Cello

A cello is a bowed string instrument that has been rated as the second largest musical instrument in the violin family; the largest being the double base. The main musical instruments that are part of the string family include the double base, the violin, the cello, and the viola. Among the string instruments, cello produces a tenor voice, is larger than a violin and is played while being placed between the knees of the player. The instrument produces very beautiful sounds from the highest to the lowest notes and thus making it more popular than the other instruments. In orchestra and chamber music, this musical instrument is used as solo. It has often been closely linked to the European classical music and musicians have also stated that the instrument sounds more like the human voice when compared to other sounding instruments. Cello has had several sonatas and concertos written for it and though the instrument is rarely used in many popular music genres, it is sometimes part of the instruments that are used in the recordings of the rock and pop music. Major R&B and hip hop performances have recently featured this instrument. Many of these instruments are made by joining several pieces of wood that are glued together. The bodies of each of these instruments are made in a way that they are hollow and thus act as resonators for the sound. Cello is also made of four strings, though the double base has five, that are made of nylon, steel or animal gut and that are fastened to the pegs that are at one end of this instrument while the other end is attached to a tailpiece that is on the other end. The strings of modern cello are made from material like titanium, chromium and aluminum. The lower part of this instrument has the endpin and the tail piece. The tail piece is usually made of ebony or other type of hard wood though steel or plastic can be used. The tailpiece has the function of attaching the strings to the lower part of the instrument and it can contain a single or several fine tuners. The endpin is made of metal, wood carbon fiber and its function is to support the instrument when it is being played. To produce the assigned pitches, the strings of a cello are stretched across a bridge tightly. In addition to being made of wood, other materials like aluminum and carbon fiber are used. A traditional cello was made with a spruce top and maple for the neck, sides and the back. Willow and poplar are other wood types that are often used for the sides and the back. Traditional a cello was hand-carved though currently, machine-produced ones are being made. The decorative border of the instrument is referred to as purfling and is not only for attractiveness purposes, but also for protective purposes as purfling prevents the body from having major cracks if it is bumped or dropped. Two features make up the internal part of a cello; the bass bar on the underside of the instruments top and the sound post on the wedges between the bottom and the top plates.