Citizendia
Your Ad Here

This article is about the stringed musical instrument. For other uses, see Cello (disambiguation).
Cello
Violoncello
Cello
Classification

Bowed string instrument
Playing range
Related instruments
Musicians
  • List of Cellists

The violoncello (abbreviated to cello, or 'cello, plural celli—the c is pronounced [tʃ], as in the ch in "checkers", thus "Chell-lo") is a bowed string instrument. A musical instrument is a device constructed or modified for the purpose of making Music. A string instrument (or stringed instrument) is a Musical instrument that produces Sound by means of Vibrating strings In the Hornbostel-Sachs In Music, the range of a Musical instrument is the distance from the lowest to the highest pitch it can play A musical instrument is a device constructed or modified for the purpose of making Music. The Violin family of Musical instruments was developed in Italy in the Sixteenth century. The violin is a bowed String instrument with four strings usually tuned in Perfect fifths It is the smallest and highest-pitched member The viola is a bowed String instrument. It is the middle voice of the Violin family, The viol (also called viola da gamba) is any one of a family of bowed, Fretted stringed Musical instruments developed in the 1400s The double bass is the largest and lowest-pitched bowed String instrument used in the modern symphony orchestra. A string instrument (or stringed instrument) is a Musical instrument that produces Sound by means of Vibrating strings In the Hornbostel-Sachs A person who plays a cello is called a cellist. The cello is used as a solo instrument, in chamber music, and as a member of the string section of an orchestra. Chamber music is a form of Classical music, written for a small group of instruments which traditionally could be accommodated in a palace chamber The string section is the largest body of the standard Orchestra and consists of bowed String instruments of the Violin family.

Contents

Description

The name cello is an abbreviation of the Italian violoncello, which means "little violone", most probably not referring to the double bass but instead to the slightly larger (and now uncommon) instrument the bass violin which was sometimes tuned a whole step lower than the cello. Italian ( or lingua italiana) is a Romance language spoken by about 63 million people as a First language, primarily in Italy. The violone (literally "large viol" in Italian "-one" being the Augmentative suffix is a Musical instrument of the Viol family The double bass is the largest and lowest-pitched bowed String instrument used in the modern symphony orchestra. Bass violin is the generic modern term used to denote various 16th- and 17th-century forms of bass instruments of the violin (i Cellos are tuned in fifths, starting with C4 as the lowest string, followed by G, D, and A. It is tuned the same way as the viola, only an octave lower.

The cello is most closely associated with European classical music, and has been described as the closest sounding instrument to the human voice. [1] The instrument is a part of the standard orchestra and is the bass voice of the string quartet, as well as being part of many other chamber groups. An orchestra is an instrumental ensemble, usually fairly large with string brass woodwind sections and possibly a percussion section as well A string quartet is a Musical ensemble of four String instruments &mdash usually two Violins a Viola and Cello &mdash or a piece Chamber music is a form of Classical music, written for a small group of instruments which traditionally could be accommodated in a palace chamber A large number of concertos and sonatas have been written for the cello. A cello concerto (sometimes called a violoncello concerto) is a Concerto for solo Cello with Orchestra or very occasionally smaller groups A cello sonata usually denotes a sonata written for Cello and Piano, though other instrumentations are used such as solo cello The instrument is less common in popular music, but is sometimes featured in pop and rock recordings. Popular music is Music belonging to any of a number of musical styles that are accessible to the general public and are disseminated by one or more Pop music as a genre features a noticeable rhythmic element catchy melodies and hooks, a mainstream style and conventional structure Rock music is a genre of Popular music often though not necessarily employing Electric guitar, Bass guitar, and Drums. The cello has also recently appeared in major hip-hop and R & B performances, such as singers Rihanna and Ne-Yo's performance at the American Music Awards. Hip hop is a cultural movement which developed in New York City in the 1970s primarily among African Americans and Latinos. Rihanna (pronounced /riːˈɑːnə/ born Robyn Rihanna Fenty; February 20 1988 is a Barbadian singer, model and Fashion designer Shaffer Chimere Smith (born October 18 1979 better known by his stage name Ne-Yo, is an American pop and R&B Singer-songwriter The American Music Awards show is one of several annual major American music awards shows (among the others are the Billboard Music Awards the Grammy Awards [2] The instrument has also been modified for Indian classical music by Nancy Lesh and Saskia Rao-de Haas. The origins of Indian classical music can be found from the oldest of Scriptures part of the Hindu tradition the Vedas. Saskia Rao-de Haas is a Dutch Cellist based in Delhi, India. She is the first performer to adapt the cello to the performance of North

Among the most famous Baroque works for the cello are J. S. Bach's six unaccompanied Suites. Baroque art redirects here Please disambiguate such links to Baroque painting, Baroque sculpture, etc WikipediaWikiProject Composers#Lead section.2 This article is written in British English including maximised use of "-ise" The Six Suites for Unaccompanied Cello by Johann Sebastian Bach are acclaimed as some of the greatest works ever written for solo Cello. From the Classical era, the two concertos by Joseph Haydn in C major and D major stand out, as do the five sonatas for cello and pianoforte of Beethoven which span the important three periods of his compositional evolution. The dates of the Classical period in Western music are generally accepted as 1750 to 1810 The Cello Concerto No1 in C Major by Joseph Haydn was composed around 1761 &ndash 1765 for longtime friend Joseph Weigl, then the principal cellist Joseph Haydn 's Concerto No 2 in D Major for Cello and Orchestra was composed in 1783. Ludwig van Beethoven ( English ˈlʊdvɪg væn ˈbeɪtoʊvən, 16 December 1770 &ndash 26 March 1827 was a German Composer and Pianist. Romantic era repertoire includes the Schumann Concerto in A minor, the Concerto by Antonín Dvořák, and the two sonatas by Brahms. Romantic Music is a Musicological term referring to a particular period theory compositional practice and canon in European music history from about 1815 to 1910 Antonín Dvořák 's Cello Concerto in B minor Op 104 B 191 is a well-known cello concerto that is performed and recorded more frequently than any other Antonín Leopold Dvořák ( (often pronounced in English as; DVOR-zhahk; September 8 1841 – May 1 1904 was a Czech composer of Romantic music, who employed Johannes Brahms ( pronounced ˈbʁaːms (May 7 1833 &ndash April 3 1897 was a German Composer Compositions from the early 20th century include Elgar's Cello Concerto in E minor, unaccompanied cello sonatas by Zoltán Kodály (Op. Sir Edward Elgar 's Cello Concerto in E minor Op 85 was his last notable work and is a cornerstone of the solo Cello repertoire Zoltán Kodály ( Hungarian: Kodály Zoltán, ˈkodaːj ˈzoltaːn December 16 1882 &ndash March 6 1967 was a Hungarian Composer, Ethnomusicologist 8), Paul Hindemith (Op. Paul Hindemith (16 November 1895 &ndash 28 December 1963 was a German Composer, Violist, violinist teacher music theorist and conductor. 25) and W. H. Squire . The cello's versatility made it popular with composers in the mid- to late twentieth century, encouraged by soloists who specialized in contemporary music (such as Siegfried Palm and Mstislav Rostropovich) commissioning from and collaborating with composers. WikipediaWikiProject Classical music#Biographical_infoboxes --> Mstislav Leopoldovich Rostropovich KBE ( Russian: Мстисла́в

