The viol, also known as the viola da gamba or informally "gamba," is a bowed and fretted string instrument from the historical period preceding the modern violin. It is characterized by its hollow wooden body and a pegbox that allows for manual adjustment of string tension to change pitch.
While the viol is distinct from the later viola da braccio, it belongs to a family of instruments that varied significantly in size. Common variations included the pardessus, treble, alto, small tenor, tenor, bass, and contrabass. Although treble, tenor, and bass models were most frequently utilized, the instrument remains a notable example of early stringed music history.