory. They were also decorated with detailed carvings.

A pochette shaped like a boat is called a sardino (or Tanzmeistergeige in Germany), and one shaped like a violin is called a kit.

In general, pochettes have a narrower body and longer neck compared to their size than other bowed string instruments. They usually do not have frets and have either three or four strings. They also often have a clearly curved and arched back. A pochette is different from other members of the violin family because its neck is part of the body, not simply attached to it.

The Fellowship of Makers and Restorers of Historical Instruments said that a pochette's strings should not be longer than ten inches (25 cm).

Playing

Pochettes are small and cannot be played by resting on the chin or shoulder like a violin. Instead, they are held against the chest or along the upper arm and played using a short bow.