Construction

Body

The cello is typically made from wood, although other materials such as carbon fiber or aluminum may be used. A traditional cello has a spruce top, with maple for the back, sides, and neck. Spruce refers to Trees of the genus Picea, a genus of about 35 species of Coniferous Evergreen trees in the Family Pinaceae Acer ( maple) is a Genus of Trees or Shrubs They are variously classified in a family of their own the Aceraceae, or Other woods, such as poplar or willow, are sometimes used for the back and sides. Populus is a genus of between 25–35 species of Flowering plants in the family Salicaceae, native to most of the Northern Hemisphere. Willows, sallows and osiers form the Genus Salix, around 400 species of Deciduous Trees and Shrubs found primarily Less expensive cellos frequently have tops and backs made of laminated wood. Plywood is a type of Engineered board made from thin sheets of Wood, called plies or veneers

The top and back are traditionally hand-carved, though less expensive cellos are often machine-produced. The sides, or ribs, are made by heating the wood and bending it around forms. The cello body has a wide top bout, narrow middle formed by two C-bouts, and wide bottom bout, with the bridge and sound holes just below the middle. A bridge is a device for supporting the strings on a Stringed instrument and transmitting the Vibration of those strings to some other structural component A sound hole is an opening in the upper Sounding board of a stringed Musical instrument.

The top and back of the cello has decorative border inlay known as purfling. Purfling is a narrow decorative wooden (sometimes Abalone) strip inlaid into the top and (often bottom plates of Stringed instruments.

Cello manufacturer Luis & Clark constructs cellos from carbon fiber. Luis and Clark is a line of Carbon fiber stringed instruments designed by Cellist Luis Leguía of the Boston Symphony Orchestra. Carbon fiber cellos are particularly suitable for outdoor playing because of the strength of the material and its resistance to humidity and temperature fluctuations.

In the late 1920s and early 1930s, the Aluminum Company of America (Alcoa) as well as German luthier G. A. Pfretzschner produced an untold number of aluminum cellos (in addition to aluminum double basses and violins). An advertisement published in N. Y. Music Service catalogue (1930) reads: ". . . made entirely of aluminum with the exception of the fingerboard. They have many advantages over the wood basses and violoncellos, as they cannot crack, split or warp and are made to last forever . . . possessing a tone quality that is deep, resonant and responsive to the utmost degree. Violoncello $150. "

Neck, pegbox, and scroll

Above the main body is the carved neck, which leads to a pegbox and the scroll. A pegbox is the part of certain stringed Musical instruments ( Violin, Viola, Cello, Double bass) that houses the Tuning A scroll is the decoratively carved end of the neck of certain stringed instruments, mainly members of the Violin family. The neck, pegbox, and scroll are normally carved out of a single piece of wood. Attached to the neck and extending over the body of the instrument is the fingerboard. The nut is a raised piece of wood, where the fingerboard meets the pegbox, which the strings rest on. The nut of a String instrument is a small piece of hard material which supports the strings at the end closest to the Headstock or scroll. The pegbox houses four tuning pegs, one for each string. A tuning peg is used to hold a string in the Pegbox of a stringed instrument. The pegs are used to tune the cello by either tightening or loosening the string. The scroll is a traditional part of the cello and all other members of the violin family. The Violin family of Musical instruments was developed in Italy in the Sixteenth century. Ebony is usually used for the tuning pegs, fingerboard, and nut, but other hard woods, such as boxwood or rosewood, can be used. Ebony ( Diospyros ebenum) also known as India Ebony or Ceylon Ebony depending on its origin is a Tree in the genus Diospyros

Strings

Strings on a cello have cores made out of gut, metal, or synthetic materials, such as Perlon. A string is the vibrating element that is the source of vibration in String instruments such as the Guitar, Harp, Piano, and members Catgut is the name applied to cord of great toughness and tenacity prepared from the Intestines of the Sheep or Goat, or occasionally from those of the Overview Nylon is a Thermoplastic silky material first used commercially in a nylon- Bristled Toothbrush (1938 followed more famously by Cellists may mix different types of strings on their instruments.

Tailpiece and endpin

The tailpiece and endpin are found in the lower part of the cello. The tailpiece, found on many Musical instruments of the String instrument family anchors the tail end of the strings the end opposite the scroll or The tailpiece is traditionally made of ebony or another hard wood, but can also be made of plastic or steel. Ebony ( Diospyros ebenum) also known as India Ebony or Ceylon Ebony depending on its origin is a Tree in the genus Diospyros Plastic is the general common term for a wide range of synthetic or semisynthetic organic solid materials suitable for the manufacture of industrial products Steel is an Alloy consisting mostly of Iron, with a Carbon content between 0 It attaches the strings to the lower end of the cello, and can have one or more fine tuners. The endpin or spike is made of wood, metal or rigid carbon fiber and supports the cello in playing position. In the Baroque period the cello was held between the calves. Around the 1830s, the Belgian cellist Auguste Adrien Servais introduced the endpin and propagated its use. Modern endpins are retractable and adjustable; older ones were removed when not in use. (The word "endpin" also refers to the button of wood located at this place in all instruments in the violin family. ) The sharp tip of the cello's endpin is sometimes capped with a rubber tip that protects the tip from dulling and prevents the cello from slipping on the floor.

Bridge and f-holes

The bridge of a cello, with a mute
The bridge of a cello, with a mute

The bridge holds the strings above the cello and transfers their vibrations to the top of the instrument and the soundpost inside (see below). A bridge is a device for supporting the strings on a Stringed instrument and transmitting the Vibration of those strings to some other structural component The bridge is not glued, but rather held in place by the tension of the strings. The f-holes, named for their shape, are located on either side of the bridge, and allow air to move in and out of the instrument as part of the sound-production process. A sound hole is an opening in the upper Sounding board of a stringed Musical instrument. The f-holes also act as access points to the interior of the cello for repairs or maintenance. Sometimes a small hose containing a water-soaked sponge, called a Dampit, is inserted through the f-holes, and serves as a humidifier. A Dampit is a Trade name for a Humidifier which can be placed inside a Musical instrument to avoid possible damage caused by dryness

Internal features

Internally, the cello has two important features: a bass bar, which is glued to the underside of the top of the instrument, and a round wooden sound post, which is wedged between the top and bottom plates. In a String instrument, the bass bar is a brace running from the foot of the neck to a position under the bridge, which bears much of the tension of the In a String instrument, the sound post is a small Dowel inside the instrument under the treble end of the bridge spanning the space between the top and back plates The bass bar, found under the bass foot of the bridge, serves to support the cello's top and distribute the vibrations. The sound post, found under the treble side of the bridge, connects the back and front of the cello. Like the bridge, the sound post is not glued, but is kept in place by the tensions of the bridge and strings. Together, the bass bar and sound post transfer the strings' vibrations to the top (front) of the instrument (and to a lesser extent the back), acting as a diaphragm to produce the instrument's sound. In a Loudspeaker, a diaphragm (also known as the cone) is the thin semi-rigid membrane attached to the central Magnet.

