The cello doesn’t look that complicated from the start. Besides being very large, this instrument has an amazingly specific design. Every part of the cello, including features that appear to be for decoration, like the small holes on the front of the instrument, are necessary for achieving the low tone beloved by listeners around the world.

The Body of the Cello

The cello’s body can be made from wood, carbon fiber, or even aluminum. Wood is the most common and traditional choice, usually a spruce/maple combination, or more rare poplar and willow. Cheaper cellos may use lower quality materials like laminated wood. Cheaper cellos are also factory produced, while higher quality cellos are carved by hand. The cello’s body has a wide top section, a narrower middle section, and a wide bottom section, somewhat resembling an hourglass shape. The cello’s front has a bridge, which holds the strings up from resting against the wood. Also, holes shaped like the letter “f” are on the front of the cello, and these holes play an integral role in the cello’s sound. A decoration known as “purfling” helps preserve the integrity of the cello, helping to protect the instrument from weathering damage and cracks.

The Neck and Strings of the Cello

The neck of the cello extends above the huge body. Attached to the neck is the fingerboard and various other parts to fashion the strings on. Cellists can choose from a wide array of strings, mostly made of metallic materials wound around a gut, metal, or synthetic core.

The Bottom of the Cello

At the cello’s bottom, we find the tailpiece and endpin. The part called the “tailpiece” secures the strings to the lowest part of the cello. The tailpiece may be made of plastic, steel, or a hard wood such as ebony. The “endpin” is the spike added on during the 19th century to improve the support of the cello during playing. The endpin can be made of carbon fiber, metal, or wood. Endpins these days may even be removable, retractable, or adjustable in height.

The Insides of the Cello

Inside of the cello is a bass bar and a sound post. The bass bar works to support the structure of the instrument and handle the vibrations caused by playing. The bass bar is located under the bass foot of the bridge. The sound post is wooden, round, and under the treble side of the bridge. This piece of the instrument connects the cello’s back and front. Both of these parts are vital in distributing the vibrations to the proper parts of the cello.

Every single part of the cello is vital to its performance, and must be cleaned and cared for to produce the most beautiful music the instrument is

capable of.The bow, is most often made from a very particular type of wood from the pernambuco or brazilwood tree. This wood is very dark and heavy, and as a bow it channels the vibrations of the cello well. Bow hair can come from horses or found synthetically manufactured.

 

The notes are displayed below on this fingerboard chart. Most cello courses will include a fingering system that makes it easy to position your hand to play the notes correctly. Some prefer to use tape applied to the fingerboard to help remember the location when they first start learning the cello. The below is a universal system that is common with Suzuki and other cello learning methods.

Some students use a pen and paper methods to learn musical notes on the cello. The “cello fast track program” includes software called “note builder” to help memorize note positions quickly by displaying a note on the cello clef (Base clef) and then requiring the student to select the correct note on the cello fingerboard. A point and timer system is used to help students see their progress. Learning the correct finger placement for cello notes is drastically accelerated by allowing a student to be tested over and over quickly.

Your first cello purchase or rental will have a large impact on your progression with the cello. Buy an overpriced cello and you may find that you have far less funds to purchase others items needed to learn the cello like sheet music or lesson materials. Spend too little on a cheap cello and you may find yourself with an instrument that is hard to play and sounds far less appealing.

The good news is that you can have your own simple cello review once you understand how to spot a well made cello verses a cheap or inferior cello.

Often people will ask , “What is a good cello make or model?” Some approach the selection of a finely made wood instrument in the same manner as one would buy a mass produced car or appliance. The only problem with this approach is that the reproduction of a wood instrument even in a shop with similarly trained craftsmen will result in a different sound and playability. This is because the wood used in an instrument can never be exactly the same from instrument to instrument. Cuts and selections of woods, even from the same lot or forest vary enough to produce a unique sound and feel. If one reviews two cellos, they will find different thicknesses on the front of the two instruments due to the fact that good cellos are hand carved rather than machine made. The hand carving process by two craftsmen will produce small differences in the cellos which will make one cello sound warmer when playing a musical note and another sound brighter or more colorful.

Other contributing factors in the quality, sound and play-ability of a cello includes the bow selection and the type of strings that are used. Different bows and cello strings also produce different sounds when playing on the same instrument, so make sure that you try playing different bow with different cello to see how the sound differs. I tell everyone to “Trust your ear”, you know what you like to hear. Reviewing and selecting a cello yourself will produce a more satisfying, personal and rewarding experience.

Arguably, one could say that Yo-Yo Ma made the cello cool again in the 20th and 21st centuries. Chances are if you had to name a cellist , Yo-Yo Ma would be on your list. As evidence to Yo -Yo Ma’s greatness, the man who made the cello Yo-Yo Ma currently plays, Antonio Stradivari, made many instruments centuries ago that sell now for millions of dollars at auction. So how did Yo-Yo Ma make it so far up? He had humble beginnings but with musician parents, so he did start receiving a musical education at a young age. Yo-Yo Ma continued to become more and more inspired by playing the cello, and slowly worked his way up the ladder the old-fashioned way to be where he is now. Yo-Yo Ma still plays today, working now with Silk Road Ensemble. He has played many concerts worldwide, which are available in many media formats. He has won numerous awards and recognition for his work and continues to inspire aspiring cellists today.

Another famous solo cellist is Julian Lloyd Webber, son and brother of the famous composers William Lloyd Weber and Andrew Lloyd Webber, respectively. He was bred, raised, and expected to be musically brilliant, and he has made of a career of exceeding even the highest of these expectations. Julian Lloyd Webber is British in origin, and has made many international collaborations and recordings. He plays a world-renowned instrument, the Barjansky Stradivarius cello, made around the year 1690. Besides his concerts and recordings, Julian has made valuable contributions to music education for young adults.

Carlos Prieto is one of the more innovative, diverse cellists of our time. He spends time promoting original work by Latin American composers, and hosts events in his home country of Mexico. Carlos Prieto started his cello studies at the age of four, and has since traveled the world over to play.
Are There Any Female Cellists? Yes, there definitely are! Soo Bae is a young, Korean-Canadian solo cellist who began her cello studies young, at age six. She attended the prestigious Julliard School of Music and at a young age– she’s only 32– she has already won an amazing amount of highly-esteemed awards. Soo Bae travels the world playing a Stradivarius Bonjour cello. She is very active in supporting music in the world arena. She contributes in particular to Christian music and the educational pursuit of all kinds of stringed instruments.

Perhaps the most famous female cellist of all, Jacqueline Mary du Pre dazzled the world with her skill in concert before succumbing to an early death due to complications caused by multiple sclerosis, a progressive, debilitating disease. Her life was so dramatic and interesting it inspired a critically acclaimed 1998 film titled Hilary and Jackie, centered around Jacqueline herself and her sister Hilary. Consider these famous musicians the rock-stars of the cello world.

Ethan Winer; One might ask, “Isn’t this the guy that did the cello video (Cello Rondo) years ago? How can Ethan Winer be added to this list of famous cellist?” Well, Ethan has not reached the famed international performance levels as Yo-Yo Ma or Jacqueline du Pré, however when it comes to the on-line “Cellist community” Ethan is well known for his articles in strings magazine, production of the Bernard Greenhouse Cello Masterclass videos and his cello concerto. Ethan brings a valuable perspective to learning the cello because he learned it as an adult. I was able to interview Ethan and have posted the interview below.