Cello: History, Fun Facts, And Benefits Of Learning

The cello has been delighting music lovers for hundreds of years now, thanks to its lively and vibrant sounds and warm tones that match the human voice pitch.

The cello comes from the violin family and is often referred to as the violoncello. It is a bowed string instrument with four strings generally adjusted in perfect fifths: from low to high.

This solo instrument became an indispensable part of Western music not abruptly but gradually through a sequence of artistic transformations and realistic requirements. While the cello is a popular instrument, its history remains unknown to many people.

History of the Cello instrument

The history of the cello is linked with other stringed instruments like the harp and lyre that were extensively used by ancient civilizations to make music. The cello came to the limelight for the first time in northern Italy in 1550. It is a member of the violin family and was initially called bass violin. In Italy, it was called viola da braccio.

Andrea Amati was the first person who got exposure for making the cello. While Amati was not the inventor of the cello, he rose to popularity for building cellos for Charles IX King of France. Paintings from the 12th and 13th centuries depict the violin, indicating that it existed in the music of that era. However, the cello was developed in the 15th century.

The reason for the cello’s late entrance into music was, in part, due to the trend of the sound ideal in Western European music. Back then, vocal music had supremacy over the whole music field. That meant the singers of that time would practically decide the ideals.

Extensive performance practices during the fifteenth century led singers to realize they needed a tone with high pitch and nasal. In other words, there was a demand for a sound that associates closely with today’s Eastern music. The need for this tone led to the creation of what is known today as the cello.

Antonio Stradivari is credited for determining the standard size of the modern cello. After 1710, he started to create celli that measured between the two original dimensions of the instrument (too large and too small). Other cello makers around Europe soon adopted the cello size introduced by Antonio Stradivari, making it the standard size for the instrument.

Cultural transformations and the demand for different tones furthered changed the sound of the cello. For example, there was a need for sounds that can be heard by larger audiences rather than soft sounds made for private, limited audiences.

Cello makers made innovations and alterations to the instrument to enhance its volume, precision, and receptiveness. For instance, they raised the bridge to intensify string pressure and increase volume. The neck and fingerboard were also stretched and re-angled for clarity and responsiveness.

Today, the cello has made its way into different musical genres. It has even got its dedicated style called Cello rock - a subgenre of rock music, underscoring gothic sounds. The modern cello is an interesting instrument, thanks to the innovations and improvements made to it. This instrument’s versatility ensures that it will continue to delight music lovers for hundreds of years.

Fun Facts

There are specific facts about the cello that many people don’t know. Here are some fun facts about this instrument: