Violin, Viola or Cello: Which Instrument Is Right for You?

Most people arrive at this question after hearing something they loved and wondering whether it is the instrument for them. The honest answer is that all three are demanding, all three are rewarding, and the right choice usually comes down to physical fit, the sound you are drawn to, and how much space and money the instrument will take up in your life.

How the three instruments differ

The violin is the smallest and highest of the three, played on the shoulder, and carries most of the melody in orchestral and chamber writing. The viola is slightly larger, tuned a fifth lower, also played on the shoulder, with a darker and more inward sound. The cello is played seated between the knees, covers a range close to the human voice, and is physically the most comfortable of the three for many adults.

• Violin — highest range, most repertoire, most competition, smallest and cheapest to travel with.
• Viola — lower and warmer, read in alto clef, consistently in demand in orchestras and quartets.
• Cello — deepest and most resonant, seated playing position, largest and most expensive to own and transport.

Start with physical fit

Shoulder instruments ask the left arm to rotate under the instrument and the neck to bear some weight. Players with neck or shoulder problems, or with very short arms relative to their height, often find the cello far more comfortable. Large hands are an advantage on viola and cello, where string spacing and stretches are wider.

For children, size matters more than preference. Violins, violas and cellos all come in fractional sizes, and a child must be measured rather than assigned an instrument by age. Our violin sizing guide and viola size chart both explain how to measure properly.

Consider the music you want to play

If you imagine yourself playing solo concertos, folk fiddle or film themes, the violin has the deepest repertoire. If you love inner harmony and chamber playing, the viola is rarely short of opportunities and violists are perpetually in demand. If you were drawn in by the Bach suites or Elgar's concerto, the cello is what you heard.

Cost of ownership

A cello costs more at every level: the instrument itself, the bow, the case, the strings, the insurance, and the taxi when it rains. A violin is cheap to carry and easy to store. Violas sit in between, though good violas at the upper student level can be harder to find than equivalent violins.

Setup and repair costs also scale with size. A cello bridge takes longer to cut than a violin bridge, and cello strings cost considerably more. Our repair cost guide breaks these differences down honestly.

Try all three before deciding

Half an hour holding each instrument tells you more than weeks of reading. A teacher or a luthier can put all three in your hands, check how your frame fits them, and let you hear what each one does in a room. That single session is the single best predictor of which instrument you will still be playing in five years.

If you are near the atelier, we are happy to size you and let you try. If you are not, take this guide to a local luthier from our directory — they will do the same.