Kontra

A kontra (, 'three-stringed viola') is a Hungarian, Czech, Polish, Romanian, Slovak and Romani instrument common in Transylvania.

==Construction== The kontra can be constructed new, but is most often a classical viola which has undergone several organological changes, for example, thinning ("regraduating") the top, back, and sides to increase the amplitude, and flattening the bridge, which allows the player to sound all three strings at once in order to produce chords. In addition, unlike the viola, they are only strung with three strings. Sometimes they have frets (like a guitar) to help with playing chords in tune.