Violists are often tormented because no one understands why they exist. It’s certainly an existential crisis for many violists. Of course, the rampant spread of viola jokes has not helped violists gain any traction in the orchestra. They are still viewed as the bastard stepchildren of the orchestra destined to wither in the middle of the orchestra from mediocrity.
But anyway, as I said, Classic FM pinpointed the struggles we violists face in a beautiful article that may just inspire you to drop the viola and pick up a violin or cello.
Among our favorites were:
Nobody knows what to call you. The official term is violist, but I’ve struggled with this for years. First off, most people don’t even know what this word means when you say it to them. Even worse, on resumes, violist often looks like a typo intending to say violinist. While I’ve avoided this misconception by always saying I’m a “viola player,” it certainly doesn’t make the life of a violist any easier.
You have to read everything with alto clef instead of treble clef. Do you really want to learn alto clef just to play viola? Alto clef is only rarely used with other instruments, including trombone, bassoon, and English Horn, which means if you ever want you switch instruments you better know treble or bass as well.
The jokes. These will never stop. The viola section is constantly looked down upon and the jokes will never end.
Read the full article: The 10 worst things about being a viola player |Â Classic FM[/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]
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