Cello

The cello is a four-string instrument made of wood that is played with a bow. Although the mechanics of the cello are relatively simple, cellos can produce a complex range of sounds. The cello's four strings are tuned to a standard set of notes, usually C, D, G, and A. The modern cello evolved from a series of larger stringed instruments during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. The modern form of the cello was not developed until the early eighteenth century, when Antonio Stradivari perfected the design and tonal range of the instrument. Cellos are a common fixture in symphony orchestras and string quartets. Cellos can also be played solo, and a person who plays the cello is called a cellist.

Brief History

Although the use of stringed instruments dates back to ancient civilization, the predecessors of the cello first emerged around the thirteenth century. Historians believe the cello evolved from early versions of the violin, referred to as the viol or the viola da gamba. These instruments were played upright, situated between the legs rather than between the shoulder and chin. Images of viols can be found in thirteenth-century paintings. Viols were much smaller than modern cellos. Violin makers began crafting the precursors to the cello between 1520 and 1550. Three luthiers, or makers of stringed instruments, are credited with advancing the design of the cello's forerunner. These men—Andrea Amati, Gasparo da Salò, and Giovanni Paolo Maggini—developed an instrument known as the bass violin—or violone—a large, upright stringed instrument designed to accommodate lower pitches of sound.

Violones were much bigger than modern cellos. They usually measured about two feet eight inches in string length. String lengths of smaller varieties of the violones, known as violoncellos, measured a bit smaller at about two feet five inches. Luthier Antonio Stradivari designed what would become the standard string length for cellos in the early 1700s. His cello's string lengths measured between the two established sizes, and his design quickly became the standard for luthiers across Europe. Stradivari's instruments were so well crafted that many survived for centuries; some are still played today.

With the popularization of the Stradivari cello came the emergence of expert cello players. Virtuosos worldwide experimented with the instrument's sound, taking the cello to new melodic heights with each generation. Several changes were made to improve the sound range of the cello during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, which led to composers creating music specifically for the instrument. The first major work written for the cello was Johann Sebastian Bach's six cello suites. There were few changes to the cello design throughout the 1800s and 1900s, besides some practical modifications to improve balance.

The cello's usage was predominantly restricted to classical music for many years. The cello became a staple of symphony orchestras. Cellos were also featured in classical quartets, and cello soloists were a popular attraction during the peak of the classical era. The cello found its way into popular music during the twentieth century, when bands such as the Beatles and Pink Floyd began using the instrument in their songs. By the twenty-first century, cello virtuosos began to blend classical styles with modern genres, including folk, bluegrass, rock, and R&B. The cello's popularity in mainstream music even led to the emergence of a new musical genre known as cello metal. Nevertheless, traditional soloists like Yo-Yo Ma continued to draw large audiences with their renditions of Bach's cello suites and other popular classical compositions. In the twenty-first century, Stjepan Hauser and Luka Šulić brought the cello to popular music as part of the duo 2Cellos, who found success with cello covers of popular music songs and toured with Elton John.

Overview

Cellos normally have four strings, and they are crafted from wood. Materials like rubber and metal are also found throughout the instrument's frame. Cellos are played with a bow, which is a wooden rod with horsehair stretched across both ends. The hairs of the bow are slid against the cello's strings to produce sound. Cellos are played upright with the instrument resting between the cellist's legs. Modern cellos usually come equipped with endpins, which are metal rods that project from the bottom of the cello to the floor to support the instrument's weight.

A full-size cello is approximately four feet tall and thirty inches wide. Its main body is wide on the top and bottom and curves inward in the middle. The bottom half of the cello is the widest part of the body. At its center, two S-shaped sound holes surround either side of the bridge, a curved piece of wood that raises the strings over the instrument. The strings of a cello are stretched across a part called the neck, which extends upward from just above the bridge to the pegbox. The neck is where cellists use their fingers to press down on strings to produce different musical notes. The pegbox is used to tune the cello and contains four pegs. Each individual string is wrapped around one of these pegs, which can be twisted to tighten or loosen the strings to achieve a desired sound. A decorative wooden piece called the scroll sits above the pegbox.

A part known as the tailpiece in situated just below the bridge and connects to a cello's endpin. These pieces support the cello during play. Inside the cello's body is a feature known as the bass bar, a piece of wood that runs beneath the neck to the bridge and bears any tension from the strings. The bass bar prevents the instrument from collapsing under the pressure of the strings. The cello's interior also contains the instrument's sound post, a cylindrical piece of wood that supports the body of the cello while also conducting and absorbing sound. When played, cellos produce a deeper sound than violins or violas but have a higher pitch than basses. The cello is often described as the instrument that most closely resembles the human voice.

Bibliography

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