Glue

Cellos are constructed and repaired using hide glue, which is strong but reversible, allowing for disassembly when needed. An animal glue is an Adhesive that is created by prolonged boiling of Animal Connective tissue. Tops may be glued on with diluted glue, since some repairs call for the removal of the top. Theoretically, hide glue is weaker than the body's wood, so as the top or back shrinks side-to-side, the glue holding it will let go, avoiding a crack in the plate.

Bow

A cello bow.
A cello bow.

Traditionally, bows are made from pernambuco or brazilwood. In Music, a bow is moved across some part of a Musical instrument, causing Vibration which the instrument emits as Sound. Brazilwood or Pau-Brasil, sometimes known as Pernambuco ( Caesalpinia echinata Syn Both come from the same species of tree (Caesalpina echinata), but pernambuco, used for higher-quality bows, is the heartwood of the tree and is darker in color than brazilwood (which is sometimes stained to compensate). Pernambuco is a heavy, resinous wood with great elasticity which makes it an ideal wood for instrument bows.

Bow sticks are also made from carbon-fiber, which is stronger than wood. Inexpensive, low-quality student bows are often made from fiberglass. An average cello bow is 73 cm long (shorter than a violin or viola bow) 3 cm high (from the frog to the stick) and 1. 5 cm wide. The frog of a cello bow typically has a rounded corner like that of a viola bow, but is wider. A cello bow is roughly 10 grams heavier than a viola bow, which in turn is roughly 10 g heavier than a violin bow.

The bow hair is horsehair, though synthetic hair in different colors is also available. Horsehair refers to hair taken from the Mane or tail of Horses It has various uses including Brushes and the bows of musical instruments The hair is coated with rosin by the player to make it grip the strings and cause them to vibrate. Rosin, formerly called colophony or Greek pitch ( Pix græca) is a solid form of Resin obtained from Pines and some other Plants Bows need to be re-haired periodically, especially if the hairs break frequently or lose their gripping quality. The hair is kept under tension while playing by a screw which pulls the frog (the part of the bow under the hand) back.

Development

The cello developed from the bass violin, first referred to by Jambe de Fer in 1556, which was originally a three-string instrument. Bass violin is the generic modern term used to denote various 16th- and 17th-century forms of bass instruments of the violin (i Philibert Jambe de Fer (fl 1548-1564 was a French Renaissance Composer of Religious music. The first instance of a composer specifying the bass violin may have been Gabrieli in Sacrae symphoniae, 1597. Giovanni Gabrieli (c 1554/1557 &ndash August 12 1612 was an Italian Composer and organist. Monteverdi referred to the instrument as "basso de viola da braccio" in Orfeo (1607). Although the first bass violin, possibly invented by Amati as early as 1538, was most likely inspired by the viol, it was created to be used in consorts with the violin. The bass violin was actually often referred to as a "violone," or "large viola," as were the viols of the same period. Instruments that share features with both the bass violin and the viola de gamba appear in Italian art of the early 1500s. . .

The invention of wire-wound strings (fine wire around a thin gut core), around 1660 in Bologna, allowed for a finer bass sound than was possible with purely gut strings on such a short body. A string is the vibrating element that is the source of vibration in String instruments such as the Guitar, Harp, Piano, and members Bologna (boloɲa from Latin Bononia, Bulåggna in Bolognese dialect is the capital city of Emilia-Romagna in northern Italy Bolognese makers exploited this new technology to create the cello, a somewhat smaller instrument suitable for solo repertoire due to both the timbre of the instrument and the fact that the smaller size made it easier to play virtuosic passages. A virtuoso (from Italian virtuoso, late Latin virtuosus, Latin virtus meaning skill manliness excellence is an individual This instrument had disadvantages as well, however. The cello's light sound was not as suitable for church and ensemble playing, so it had to be doubled by basses or violones. The double bass is the largest and lowest-pitched bowed String instrument used in the modern symphony orchestra. The violone (literally "large viol" in Italian "-one" being the Augmentative suffix is a Musical instrument of the Viol family

Around 1700, Italian players popularized the cello in northern Europe, although the bass violin (basse de violon) continued to be used for another two decades in France. Many existing bass violins were literally cut down in size in order to convert them into cellos according to the smaller pattern cello as developed by Stradivari, who also made a number of old pattern large cello's (the 'Servais'). [3] The bass violin remained the "most used" instrument in England as late as 1740, where the violoncello was still "not common. "[4] The sizes, names, and tunings of the cello varied widely by geography and time. [3] The size was not standardized until around 1750.

Despite similarities to the viola da gamba, the cello is actually part of the viola da braccio family, meaning "viol of the arm", which includes, among others, the violin and viola. The viol (also called viola da gamba) is any one of a family of bowed, Fretted stringed Musical instruments developed in the 1400s The Violin family of Musical instruments was developed in Italy in the Sixteenth century. The violin is a bowed String instrument with four strings usually tuned in Perfect fifths It is the smallest and highest-pitched member The viola is a bowed String instrument. It is the middle voice of the Violin family, Though paintings like Bruegel's "The Rustic Wedding" and de Fer in his Epitome Musical suggest that the bass violin had alternate playing positions, these were short-lived and the more practical and ergonomic a gamba position eventually replaced them entirely. Jan Brueghel the Elder (b 1568 Brussels - January 13 1625, Antwerp) was a Flemish painter, son of Pieter Brueghel

Baroque era cellos differed from the modern instrument in several ways. Baroque art redirects here Please disambiguate such links to Baroque painting, Baroque sculpture, etc The neck has a different form and angle which matches the baroque bass-bar and stringing. Modern cellos have an endpin at the bottom to support the instrument (and transmit some of the sound through the floor), while Baroque cellos are held only by the calves of the player. Modern bows curve in and are held at the frog; Baroque bows curve out and are held closer to the bow's point of balance. Modern strings normally have a metal core, although some use a synthetic core; Baroque strings are made of gut, with the G and C strings wire-wound. Catgut is the name applied to cord of great toughness and tenacity prepared from the Intestines of the Sheep or Goat, or occasionally from those of the Modern cellos often have fine-tuners connecting the strings to the tailpiece, which make it much easier to tune the instrument. Overall, the modern instrument has much higher string tension than the Baroque cello, resulting in a louder, more projecting tone, with fewer overtones.

