ts traditional form by about the 1500s. It has a flat, fir belly, or soundboard, and a deep, extremely lightweight, pear-shaped body usually made of narrow strips of wood bent and glued side by side. Tied to the neck and fingerboard are seven to ten gut frets. The traditional lute had six pairs ("double courses") of strings running from the tuning pegs (set in a peg-box that angles sharply back from the neck) to a bridge glued to the belly. Much like the modern guitar, the player's right-hand fingers plucked the strings, which are stopped (altering the pitch) by the left-hand fingers.
             About the 1600s the lute acquired additional bass strings (usually four). These strings were not stopped with the fingers, but were tuned in descending steps (F/E/D/C). Larger lutes with more and longer bass strings were also built; they include the theorbo (see figure two), chitarrone, and arch lute.
             By the 18th century, the introduction of metal-over spun gut strings allowed bass strings of normal length to be used. Typical lutes of this time period have one bent-back peg-box and a broad neck over which are stretched five to seven bass strings and the six double courses.
             Another instrument, which appears to be a cousin of the lute, is the instrument known as the viol (see figure 3). The viol is a bowed stringed instrument popular from about the 1500s to the 1750s and was also revived in the 20th century. The viol preceded the violin and was actually contemporary with the violin during the 16th century.
             The viol rests vertically on the player's knees, hence its Italian name viola da gamba (leg viol). The bow is held palm outward and is slightly convex (in contrast to the concave violin bow). The body of the viol was lightly constructed and the six strings were under rather low tension. The viol is usually made in three basic sizes: treble, tenor, and bass. The more popular size for the viol is the tenor, followed by the tr...