I wish I’d kept count of the number of times a pupil looked at me perplexed, when I ask them whether they were aware the violin and viola are two entirely different musical instruments.

I’ve often found myself bigging up the violin’s larger string sibling, and  secretly enjoy every second of it because there is plenty to shout about! So why is it that most young children (aged 4-7) can speak so confidently about the violin, yet know absolutely nothing about the viola?

Children are encouraged to learn the violin over the viola. This is mainly due to it being the smallest of the string instruments, making it the most popular choice for beginners. Its prominent position within the orchestra also means that children spot it quickly and take a shining to it.

But because the viola is so similar physically to the violin, children often mistake it for a large violin rather than an entirely different musical instrument, mistakenly thinking the cello is next in line in the string family.

This isn’t being helped by schools, where some music services only offer children music tuition on the cello as an alternative to the violin. So even for those who may be interested in the viola, it’s not an option for them to learn it in school anyway. It is worth mentioning that this is happening with the woodwind family too (flute and clarinet being positioned over the oboe and bassoon) however this makes a little more sense, as the oboe and bassoon are notably more expensive instruments to purchase or hire.

In our music workshops this year we’ve played a wide variety of musical games to help develop the children’s’ listening and aural skills. Within the first term, the youngest of our children (age 4) can confidently listen to pieces of music where the violin, viola, cello and double bass perform together and distinguish which instrument is which, from listening to their sound alone. They love describing what each instrument sounds like and defining how they differ from one another.

Half of the room will adore the sound of the violin and its virtuosic melodies, while the other half of the room get just as excited by the deeper resonant tone of the viola. Just like the musical instruments, every child is different and when asked, they know exactly what they like!

Given the choice in school, half of those children would likely choose to learn the viola over the violin (or switch when they’re bigger) but with no significant introduction, they remain none the wiser and deprived of the opportunity. Seeing as each of the musical instruments has its own unique story to tell, surely it’s about time young children get the exposure to all of them?