No educational works specifically devoted to the cello existed before the 18th century, and those that do exist contain little value to the performer beyond simple accounts of instrumental technique. The earliest cello manual is Michel Corrette's Méthode, thèorique et pratique pour apprendre en peu de temps le violoncelle dans sa perfection (Paris, 1741). Michel Corrette ( April 10 1707 &ndash January 21 1795) was a French Organist, Composer and author of musical

Playing technique

Seated Cellist
Seated Cellist

Body position

The cello is played while seated. Its weight is supported mainly by its endpin or spike, which rests on the floor; it is steadied on the lower bout between the knees of the seated player, and on the upper bout against the upper chest. The endpin or spike is the component of a Cello or Double bass that makes contact with the floor The neck of the cello is above the player's left shoulder, and the C-String tuning peg is just behind the left ear. The bow is drawn horizontally across the strings. In Music, a bow is moved across some part of a Musical instrument, causing Vibration which the instrument emits as Sound. In early times, female cellists sometimes played side-saddle, since it was considered improper for a lady to part her knees in public. A player's handedness does not alter the way the cello is held or used. Handedness is an attribute of human beings defined by their unequal distribution of Fine motor skill between the left and right Hands. In exceedingly rare cases the cello has been played in a mirror-image posture: this is usually because of a physical disability of one of the player's arms or hands which makes the required technique impossible for that side of the body. In such a situation, the player must decide whether or not to reverse the set-up of the cello (the string positions, bass-bar, sound post, fingerboard shape, and bridge carving are all asymmetrical).

Left hand technique

The position of the left hand fingers along the strings determine the pitch of the note. The closer to the bridge that the string is depressed, the higher in pitch will be the resulting sound, because the vibrating string length has been shortened. In the neck positions (which use just less than half of the fingerboard, nearest the top of the instrument), the thumb rests on the back of the neck; in thumb position (a general name for notes on the remainder of the fingerboard) the thumb usually rests alongside the fingers on the string and the side of the thumb is used to play notes. The fingers are normally held curved with each knuckle bent, with the fingertips in contact with the string. If a finger is required on two (or more) strings at once to play perfect fifths (in double stops or chords) it is used flat. In slower, or more expressive playing, the contact point can move slightly away from the nail to the pad of the finger, allowing a fuller vibrato.

Vibrato

Vibrato is a small oscillation in the pitch of a note, usually considered expressive. Vibrato is a musical effect produced in singing and on musical instruments by a regular pulsating change of pitch, and is used to add expression and vocal-like qualities to It is created by a partial rotation of the upper arm at the shoulder joint, which translates into a linear oscillation of the lower arm. The fixed point of contact of the fingertip on the string absorbs this motion by rocking back and forth. It is this change in the attitude of the fingertip to the string which causes the pitch to vary. Vibrato is a key expressive device, and a well-developed vibrato technique is an essential element of a modern cellist's skill. In some styles of music, such as that of the Romantic period, vibrato may be used on almost every note. Romantic Music is a Musicological term referring to a particular period theory compositional practice and canon in European music history from about 1815 to 1910 However, in other styles, such as Baroque repertoire, vibrato is used only rarely, as an ornament. Baroque art redirects here Please disambiguate such links to Baroque painting, Baroque sculpture, etc In any case, the choice of whether to use vibrato, and how much, is normally a stylistic decision on the part of the player. Typically, the lower the pitch of the note played, the wider and slower the vibrato.

Harmonics

Harmonics played on the cello fall into two classes; natural and artificial. In Acoustics and Telecommunication, the harmonic of a Wave is a component Frequency of the signal that is an Integer Natural harmonics are produced by lightly touching (but not depressing) the string with the finger at certain places, and then bowing (or, rarely, plucking) the string. For example, the halfway point of the string will produce a harmonic that is one octave above the unfingered (open) string. Natural harmonics only produce notes that are part of the harmonic series for the string on which they occur. See Harmonic series (mathematics for the (related mathematical concept Artificial harmonics, in which the player depresses the string fully with one finger while touching the same string lightly with another finger, can produce any notes above middle C. They usually appear with the touching note a perfect fourth above the stopped note, which produces a sound two octaves above the stopped note, although other intervals are available. All harmonics produce a distinctive flute-like sound, and are usually performed without vibrato.

Glissando

Glissando ("sliding", in Italian) is an effect played by sliding the finger up or down the fingerboard without releasing the string. " Glissando " (plural glissandi abbreviated gliss is a glide from one pitch to another This causes the pitch to rise and fall smoothly, without separate, discernible steps.

Right hand technique

In cello playing, the bow is much like the breath of a wind instrument player. A wind instrument is a Musical instrument that contains some type of Resonator (usually a tube in which a column of air is set into vibration by the player blowing Arguably, it is the major determinant in the expressiveness of the playing. The right hand holds the bow and controls the duration and character of the notes. The bow is drawn across the strings roughly halfway between the end of the fingerboard and the bridge, in a direction perpendicular to the strings. The fingerboard (also known as a fretboard on fretted instruments is a part of most Stringed instruments It is a thin long strip of Wood that is The bow is held with all five fingers of the right hand, the thumb opposite the fingers and closer to the cellist's body. The shape of the hand should resemble that of its relaxed state, with all fingers curved, including the thumb. The transmission of weight from the arm to the bow happens through the pronation (inward rotation) of the forearm, which pushes the index finger and to a lesser degree the middle finger onto the bow. In Anatomy, pronation is a rotational movement of the forearm (at the radioulnar joint or foot (at the subtalar and talocalcaneonavicular joints The necessary counterforce is provided by the thumb. The little finger helps to control the angle of the bow to the string and is critical to control of the bow when it is off the string. (See also spiccato). Spiccato is a bowing technique for Stringed instruments in which the bow bounces lightly upon the string

In English, the terminology for bow direction (down and up) is confusing. A downbow is drawn to the right of the player, and an upbow to the left. A downbow is drawn by first using the upper arm, then the forearm, then the wrist (turning slightly inward) in order to maintain a straight stroke. An upbow is drawn by moving first the forearm, then the upper arm, then the wrist (pushing slightly upward). The bow is mostly used perpendicular to the string being played. In order to perform string changes the whole arm is either lowered or lifted, with as little wrist movement as possible in order to maintain the angle to the string. However, flexibility of the wrist is necessary when changing the bow direction from up-bow to down-bow and vice versa. For very fast bow movements, the wrist is used to accomplish the horizontal movement of bow. For longer strokes, the arm is used as well as the wrist.

Tone production and volume of sound depend on a combination of several factors. The three most important ones are: bow speed, weight applied to the string, and point of contact of the bow hair with the string. A good player will be capable of a very even tone, and will counter the natural tendency to play with the most force with the part of the bow nearest to the frog or heel, and the least force near the tip. The closer to the bridge the string is bowed, the more projecting and brighter the tone, with the extreme (sul ponticello) producing a metallic, shimmery sound. If bowing closer to the fingerboard (sul tasto), the sound produced will be softer, more mellow, and less defined.

