Topic > The Physics and Science of the Cello - 1376

The cello, or more commonly known as the cello, is often referred to as the tenor of the string family. The name 'cello' literally means “little violon” ​​- where 'one' means large and 'cello' means small. The violone was the lowest pitched instrument of the Viol family. At the end of the 19th century the term “violin” was more or less replaced with “cello”. The cello has four strings, tuned according to a ratio of perfect fifths. This fact derives from the phenomenon of harmonic series; a perfect fifth is the second harmonic above the fundamental and the first non-repetitive harmonic. Therefore, perfect fifths relationships are the strongest relationships in the musical language and are used for tuning and major harmonic movements within classical pieces. From above, the cello strings are: A3, D3, G2, C2- which is two octaves below middle C. It has the same pitches as the open strings of the viola, except one octave lower. When cellos are bent or plucked, the air around the string vibrates, producing sound waves. Because the strings are very thin, not much air is moved; therefore, it is mounted on a larger body. Thanks to the large body of the cello, it can produce a full-bodied sound. Since the physical characteristics of each individual cello are different, the sound produced is also slightly different. The resonance of the wood causes all cellos to have a “wolf tone”. This happens when the resonance is split into two frequencies and the resonances hit each other, producing an unpleasant, growling, thumping sound in neighboring tones (usually around F or F#). You need to connect a wolf eliminator to “eliminate” the wolf tone; however, "getting rid of" simply means moving the pitch to another pitch, to one... middle of the paper... orchestra. Usually it's the bass line, which is the foundational vocal and is incredibly stripped down. There are 8 to 12 musicians in an orchestra, but depending on the piece there may be more or fewer. Cellists are normally positioned towards the right side of the stage when viewed from the audience, facing the first violins. However, some orchestras prefer the cellos where the violas are usually located, next to the cellos further inside. There is a musician, usually the most skilled cellist, who becomes the concertmaster and who sits as close as possible to the conductor and the audience. They are responsible for stringing, playing solos, and directing the entire section. There are many cellists, people who play the cello, well known for their exceptional and masterful playing, such as Emanuel Feuermann and Gregor Piatigorsky. These people made history in the art of the cello.