The instrument is based on sketches Leonardo da Vinci made in his notebooks of a " viola organista" with the dream of simulating a viola ensemble that could be played from a keyboard.
And because there weren't any viola teachers in my town, to be able to play the things that I heard in my head, I turned to a teacher who seemed to know everything: YouTube.
And there was a, I guess, I think Mahler had a second symphony where he noted that trombones, violins, and violas should only play if necessary to prevent the chorus from deflating.
In fact, the general term we have for violin, and viola, and cello are " stringed instruments." They're instruments that have long strings that you play.