Double stops

Double stops involve the playing of two notes at the same time. A double stop, in music terminology, is the act of playing two notes simultaneously on a melodic percussion instrument (like a Marimba) or stringed Two strings are fingered simultaneously, and the bow is drawn so as to sound them both at once. Triple and quadruple stops may also be played (in a "broken" fashion), but are difficult to sustain because of the change in slope of the bridge. To extend the technique in this area, Frances-Marie Uitti has invented a two-bow system: one bow plays above the strings and one below, allowing for sustained triple and quadruple stops. Frances-Marie Uitti is Composer and Cellist known for her performances of the most esoteric and virtuoso Contemporary classical music. However, this technique is very rarely seen or used.

Pizzicato

In pizzicato playing, the string is plucked directly with the fingers or thumb. Pizzicato (ˌpɪtsɪˈkɑːtoʊ is a playing technique that involves plucking the strings of a String instrument. Usually this is done with the right hand, while the bow is held away from the strings by the rest of the hand or (for extended passages) set down. A single string can be played pizzicato, or double, triple, or quadruple stops can be played. Occasionally, a player must bow one string with the right hand and simultaneously pluck another with the left. This is marked by a "+" above the note. Strumming of chords is also possible, in guitar fashion.

Col legno

Col legno is the technique in which the player uses the wood rather than the hair of the bow on the strings; it takes two different forms, col legno battuto and col legno tratto. A marking of col legno, or more precisely col legno battuto ( Italian for "hit with the wood" is an instruction in written music to strike the string of Col legno battuto is performed as a percussive technique with no sustaining of the sound. The much less common alternative is col legno tratto, wherein the wood is drawn across the string as the hair is in a normal bow stroke.

Spiccato

In spiccato playing, the strings are not "drawn" by the bow hair but struck by it, while still retaining some horizontal motion, to generate a more percussive, crisp sound. Spiccato is a bowing technique for Stringed instruments in which the bow bounces lightly upon the string It may be performed by using the wrist to "dip" the bow into the strings. Spiccato is usually associated with lively playing. On a violin, spiccato bowing comes off the string, but on a cello, the wood of the bow may rise briskly up without the hair actually leaving the string.

Staccato

In staccato, the player moves the bow a small distance and stops it on the string, making a short sound, the rest of the written duration being taken up by silence. In Musical notation, the Italian word staccato (literally detached, plural staccatos or staccati) indicates that notes

Legato

Legato is a technique where the notes are smoothly connected without accents or breaks. In Musical notation the Italian word legato (literally meaning "tied together" indicates that musical notes are played or sung smoothly

Sizes

1/8 size cello with full size cello
1/8 size cello with full size cello

Standard-sized cellos are referred to as "full-size". However, cellos come in smaller (fractional) sizes, from "seven-eighths" and "three-quarter" down to "one-sixteenth" sized cellos (e. g. 7/8, 3/4, 1/2, 1/4, 1/8, 1/10, 1/16). The smaller-sized cellos are identical to standard cellos in construction, range, and usage, but are simply 'scaled-down' for the benefit of children and shorter adults. A "half-size" cello is not actually half the size of a "full-size", but only slightly smaller. Many smaller cellists prefer to play a "seven-eighths" cello as the hand stretches in the lower positions are less demanding. Although rare, cellos in sizes larger than four-fourths do exist. Cellists with unusually large hands may play a slightly larger than full-sized cello. Cellos made before approximately 1700 tended to be considerably larger than those made after that date, and than those made and commonly played today. Around 1680, string-making technology made lower pitches on shorter strings possible. The cellos of Stradivari, for example, can be clearly divided into two models, with the style made before 1702 characterized by larger instruments (of which only three examples are extant in their original size and configuration), and the style made during and after 1702, when Stradivari, presumably in response to the "new" type of strings, began making cellos of a smaller size. This later model is the one most commonly used by modern luthiers.

Approximate dimensions for 4/4 size cello[5] Average size (cm) Average size (in)
Approximate width horizontally from A peg to C peg ends 16 6 - 5/16
Back length excluding half round where neck joins 75. 5 29 - 12/16
Upper bouts (shoulders) 34 13 - 6/16
Lower bouts (hips) 44 17 - 5/16
Bridge height 9 3 - 9/16
Rib depth at shoulders including edges of front and back 12. 5 4 - 15/16
Rib depth at hips including edges 12. 8 5 - 1/16
Distance beneath fingerboard to surface of belly at neck join 2. 2 14/16
Bridge to back total depth 26. 7 10 - 8/16
Overall height excluding end pin 121 47 - 10/16
End pin unit and spike 5. 5 2 - 3/16

Accessories

There are many accessories to the cello, (some more essential than others).

Current use

Orchestral

Cellos are part of the standard symphony orchestra. An orchestra is an instrumental ensemble, usually fairly large with string brass woodwind sections and possibly a percussion section as well Usually, the orchestra includes eight to twelve cellists. The cello section, in standard orchestral seating, is located on stage left (the audience's right) in the front, opposite the first violin section. However, some orchestras and conductors prefer switching the positioning of the viola and cello sections. The principal, or "first chair" cellist is the section leader, determining bowings for the section in conjunction with other string principals, and playing solos. Principal players always sit closest to the audience.

The cellos are a critical part of orchestral music; all symphonic works involve the cello section, and many pieces require cello soli or solos. Much of the time, cellos provide part of the harmony for the orchestra. On many occasions, the cello section will play the melody for a brief period of time, before returning to the harmony. There are also cello concertos, which are orchestral pieces in which a featured, solo cellist is accompanied by an entire orchestra. The term Concerto (plural concertos or concerti) usually refers to a three part musical work in which one solo instrument is accompanied by an Orchestra

