Back Вихуела Bulgarian Vihuela Breton Viola de mà Catalan Vihuela Czech Vihuela German Vihuelao Esperanto Vihuela española Spanish Bihuela Basque Vihuela Finnish Vihuela French
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 Vihuela reproduced by Khalil Gibran in the mid–20th century | |
| Classification | String instrument (plucked) |
|---|---|
| Hornbostel–Sachs classification | 321.322 (Composite chordophone) |
| Developed | Mid-15th century |
| Related instruments | |
| Sound sample | |
| A vihuela playing 'Jamaica' from Playford's The Dancing Master (c.1670) | |
The vihuela (Spanish pronunciation: [biˈwela]) is a 15th-century fretted plucked Spanish string instrument, shaped like a guitar (figure-of-eight form offering strength and portability) but tuned like a lute. It was used in 15th- and 16th-century Spain as the equivalent of the lute in Italy and has a large resultant repertory. There were usually five or six[citation needed] doubled strings.
A bowed version, the vihuela de arco (arco meaning bow), was conceived in Spain and made in Italy from 1480. One consequence was the phrase vihuela de mano being thereafter applied to the original plucked instrument. The term vihuela became "viola" in Italian ("viole" in Fr.; "viol" in Eng.), and the bowed vihuela de arco was to serve as a prototype in the hands of the Italian craftsmen for the "da gamba" family of fretted bowed string instruments, as developed starting in 1480. Their vihuela-inherited frets made these easier to play in tune than the rebec family (precursors of the "da braccio" family), and so they became popular for chamber music.