Five-string violin

A five-string violin is a variant of violin with an extra string tuned below the violin's usual range. In addition to the G, D, A, and E strings of a standard violin, a five-string violin typically includes a lower C string.^[1] Violins with 6 or more strings may add a low F, low B♭, low E♭, or a soprano violin high A (sometimes a high B).^{[citation needed]}

The five-string violin was created to combine the pitch ranges of the violin and viola. Bobby Hicks, a noted bluegrass fiddler, popularized the five-string violin in 1963, first showcasing his modification during a performance in Las Vegas. Due to the size limitations of a five-string violin, the low C string typically resonates with a slightly softer sound than the other strings. Five-string violas, normally tuned C, G, D, and A, and adding a high E string, have in the same tuning, but on a viola body and do not sound as squeaky.^[2][3] Capable players may be able to compensate for these shortcomings with technique, and electric instruments help these issues with the benefit of amplification. It is also possible for a luthier to create instruments that resolve the issue by adjusting the size of the instrument.