Cellist's Steps 01

Cellist's Steps 01

Cremono Italy

The violincello, usually abbreviated to cello, or ‘cello, plural celli (the c is pronounced [tʃ], as in the ch in “checkers”so it is like “Chell-lo”) is a bowed string instrument.

A person who plays a cello is called a cellist.

The cello is used as a solo instrument, in chamber music, and as a member of the string section of an orchestra.

Antonio Stradivari (1644 – 1737) is universally acknowledged as one of the ‘giants’ of the violin making world. Not only was he the consummate craftsman but he continually experimented with the design and development of the instruments he crafted. He is regarded by most to be the greatest violin
maker to have ever lived.

Pizzicato
In pizzicato playing, the string is plucked directly with the fingers or thumb. Usually this is done with the right hand, while the bow is held away from the strings by the rest of the hand or (for extended passages) set down. A single string can be played pizzicato, or double, triple, or quadruple stops can be played. Occasionally, a player must bow one string with the right hand and simultaneously pluck another with the left. This is marked by a ”+” above the note. Strumming of chords is also possible, in guitar fashion.

Col legno
Col legno is the technique in which the player uses the wood rather than the hair of the bow on the strings. Usually this is a percussive technique (properly called col legno battuto) with no sustaining of the sound. The much less common alternative is col legno tratto which requires that the wood is drawn across the string as the hair is in a normal bow stroke.

Spiccato
In spiccato playing, the strings are not “drawn” by the bow hair but struck by it, while still retaining some horizontal motion, to generate a more percussive, crisp sound. It may be performed by using the wrist to “dip” the bow into the strings. Spiccato is usually associated with lively playing. On a violin, spiccato bowing comes off the string, but on a cello, the wood of the bow may rise briskly up without the hair actually leaving the string.

Staccato
In staccato, the player moves the bow a small distance and stops it on the string, making a short sound, the rest of the written duration being taken up by silence.

Legato
Legato is a technique where the notes are smoothly connected without accents or breaks.

Cellist's Steps 01 belongs to the following groups:

Complex Simplicity of Art, Italy and all things Italian, Kairos - Capturing the Decisive Moment, Mysteries of the Common and Object Studies & Concepts