Solo

There are numerous cello concertos - where the cello is accompanied by an orchestra - notably 25 by Vivaldi, 12 by Boccherini, 3 by C.P.E. Bach, 2 by Haydn, 2 by Saint-Saëns, 2 by Dvořák, and one each by Schumann, Lalo and Elgar. A cello concerto (sometimes called a violoncello concerto) is a Concerto for solo Cello with Orchestra or very occasionally smaller groups An orchestra is an instrumental ensemble, usually fairly large with string brass woodwind sections and possibly a percussion section as well Luigi Rodolfo Boccherini ( February 19, 1743 &ndash May 28, 1805) was a classical era Composer and cellist Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach ( March 8, 1714 &ndash December 14, 1788) was a German musician and composer the second of five sons Charles-Camille Saint-Saëns (/ʃaʁl kamij sɛ̃sɑ̃s/ (9 October 1835 &ndash 16 December 1921 was a French Composer, Organist, conductor, and Robert Schumann, sometimes given as Robert Alexander Schumann (June 8 1810 &ndash July 29 1856 was a German Composer, Aesthete and influential Music critic Édouard-Victoire-Antoine Lalo ( 27 January 1823 &ndash 22 April 1892) was a French Composer of Spanish descent Beethoven's Triple Concerto for Cello, Violin and Piano and Brahms' Double Concerto for Cello and Violin are also part of the concertante repertoire although in both cases the cello shares solo duties with at least one other instrument. Ludwig van Beethoven ( English ˈlʊdvɪg væn ˈbeɪtoʊvən, 16 December 1770 &ndash 26 March 1827 was a German Composer and Pianist. Ludwig van Beethoven 's Concerto for Violin Cello and Piano in C major Op Johannes Brahms ( pronounced ˈbʁaːms (May 7 1833 &ndash April 3 1897 was a German Composer The Double Concerto in A minor (Op 102 by Johannes Brahms is a Concerto for Violin, Cello and Orchestra. Moreover, several composers wrote large-scale pieces for cello and orchestra, which are concertos in all but name. The most important are Strauss' tone poem Don Quixote, Tchaikovsky's Variations on a Rococo Theme, Bloch's Schelomo and Bruch's Kol Nidrei. Richard Georg Strauss (11 June 1864 &ndash 8 September 1949 was a German Composer of the late Romantic era and early modern era particularly noted A symphonic poem or tone poem is a piece of Orchestral Music in one movement in which some extramusical program provides a narrative or illustrative element es '''''Don Quixote''''' (, see spelling and pronunciation below fully titled es '''''El ingenioso hidalgo Don Quijote de la Mancha''''' ("The Ingenious Hidalgo Don The Variations on a Rococo theme for Violoncello and Orchestra was the closest Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky ever came to writing a full Concerto Ernest Bloch (July 24 1880 &ndash July 15 1959 was a Swiss -born American Composer. Schelomo is a composition for Cello and Orchestra written by Ernest Bloch. Max Christian Friedrich Bruch (January 6 1838 &ndash October 2 1920 also known as Max Karl August Bruch was a German Romantic Composer and conductor Kol Nidre ( Aramaic: כל נדרי) is a Jewish prayer recited in the Synagogue at the beginning of the evening service on Yom Kippur

In the 20th century, the cello repertoire grew. This was due to the influence of virtuoso cellist Mstislav Rostropovich who inspired, commissioned and/or premiered dozens of new works. WikipediaWikiProject Classical music#Biographical_infoboxes --> Mstislav Leopoldovich Rostropovich KBE ( Russian: Мстисла́в Among these, Prokofiev's Symphonia Concertante, Britten's Cello Symphony and the concertos of Shostakovich, Lutosławski and Dutilleux have already become part of the standard repertoire. Sergei Sergeyevich Prokofiev (Серге́й Серге́евич Проко́фьев Sergéj Sergéjevič Prokófjev) ( - 5 March 1953 was a Russian composer who Edward Benjamin Britten Baron Britten, OM CH (22 November 1913 – 4 December 1976 was an English Composer, conductor, Dmitri Dmitriyevich Shostakovich ( Russian: ru Дмитрий Дмитриевич Шостакович ( &ndash 9 August 1975 was a Russian Composer Witold Lutosławski ( January 25 1913 &ndash February 7 1994 was one of the major European Composers Henri Dutilleux (born January 22, 1916 in Angers France) is one of the most important French composers of the second half of the 20th century producing In addition, Hindemith, Barber, Honegger, Villa-Lobos, Myaskovsky, Walton, Glass, Rodrigo, Arnold, Penderecki and Ligeti also wrote major concertos for other cellists (notably Gregor Piatigorsky, Siegfried Palm and Julian Lloyd Webber). Paul Hindemith (16 November 1895 &ndash 28 December 1963 was a German Composer, Violist, violinist teacher music theorist and conductor. Samuel Osborne Barber II ( March 9, 1910 – January 23, 1981) was an American Composer of Orchestral, Opera, Arthur Honegger (March 10 1892 &ndash November 27 1955 was a Swiss Composer, who was born in France and lived a large part of his life in Paris. Heitor Villa-Lobos (March 5 1887 &ndash November 17 1959 was a Brazilian Composer, possibly the best-known classical composer born in South America Nikolai Yakovlevich Myaskovsky ( ru: Николай Яковлевич Мясковский also transliterated as Miaskovskii or Miaskovsky ( April 20, 1881 Sir William Turner Walton, OM ( March 29, 1902 &ndash March 8, 1983) was a British Composer and WikipediaWikiProject Composers#Lead section --> Philip Glass (born January 31 Joaquín Rodrigo Vidre ( 22 November 1901 &ndash 6 July 1999) was a composer of classical music Sir Malcolm Henry Arnold, CBE (21 October 1921 – 23 September 2006 was an English Composer and symphonist. Krzysztof Penderecki (ˈkʂɨʂtɔf pɛndɛrˈɛ͡tski born November 23 1933 in Dębica) is a Polish Composer and conductor of classical Gregor Piatigorsky (Ukrainian Григорий Павлович Пятигорский Grigoriy Pavlovich Pyatigorskiy; April 17, 1903 &ndash August Julian Lloyd Webber (born April 14 1951) is one of the world's most renowned solo cellists

Cellists Julian Lloyd Webber (left) and Mstislav Rostropovich
Cellists Julian Lloyd Webber (left) and Mstislav Rostropovich

There are also many sonatas for cello and piano. Julian Lloyd Webber (born April 14 1951) is one of the world's most renowned solo cellists WikipediaWikiProject Classical music#Biographical_infoboxes --> Mstislav Leopoldovich Rostropovich KBE ( Russian: Мстисла́в A cello sonata usually denotes a sonata written for Cello and Piano, though other instrumentations are used such as solo cello The piano is a Musical instrument played by means of a keyboard that produces sound by striking steel strings with Felt covered hammers Those written by Beethoven, Mendelssohn, Chopin, Brahms, Grieg, Rachmaninoff, Debussy, Shostakovich, Prokofiev and Britten are the most famous. Ludwig van Beethoven ( English ˈlʊdvɪg væn ˈbeɪtoʊvən, 16 December 1770 &ndash 26 March 1827 was a German Composer and Pianist. Jakob Ludwig Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy, born and generally known as Felix Mendelssohn (February 3 1809 &ndash November 4 1847 was a German Composer Johannes Brahms ( pronounced ˈbʁaːms (May 7 1833 &ndash April 3 1897 was a German Composer WikipediaWikiProject Composers#Lead section --> Sergei Vasilievich Rachmaninoff (Сергей Васильевич Рахманинов Achille-Claude Debussy (aʃil klod dəbysi (August 22 1862 &ndash March 25 1918 was a French Composer. Dmitri Dmitriyevich Shostakovich ( Russian: ru Дмитрий Дмитриевич Шостакович ( &ndash 9 August 1975 was a Russian Composer Sergei Sergeyevich Prokofiev (Серге́й Серге́евич Проко́фьев Sergéj Sergéjevič Prokófjev) ( - 5 March 1953 was a Russian composer who Edward Benjamin Britten Baron Britten, OM CH (22 November 1913 – 4 December 1976 was an English Composer, conductor,

