arpeggione

Also known as guitar violoncello, bowed guitar

The arpeggione is a six-stringed musical instrument fretted and tuned like a guitar, but with a curved bridge so it can be bowed like a cello, and thus similar to the bass viola da gamba. The instrument is sometimes also called a guitar violoncello. It is essentially a bass viol with a guitar-type tuning, E–A–d–g–b–''e' .'' The body shape of the arpeggione is, however, more similar to a medieval fiddle than either the guitar or the bass viol. The arpeggione is especially suited to playing runs in thirds, double stops, and arpeggios.