Fun Cello Facts

Knowing a few cello facts will give you a greater appreciation for the instrument, whether you play it yourself or simply enjoy hearing it in concerts.

• The cello is one of the most popular instruments in the world for chamber music. It's low, soothing tone has been used by composers since cellos were first invented in the mid 16th century. Early cellos looked like oversized violins.
• Famed violin maker Antonio Stradivari was the first to create an upright cello like the ones we use today. Stradivari added the tail spikes, allowing cellists to rest the instrument on the floor in cello stands rather than cradling them.
• Pronounced "che-lo," the word is actually a nickname. The full name of the instrument is violoncello, which derived from the Italian words violone and cello. Violone were big, stringed instruments; their name means "large viol." Adding cello to the end of a word in Italian means "small." So violoncello literally means "small large viol."
• The cello is the second-largest instrument of the violin family, following the contrabass.
• The plural of cello is celli.
• The first celli were actually a couple inches taller than modern celli, which stand at about 29 inches.
• A person who plays a cello is known as a cellist. They usually play seated and use a bow.
• Cello strings are tuned in the same way as viola strings, except they are an octave lower. The lowest note that can be played on a cello is C, which is two octaves below middle C.
• The most renowned cello maker was Andrea Amati, who hand crafted a beautiful instrumented nicknamed "The King" for Charles IX of France. Andrea's grandson, Nicolo, was also a famed cello and violin maker who may have even been responsible for teaching Antonio Stradivarius, the maker of the world's finest violins.
• Due to the size of the instrument, a cello does not come cheap. Low end celli cost thousands of dollars. Some of the world's finest can cost millions.
• Like the guitar before it, manufacturers have begun making electric celli, which rely on electronic sound amplification.