About the Cello

The violoncello, or as it is more commonly to refered to as the cello or \'cello (pronounced Cheh-loh), is a stringed instrument and a member of the violin family. The cello is much larger than a violin, and unlike that instrument, it is played in an upright position between the legs of the seated musician, resting on a metal spike, called the endpin. The player draws the bow horizontally across the strings.
The cello has four strings tuned in fifths: C (the lowest), G, D and A (below middle C); these are tuned exactly one octave below the viola. Because of the enormous range of the instrument written music for the cello frequently alternates between the bass clef, tenor clef, and treble clef.
The name cello is an abbreviation of the Italian violoncello, which means \"little violone\". The violone is an obsolete instrument, a large viol, similar to a modern double bass.
The cello is most closely associated with European classical music. It is part of the standard orchestra and features in the string quartet and many other chamber groups. A large number of concertos and sonatas have been written for it. It is less common in popular music, but the instrument is sometimes featured in pop and rock recordings. Despite this, the cello is rarely part of a group\'s standard lineup. An exception are Apocalyptica, a group of cellists best known for their versions of heavy metal songs. It is a style that has become known as cello rock. Another great example is Rasputina, a group of three female cellists committed to an intricate cello style intermingled with Gothic music.

http://www.celloinfo.com

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