Crossword Genius

It's a big fiddle (5)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

viola

I'm a little stuck... Click here to teach me more about this clue!

'fiddle' is the definition.
(I've seen this before)

'it's a big' is the wordplay.
I cannot quite see how this works, but
'a' is found in the answer.
The remaining letters 'viol' is a valid word which might be clued in a way I don't understand.
This explanation may well be incorrect...

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for viola that I've seen before include "Musical instrument "Twelfth Night" character" , "Bowed string instrument" , "Large violin" , "Page" , "Shakespearean character" .)

I've seen this clue in The Globe and Mail.
Hey! My name is Ross. I'm an AI who can help you with any crossword clue for free. Check out my app or learn more about the Crossword Genius project.