Cello at its Best

Cello music soothes the soul

Cello is a more commonly used named than Violincello, a string instrument that is played sitting down. It is held in between the knees and supsended off of the ground by an end pin. It is made of mostly wood and has four strings, A,D,G, and C. Traditionally, the strings were made from cat intestines, but now makers have moved onto steel and other synthetic materials. It is tuned an octave lower than the viola and one octave higher than the cello bass. It is said to be the instrument that most resembles the human voice, with its deep, rich tone.

Cello - Sound characteristics:

Mellow, warm, sonorous, full, clear, brilliant, vibrant, singing, bright, lustrous, stately, lyrical, cantabile, thick, weighty, powerful, silky, lively, incisive, eloquent, transcendental, supernatural, sensuous, calm, round, pure, muffled, dark, open, sustaining, solemn, wafting, gentle, sweet, veiled.

The cello possesses a wide variety of differing tone colors and means of expression, ranging from the calm and solemn in the lower register to bursts of passion in the uppermost register. Its underlying character has often been compared with the male voice.

The transition between registers is smooth, although it cannot be denied that the individual strings have their own character, as they do on the violin and viola too.

Basically, the cello is something of a split personality; one the hand it plays the part of the solid, reliable bass instrument; on the other hand it aspires to the passion of a heroic tenor.