Cello

Thinking of choosing the CELLO for your girl or boy? Cello trio

The cello is the most mellow, yet passionate voice in the string family, with a usable range of nearly four octaves! It is said to be the closest in sound to the human voice. Cello is extremely versatile: it is generally assigned the bass (bottom) line in the orchestra but it is a rare classical piece in which there is not at least one haunting cello solo.

Cellists are spared a number of physical issues with respect to holding the instrument- the child sits straight on to the instrument, with a bow hold in which the hand falls in a natural shape from the wrist. The fact that cellists sit to play means they may get less tired and can feel more at one with their instrument as the body essentially wraps around it. The cellist's posture is the most natural of the string family.

The mellow, lower, voice range means that even a beginner makes sounds pleasing to the ear. As well, some children and parents appreciate the lower pitch and find it easier to tolerate close up.

“Celli” (cellos), come in all the small sizes in which violins come, with the smallest, a 1/10 size, appropriate for a two- or three-year-old. You can rent or purchase a cello through The Sound Post, or rent one from your one of our OSA teachers. Thus, acquiring a cello is sometimes as simple as being handed one at your first lesson!

Cellists need a stool to sit on when playing. The Sound Post sells an excellent version that adjusts as the child grows. Small inexpensive children’s stools are just fine as well, as long as they are the right sort. Your teacher will help with this. You will also need a strap (easily purchased and inexpensive) to secure the cello end-pin to the floor- these are inexpensive and last many years.

Cello Group Classes are held at Evangel Pentecostal Church on Thursdays (after school/early evening) and are generally small, between 5 and 7 members. Thus, a lot of individual attention is possible.

All cello private lessons take place at the homes of our cello teachers who have, among them, over 60 years teaching experience.

Cellists are generally thought to be a bit unusual (in a good way!). They frequently develop a lot of camaraderie and are soon proud of their identity as CELLISTS. This is partly because of our smaller numbers but also because there is no more wonderful instrument in the world!! (You can tell this has been written by an entirely biased, oops, I mean UNbiased cellist!)

We hope you will consider cello for your child. It is a particularly good plan if you have several children, or two that are close in age, to let each child play his or her own, unique instrument.

Feel free to contact a cello teacher for more information!

                       Submitted by Jo-Anne Goyder, aka Grammacello

Contact our Administrator for information on our Cello teachers.

Complete instrument overview

Instrument Care and Purchase

A cello, if properly cared for, is a good investment. A second-hand instrument, which is undamaged, with new strings, good bow-hair and a good case, is worth just as much as a new instrument. With the increasing popularity of the Suzuki method in Ontario, there is a growing market for re-selling the instrument once your child out grows it.

Cellos are sensitive and delicate instruments, and even the youngest child should be taught to handle them with care.

Make absolutely sure that you are getting the correct size for your child. This is not like clothing where your child grows into it. The instrument has to fit the child exactly. Too large an instrument results in poor posture and playing habits. Do not accept the word of the dealer - get your teacher to size your child for an instrument before finalizing the sale.

When purchasing an instrument, make sure that your teacher has looked it over carefully. Dealers will usually allow you to borrow an instrument for a few days for evaluation before purchase.

Arrange to have fine tuners on small instruments - one on each string but make sure that the fine tuners are not digging into the body of the instrument as this will damage the wood and could cause it to split. Occasionally the fine tuners must be loosened and the strings tightened by using the pegs.

Do not wait for the next lesson to have your instrument tuned. Learn to tune it from a piano or purchase an electronic tuner. The meter on the tuner will tell you if the strings are in tune or not. Pitch pipes are not recommended because they change pitch if you blow into them too hard.

Do not store the instrument in extreme temperatures, neither hot nor cold, and avoid excessively high or low humidity.

Cellos can suffer damage through frequent removal of the canvas cover with its scratching zippers. It may be wise to stand it in a corner of the room when not in use, bridge facing the corner. Always put the endpin in after playing.

Loosen the bow hair enough to take pressure off the bow stick when it is not in use. Do not over-tighten bow hair at any time - it will stretch the hair and/or deform the bow. Do not touch the bow hair with your fingers.

Regularly check that the bridge has not been knocked out of its correct position, or that it is not leaning over. Your teacher will show you how to adjust this if necessary.

Do not use commercial polishes of any kind on the instrument. Rosin dust should be removed after each playing using a clean soft clot.

Do not attempt any repairs yourself.

Strings and bow hair do not last forever. Bows need to be rehaired and strings replaced periodically. Ask your teacher.

If possible, small children should practice on a carpet, just in case of disaster!