Finally, there are several unaccompanied pieces for cello, most importantly J.S. Bach's six Unaccompanied Suites for Cello (arguably the most important cello pieces), Zoltán Kodály's Sonata for Solo Cello and Britten's three Unaccompanied Suites for Cello. In Music, accompaniment is the art of playing along with a soloist or ensemble, often known as the Lead, in a Supporting manner WikipediaWikiProject Composers#Lead section.2 This article is written in British English including maximised use of "-ise" The Six Suites for Unaccompanied Cello by Johann Sebastian Bach are acclaimed as some of the greatest works ever written for solo Cello. Zoltán Kodály ( Hungarian: Kodály Zoltán, ˈkodaːj ˈzoltaːn December 16 1882 &ndash March 6 1967 was a Hungarian Composer, Ethnomusicologist Edward Benjamin Britten Baron Britten, OM CH (22 November 1913 – 4 December 1976 was an English Composer, conductor, Other notable examples include Dutilleux' Trois Strophes sur le Nom de Sacher, Berio's Les Mots Sont Allés (both part of a series of twelve compositions for solo cello commissioned by Rostropovich for Swiss conductor Paul Sacher's 70th birthday), Ligeti and Carter's sonatas and Xenakis' Nomos Alpha and Kottos. Henri Dutilleux (born January 22, 1916 in Angers France) is one of the most important French composers of the second half of the 20th century producing Luciano Berio, Cavaliere di Gran Croce OMRI ( October 24, 1925 &ndash May 27, 2003) was an Italian Composer. WikipediaWikiProject Classical music#Biographical_infoboxes --> Mstislav Leopoldovich Rostropovich KBE ( Russian: Мстисла́в Paul Sacher ( 28 April 1906 &ndash 26 May 1999) was a Swiss conductor, Patron and Impresario. Elliott Cook Carter Jr (born in New York City on December 11, 1908) is an American Composer from New York City. Iannis Xenakis (Ιάννης Ξενάκης (May 29 1922 - February 4 2001 was a Greek modernist composer musical theoretician and architect Nomos Alpha (1966 is a piece for solo Cello composed by Iannis Xenakis in 1965, commissioned by Radio Bremen for cellist Siegfried

Quartets and other ensembles

The cello is a member of the traditional string quartet as well as string quintets, sextet or trios and other mixed ensembles. A string quartet is a Musical ensemble of four String instruments &mdash usually two Violins a Viola and Cello &mdash or a piece A string quintet is an ensemble of five String instrument players or a piece written for such a combination In classical music, a string sextet is a composition written for six String instruments, or a group of six musicians who perform such a composition A string trio is a group of three String instruments or a piece written for such a group There are also pieces written for two, three, four or more cellos; this type of ensemble is also called a "cello choir" and its sound is familiar from the introduction to Rossini's William Tell Overture as well as Zaccharias' prayer scene in Verdi's Nabucco. William Tell (;) Nabucco (short for Nabucodonosor, English Nebuchadnezzar) is an Opera in four acts by Giuseppe Verdi to an Italian Libretto As a self-sufficient ensemble, its most famous repertoire is Villa-Lobos' first of his Bachianas Brasileiras for cello ensemble (the fifth is for soprano and 8 cellos). Heitor Villa-Lobos (March 5 1887 &ndash November 17 1959 was a Brazilian Composer, possibly the best-known classical composer born in South America The Bachianas brasileiras constitute a series of nine suites by the Brazilian composer Heitor Villa-Lobos, written for various combinations of instruments and voices Another example is Boulez' Messagesquisse for 7 cellos. WikipediaWikiProject Classical music#Biographical_infoboxes --> Pierre Boulez (pjɛʁ buˈlɛz (b The Twelve Cellists of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra (or "the Twelve" as they have since taken to being called) specialize in this repertoire and have commissioned many works, including arrangements of well-known popular songs. The 12 cellists of the Berlin Philharmonic (Die 12 Cellisten der Berliner Philharmoniker are 12 cellists members of the Berlin Philharmonic as the name implies The Berlin Philharmonic (in German: Die Berliner Philharmoniker) is an Orchestra based in Berlin, Germany.

Popular music and jazz

Though the cello is less common in popular music than in "classical" music, it is sometimes featured in pop and rock recordings. Popular music is Music belonging to any of a number of musical styles that are accessible to the general public and are disseminated by one or more Classical music is a broad term that usually refers to mainstream music produced in or rooted in the traditions of Western liturgical and Secular music Pop music as a genre features a noticeable rhythmic element catchy melodies and hooks, a mainstream style and conventional structure Rock music is a genre of Popular music often though not necessarily employing Electric guitar, Bass guitar, and Drums. The cello is rarely part of a group's standard lineup (though like its cousin the violin it is becoming more common in mainstream pop). The violin is a bowed String instrument with four strings usually tuned in Perfect fifths It is the smallest and highest-pitched member

In the 1960s, artists such as the Beatles and Cher used the cello in popular music, in songs such as "Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down)," "Eleanor Rigby" and "Strawberry Fields Forever". The Beatles were a pop and rock band from Liverpool, England formed in 1960 Cher ( IPA: /ʃɛr/ born Cherilyn Sarkisian, May 20 1946 " Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down " is the name of a song written by Sonny Bono. " Eleanor Rigsby " is a song by The Beatles, originally released on the 1966 Album Revolver. " Strawberry Fields Forever " is a song by the English rock band The Beatles. In the 1970s, the Electric Light Orchestra enjoyed great commercial success taking inspiration from so-called "Beatlesque" arrangements, adding the cello (and violin) to the standard rock combo line-up and in 1978 the UK based rock band, Colosseum II, collaborated with cellist Julian Lloyd Webber on the recording Variations. Colosseum II are a British band who rose from the ashes of the original Colosseum. Julian Lloyd Webber (born April 14 1951) is one of the world's most renowned solo cellists Variations is a Classical / Rock fusion album by Andrew Lloyd Webber Andrew Lloyd Webber and Julian Lloyd Webber were always very close

Established non-traditional cello groups include Apocalyptica, a group of Finnish cellists best known for their versions of Metallica songs, Rasputina, a group of two female cellists committed to an intricate cello style intermingled with Gothic music, Von Cello, a cello fronted rock power trio, and Break of Reality who mix elements of classical music with the more modern rock and metal genre. Metallica is an American heavy metal band that formed in 1981 in. Rasputina is a band consisting mostly of cellists. The band officially began in Brooklyn, New York in 1992 when Melora Creager put out an advertisement Aaron Minsky or Von Cello (stage name is a rock cellist. He began his career as a rock Guitarist and was influenced by guitarists like Jimi Hendrix Break of Reality is a Cello rock band based in Rochester New York, consisting of three Cellists and drums These groups are examples of a style that has become known as cello rock. Cello rock and cello metal are subgenres of Rock music characterized by the use of Cellos (as well as sometimes also other bowed string instruments such The crossover string quartet bond also includes a cellist. Bond (often typeset as bond in deference to the owners of the 007 Silenzium and Vivacello are Russian (Novosibirsk) groups playing rock and metal and having more and more popularity in Siberia.

