Musical Practice and Performance Stack Exchange
Musical Practice and Performance Stack Exchange

Questions tagged [cello]

The "baritone" member of the string or violin family, played upright between the legs. Short for violoncello.

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Are very cheap cellos acceptable for a beginner?

I'm looking at getting a 1/2 cello for my son. My options are either rent a mid-end one for 50$ a month, or buy a very cheap one (there seem to be some online for 150$~200$). My experience with very cheap instruments is mixed: The cheap ~100$…
Alex Kinman
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What does this symbol mean in cello music?

Klengel Technical Cello Studies Vol. 1, Triads through three octaves. I'm referring to two separate symbols. I looked here but nothing really matches. First is the 0 with the dash beneath it. At first I thought open with harmonic but that doesn't…
xerotolerant
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Is it spelled "violincello" or "violoncello"?

I’m trying to understand the proper spelling of the full name of the cello. I’ve seen it both of these ways, violincello and violoncello. I thought since the cello is part of the violin family it would be violincello, but it seems some places are…
Benjamin Hale
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Should I loosen the tension on the bow for a break?

According to Violin for Dummies, we should loosen the horsehair before put violin back in the case. However, I always give myself about an hour break after I play violin for 1 to 2 hours. Should I leave the horsehair tight for an hour or loosen it…
Chek Wei Tan
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What is this upside down square fermata?

I was wondering what this marking means, it looks like an upside-down square fermata or an upside-down down bow marking with a dot. I found it in a piece for cello by Nadia Boulanger.
Kognise
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Is it acceptable to play the same note simultaneously on different strings on cello?

For a piece I am performing with a local school orchestra, a final open A is to undergo an "insane" crescendo to a Fortissississimo, which our conductor interprets as "as loud as possible." A fellow cello player suggested I play a double note with…
nanofarad
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What are some qualities to consider when purchasing a cello?

My wife is a Suzuki-method violinist but wants to dabble with some cello pieces. I'm a rock guitarist--so I have absolutely no clue what to look for in a cello. It's clearly not a Les Paul so any expertise I have is out the door on this one. Two…
Jduv
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What's special about cello strings?

I've built a skeleton cello (680mm scale length, 79mm fingerboard radius) and due to the high price of cello strings (2-400$ a set?), I found some flatwound bass strings whose string gauges seem to match well (0.100 to 0.045). Tuning these up to…
Brydon Gibson
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What does "silonveut" mean?

I am typesetting a Cambini Quartet. In the score for the cello part I see the following phrase: What does it mean? It appears to say "silonveut". This is the context (I don't think the piece is contemporary enough to consider the salamander-looking…
Richard
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What's this rectangular notation symbol?

I recently encountered a symbol in a Violoncello score which I was not able to identify. It is shown in the image below after the p (piano). I looked for it in the Musescore documentation and in the Lilypond notation tables, but was unable to find…
Fabian
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Why do string players tend to breathe heavily in performance?

Recently, I've started to develop an interest in classical music, specifically chamber music and, more specifically, piano trios. Having listened to a few performances now, I can't help but notice some heavy breathing going on with violin and/or…
Decent Dabbler
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What is at the tip of large string concert instruments, and does it damage the floor?

I sat very close to the stage Friday night for the Pops. I could see a cellist in the front row and noticed the bottom tip of a metal rod where the cello stands, making contact with the wooden floor. What is the construction of the tip of the stand,…
Jason P Sallinger
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Is it common to play several strings of a cello simultaneously?

I am toying around with some cello Vst having basically no experience with playing any string instrument and realized that the sound of my generated sounds is quite artificial which underlines the fact that I have no clue about how a cello is…
Samuel
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How to avoid excessive bow-hair damage when playing "scratch percussion" on string instruments?

Prominently featured in Bluegrass fiddle playing, the ever-so-feared noise of a bow "squaking" over the strings can be used to produce distinctive, yet surprisingly sweet percussive accents if well controlled. (Especially 5:20) I start to get the…
leftaroundabout
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Do pegs for stringed instruments require holes?

We bought some new pegs for a cello but they came without holes. As a result, it seems impossible to tighten the strings as they keep slipping. But there must be some use for pegs without holes, otherwise why would they sell them that way, right? …
Michael
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