The vihuela (Spanish pronunciation: [viˈwela]) is a string instrument from the 15th century in Spain. It has frets and is played by plucking its strings, similar to a guitar in shape (with a figure-eight design that makes it strong and portable) but tuned like a lute. It was used in Spain during the 15th and 16th centuries as a musical instrument similar to the lute in Italy. The vihuela often had five or six pairs of strings.

A bowed version of the vihuela, called the vihuela de arco (arco means "bow"), was created in Spain and later made in Italy starting in 1480. This led to the term "vihuela de mano" being used to describe the original plucked instrument. The word "vihuela" became "viola" in Italian ("viole" in French; "viol" in English). The bowed vihuela de arco influenced Italian craftsmen to create the "da gamba" family of fretted, bowed string instruments beginning in 1480. These instruments had inherited frets from the vihuela, making them easier to play in tune compared to the rebec family (earlier versions of the "da braccio" family). Because of this, the da gamba instruments became popular for chamber music.

History

The vihuela, known as viola de mà in Catalan, viola da mano in Italian, and viola de mão in Portuguese, had names that meant the same thing and could be used interchangeably. In its most developed form, the vihuela was a guitar-shaped instrument with six pairs of strings made from animal gut. It was tuned the same way as the Renaissance lute, with intervals of fourths and one major third (44344), similar to a modern guitar, except the third string was tuned a half step lower.

Plucked vihuelas, which had flat backs like lutes, developed in the mid-15th century in the Kingdom of Aragón, located in northeastern Iberia (Spain). By the late 15th to late 16th centuries, the vihuela was widely used in Spain, Portugal, and Italy. In the second half of the 15th century, some vihuela players began using a bow, which led to the creation of the viol.

There were several types of vihuela, or different ways to play them:
– Vihuela de mano: 6 or 5 courses played with the fingers
– Vihuela de penola: played with a plectrum
– Vihuela de arco: played with a bow (a precursor to the viola da gamba)

Tunings for a 6-course vihuela de mano (44344):
– G C F A D G
– C F B♭ D G C

Although the vihuela is no longer widely used, its influence remains. The complex polyphonic music once played on the vihuela, along with the cross-strung harp, can still be heard in Mexican Mariachi music. The vihuela's descendants that are still played today include the violas campaniças of Portugal. The Baroque guitar, sometimes called vihuela or bigüela, later took over many of the vihuela's roles. Today, the vihuela is used in Mexican Mariachi music for solos and in performances of early music using replicas of historical instruments. Instruments like the tiple, which are played in the Americas, are descendants of vihuelas brought to the region in the 16th century.

Construction

Vihuela bodies were built using light materials, such as thin flat pieces of wood that were curved or bent as needed. This method of construction made them different from some earlier string instruments, which were often carved from a single solid block of wood. The backs and sides of common lutes were also made from multiple curved or bent pieces of wood, joined and glued together to form a bowl-shaped body. These parts were usually made from cypress, with a top made of spruce or cedar.

Vihuelas (and violas da gamba) came in different sizes, including large and small, forming a family of instruments. Music for two vihuelas was published for various tunings, such as one step apart, a minor third, a fourth, or a fifth, as well as for both instruments tuned to the same pitch.

The appearance of vihuelas varied widely, with little standardization and no mass production. In general, they looked similar to modern guitars. The earliest vihuelas, made from the mid-15th century onward, had sharp, pointed cuts near the middle of their bodies, like a violin. A later type of vihuela, developed around 1490, had smooth, curved body shapes resembling a figure-eight. Both styles were made side by side until the early-to-mid-16th century. Some vihuelas had very long necks, while others had shorter ones. Decorations, such as sound holes, ports, and rosettes, varied greatly in number, shape, and placement. Different styles of peg-boxes were also used.

Vihuelas had frets that could be moved to change notes, similar to lutes. These frets were made of gut and wrapped around the neck, tied in place. Vihuelas usually had ten frets, while lutes had only seven. Unlike modern guitars, which often use steel or bronze strings, vihuelas were strung with gut. They were typically played with paired strings, called courses. A six-course vihuela could be strung in two ways: either with 12 strings in six pairs or with 11 strings, including one single string (called a chanterelle) on the highest-pitched course. Single chanterelles were also common on lutes and other early guitars, such as Renaissance and Baroque guitars.

Repertoire

The first person to publish a collection of music for the vihuela was the Spanish composer Luis de Milán. His book, titled Libro de música de vihuela de mano intitulado El maestro, was published in 1536 and given to King John III of Portugal. The way music was written in these books used a system called numeric tablature, also known as "lute tablature." This system influenced the modern "guitar tab" used today. The music can be played easily by changing the string tuning to match the classic lute and vihuela tuning (44344). The tablature system used in these books is called "Italian" tablature. In this system, numbers show where to press the strings, and the lowest line on the staff represents the highest-pitched string, like the neck of the instrument when held. However, Milán’s book uses numbers differently: the top line of the staff shows the highest-pitched string, as in "French" tablature.

The printed books of vihuela music that still exist today, in order of when they were published, are:

• El Maestro [1] by Luis de Milán (1536)
• Los seys libros del Delphin [2] by Luis de Narváez (1538)
• Tres Libros de Música [3] by Alonso Mudarra (1546)
• Silva de Sirenas [4] by Enríquez de Valderrábano (1547)
• Libro de Música de Vihuela [5] by Diego Pisador (1552)
• Orphénica Lyra [6] by Miguel de Fuenllana (1554)
• Libro de Cifra Nueva para tecla, arpa y vihuela [7] by Luis Venegas de Henestrosa (1557)
• El Parnasso [8] by Estevan Daça (1576)
• Obras de musica para tecla, arpa y vihuela [9] by Antonio de Cabezón (1578)

Surviving instruments

There are three old vihuelas that still exist today:

• The 'Guadalupe' vihuela is in the Musée Jacquemart-André
• The 'Chambure' instrument is in the Cité de la Musique
• A relic from Saint Mariana de Jesús (1618–1645) is kept in the Iglesia de la Compañia de Jesús de Quito

Modern versions of the vihuela are still being made today. Skilled performers who play the vihuela include the Scottish composer Robert MacKillop, the English lutenist Julian Bream, and the American artist Hopkinson Smith.