The lyra viol therefore is the "smallest" and according to James Talbot (end of the 17th century) is therefore 72 cm string length.

The lyra viol has been favorably compared to both the lute and the violin, by Tobias Hume and Roger North respectively.

In seventeenth century England sympathetic strings were added, which according to John Playford was credited to Mr. Farrant.

The first description of bowed polyphonic music for the viol is in a treatise by Johannes Tinctoris, and the first development of its repertoire can be traced back to Sylvestro di Ganassi dal Fontego in the mid-sixteenth century.

[1] Some of the most famous English composers of the seventeenth century wrote pieces for the lyra viol, or even entire anthologies.

They tended to be formulated so as to put the most important notes on open strings, and were composed in sets of pieces, so that players would not have to retune too frequently.

[1] Another technique for the lyra viol was the ornament or grace known as the "thump", where the player plucks the open strings with the fingers of the left hand.

The first reference to this practice is in Tobias Hume's The First Part of Ayres (1605), which was written a number of years before Claudio Monteverdi's Combattimento di Tancredi e Clorinda (1624) which is frequently cited as the earliest source of pizzicato.

[1] Many manuscripts of lyra viol music survive showing the level of interest this style enjoyed.

This style influenced the works of France's bass viola da gamba virtuosos of the late Baroque period.

Broken chords, and strings marked below the tablature lines are clear indications the music is not suitable for the lyra viol.

Both Martha Bishop and Carol Herman have authored publications to assist musicians to learn to play lyra viol music.

Peter H. Adams is publishing new editions of historic collections and composed over 100 lessons for solo lyra viol.