More recent bands using the cello are Aerosmith, Nirvana, Oasis, Murder by Death, Cursive, and OneRepublic. Aerosmith is an American Hard rock band sometimes referred to as "The Bad Boys from Boston " and "America's Greatest Rock and Roll Band" Nirvana was an American rock band that was formed by singer/guitarist Kurt Cobain and bassist Krist Novoselic in Aberdeen Washington. Oasis are an English rock band that formed in Manchester in 1991 Murder by Death is an American four-piece Rock band from Bloomington Indiana. Cursive is an Emo / Indie rock band from Omaha Nebraska, on Saddle Creek Records OneRepublic is an American Rock band formed in Colorado. After a few years of moderate success they have drawn mainstream attention with the release of So-called "chamber pop" artists like Kronos Quartet and Margot and the Nuclear So and So's have also recently made cello common in modern alternative rock. Kronos Quartet is a String quartet founded by Violinist David Harrington in 1973 Margot & the Nuclear So and So’s are a musical collective from Indianapolis, Indiana. Heavy metal band System of a Down has also made use of the cello's rich sound. System of a Down (commonly referred to as System or abbreviated as SOAD) is an Armenian American rock band formed in 1994 in The indie rock band The Stiletto Formal are known for using a cello as a major staple of their sound. The Stiletto Formal is a self-proclaimed "eccentric rock and roll" band from Phoenix Arizona, and are one of the few rock bands featuring a Cello and

Post-rock bands and other avant-garde groups commonly feature strings; cellos and violins over violas and contrabasses. Post-rock is a genre of Alternative rock characterized by the use of Musical instruments commonly associated with Rock music, but using Rhythms Avant-garde (avɑ̃gaʁd in French) means "advance guard" or "vanguard

The cello can also be used in bluegrass and folk music, with notable players including Ben Sollee of the Sparrow Quartet and the "Cajun cellist" Sean Grissom. The Sparrow Quartet is an American Acoustic music group that formed in 2005 The Sparrow Quartet is an American Acoustic music group that formed in 2005

The cello and the double bass are now also used in some modern Chinese orchestras. The term Chinese orchestra can refer to either The ancient Chinese orchestra or The modern Chinese orchestra The ancient Chinese orchestra

In jazz, bassists Oscar Pettiford and Harry Babasin were among the first to use the cello as a solo instrument; both tuned their instrument in fourths, an octave above the double bass. Oscar Pettiford ( 30 September, 1922 in Okmulgee, Oklahoma, &ndash 8 September, 1960 in Copenhagen, Denmark Harry Babasin (b Mar 19 1921 Dallas, Texas - d May 21 1988 Los Angeles, California) was an American Jazz bassist Fred Katz (who was not a bassist) was one of the first notable jazz cellists to use the instrument's standard tuning and arco technique. Fred Katz (born February 25, 1919) is an American composer songwriter conductor cellist, and professor Contemporary jazz cellists include Abdul Wadud, Diedre Murray, Ron Carter, Dave Holland, David Darling, Akua Dixon, Ernst Reijseger, Fred Lonberg-Holm, Vincent Courtois, Jean-Charles Capon, and Erik Friedlander. Abdul Wadud is a Pakistani Muslim author Works Conspiracies Against the Quran * Quranocracy * Food and Hygiene in Islam * Islamic Way Diedre Murray is an American cellist specializing in Jazz, Improvised music, and Contemporary classical music. Ron Carter (born May 4, 1937, Ferndale, Michigan) is an American Jazz Double-bassist. Dave Holland (born October 1, 1946) is a British Jazz Bassist and Composer who is a significant representative David Darling may refer to David Darling (musician (born 1941 American cellist and composer David Darling (astronomer (born 1953 Ernst Reijseger (b November 13, 1954, Bussum) is a Dutch cellist and composer Fred Lonberg-Holm (born 1962 is an American cello player based in Chicago. Erik Friedlander is an American Cellist and composer based in New York City.

Instrument makers

Main article: Luthier

A luthier is someone who builds or repairs stringed instruments, ranging from guitars to violins. The following luthiers are notable for the cellos they have produced:

Cellists

Main article: List of cellists

A person who plays the cello is called a cellist, not a "celloist. Nicolò Amati ( 3 December 1596 - April 12 1684) was an Italian Luthier from Cremona, a member of the Amati Nicolo Gagliano (fl ca 1740-1780 was an Italian Violin -maker the eldest son of Alessandro Gagliano. Matteo Goffriller (1659 – 1742 was an Italian Luthier, particularly noted for the quality of his Cellos Although it is known that Goffriller was Giovanni Battista Guadagnini ( JB Guadagnini; Giambattista Guadagnini; June 23 1711 - September 18 1786) was an Italian Giuseppe Guarneri del Gesù ( August 21, 1698 &ndash October 17, 1744) is the only Luthier to rival Antonio Stradivari Domenico Montagnana (1686-1750 was an Italian Master Luthier based in Venice, Italy. Giovanni Battista Rogeri ( c 1650 — c 1705 was an Italian Luthier. Francesco Ruggieri (c 1630 - c 1698 (Also known as Rugier Ruggeri Ruggerius was perhaps an apprentice of Nicolò Amati, another important Luthier in Cremona Stefano Scarampella ( 1843 - was an Italian Violin and Cello maker Antonio Stradivari (1644 &ndash December 18 1737 was an Italian Luthier, a crafter of Stringed instruments such as Violins cellos David Tecchler (1666 – 1748 was an Austrian Luthier, best known for his Cellos and Double basses Tecchler was born in Salzburg, Austria Carlo Giuseppe Testore (c 1665 - 1716 was an Italian Luthier who worked in his later life in Milan. Jean Baptiste Vuillaume ( October 7 1798 &ndash March 19 1875) was an illustrious French Violin maker. A person who plays the Cello is called a cellist. Notable cellists include A " For a list of notable cellists, see the list of cellists. A person who plays the Cello is called a cellist. Notable cellists include A See also Category:Cellists.

Famous cellos

See also: Category:Individual cellos

Famous cellos include:

Media

Notes

  1. ^ Welcome::. to Academic Journals Inc
  2. ^ Rihanna’s AMAs Performance. Retrieved on 12/01, 2007.
  3. ^ a b Cyr 1982
  4. ^ Grassineau 1740
  5. ^ Alan Stevenson. Table of 'cello measurements. Retrieved on 10/26, 2007.

References

See also

External links

Listening

Dictionary

cello

-noun

  1. (music) A large stringed instrument of the violin family with four strings. (From lowest to highest C-G-D-A)
© 2009 citizendia.org; parts available under the terms of GNU Free Documentation License, from http://en.wikipedia.org
 Dapyx Software network: MP3 Explorer | Ebook Manager | Zenithic