violoncello

The word cello is actually just an abbreviation of violoncello, an Italian word meaning “little violone”. 136K subscribers. Instrument: Cello.

In Italian, the suffix –one means big, and the suffix –ello means small. Violone, or “big viola,” was an early name for the double bass. But our friend the “bass arm viola” was smaller than the violone, so a diminutive had to be added, turning violone, the big viola, into violoncello, the little big viola.

cello, also called violoncello, French violoncelle, German cello or violoncello, bass musical instrument of the violin group, with four strings, pitched C–G–D–A upward from two octaves below middle C.

The cello (/ˈtʃɛloʊ/ CHEL-oh), or violoncello (/ˌvaɪələnˈtʃɛloʊ/ VY-ə-lən-CHEL-oh, Italian pronunciation: [vjolonˈtʃɛllo]), is a bowed (sometimes plucked and occasionally hit) string instrument of the violin family. Its four strings are usually tuned in perfect fifths: from low to high, C2, G2, D3 and A3.

The historical violoncello has evolved to become the instrument we now know as the “cello.” The violoncello appeared by the early 16th century, part of the “violin family” of stringed instruments. The violoncello – like its siblings, the violin and viola – has four strings.

The cello is played seated, with the right hand either directly plucking the strings or drawing a bow across them to produce sound. The left hand is used to press strings down against the fingerboard to create specific pitches - unlike a guitar there are no frets, so getting the right note is all about practice.

A traditional violoncello (or cello) normally has a spruce top, with maple for the back, sides, and neck. Other woods, such as poplar or willow, are sometimes used for the back and sides. The top and back are traditionally hand-carved. The sides, or ribs, are made by heating the wood and bending it around forms.

The instrument commonly called a cello is also known by its formal name, the violoncello. Learn more about the history of the violoncello and how the instrument has evolved.

The cello looks like the violin and viola but is much larger (around 4 feet long), and has thicker strings than either the violin or viola. Of all the string instruments, the cello sounds most like a human voice, and it can make a wide variety of tones, from warm low pitches to bright higher notes.

There are three different types to choose from when buying a cello, characterised by their main material: traditional wooden cellos, electric cellos, and carbon fibre cellos. Wooden cellos are the most popular and most commonly recommended for beginners as they come in a wide range of sizes and prices.

The oldest extant violoncello was made in Cremona, Italy, by Andrea Amati (c. 1505 – c. 1578). Other historical examples were made by Antonio Stradivari (1644-1737) and Giuseppe Guarneri (1698-1744), also great luthiers from Cremona.

The strings can differ a lot between a violin and a cello. A violin will usually have much shorter, thinner strings, and this is what enables it to hit the higher notes. The strings of a cello are thicker which is what helps to achieve the lower tone.