Pochette (musical instrument)

Trichet is said to have described the pochette's leather carrying case as a poche. Similarly, Mersenne wrote that it was common practice among pochette players (such as traveling minstrels or dance teachers) to carry the instrument in a pocket. The word "kit" possibly arose from an abbreviation of the word "pocket" to "-cket" and subsequently "kit"; alternatively, it may be a corruption of "cittern" (). The word "Kit" is believed to have first been used in the first quarter of the 16th century England where it was mentioned in Interlude of the Four Elements by John Rastell, 1517. It is possible that the word "kit" originally referred to a small rebec, which was used in the same manner at the time in England, but came to belong to the violin-shaped pochettes later on as it replaced the rebec. ==History==

Many fiddlers in the 18th century used pochettes because of their portability. The pochette or pocket fiddle was used by dance masters not only during dances, but when teaching as well. The great luthier Antonio Stradivari is known to have made a few pochettes in his career; two are known to have survived to modern times, one possibly in bad shape, and the other on display at the Conservatoire de Paris Museum. ==Sound==

The pochette tends to be tuned one octave above a violin. The three-string variant specifically tends to be tuned the highest. In the opera they are called violini piccoli alla francese ("small French violins"). The Fellowship of Makers and Restorers of Historical Instruments has expressed that even with a sound post a violin cannot imitate the sound of a pochette enough for the two to be considered the same. ==Notable players==

• Niel Gow is known to have played a pochette, and reportedly carried one in his pocket whenever he walked from his house in Inver to Blair Castle, where he worked. • Thomas Jefferson owned at least two pochettes. ==Design==

Due to being an essential feature of court entertainment and dance, pochettes were often made of expensive materials such as exotic woods, tortoise shells or ivory, as well as being decorated with elaborate carvings. A pochette shaped like a boat is called a sardino (or Tanzmeistergeige in Germany), while a violin-shaped one is called a kit. In general pochettes have a narrower body and longer neck in overall relation to its size compared to other bowed string instruments. They often lack frets and have either four or three strings. They also often have a distinctly vaulted and arched back. A pochette is distinguishable from the rest of the violin family due to the fact that the neck is a prolongation of the body, instead of simply being attached to it. The Fellowship of Makers and Restorers of Historical Instruments has expressed that a pochette's strings ought not to be longer than . ==Playing==

Due to their small size, pochettes cannot be played resting on the chin or shoulder like a violin, and are instead pressed against the chest or along the upper arm, being played with a short bow. ==Gallery==