Viola pomposa Viola pomposa The viola pomposa (also known as the violino pomposo) is a five-stringed instrument developed around 1725. There are no exact dimensions applicable to all instruments used under this name, although in general the pomposa is slightly wider than a standard viola (hence the Italian adjective "pomposa"). It uses four viola strings, tuned conventionally (C-G-D-A), with the addition of a high E string (usually a violin string), giving it a greater range than the orchestral viola; the trade-off comes in a sound which is slightly more resonant than a violin. The viola pomposa is played on the arm and
Basic physics of the violin bridge and nut of the violin so that the ends are essentially stationary, allowing for the creation of standing waves. The fundamental frequency and harmonic overtones of the resulting sound depend on the material properties of the string, such as the tension, length, mass, elasticity and damping factor. String tension affects the sound a violin produces in an obvious way. Increasing the tension on a string results in a higher frequency note. The strings of a violin are wrapped around adjustable tuning pegs. By turning its associated peg, each string may be loosened or tightened until it produces the desired