The Cello

           The cello is a bowed string instrument with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is a member of the violin family, which also includes the violin, viola, and double bass. It is one of the larger instruments of the family, topped only by some double basses. Despite its large size (a 4/4 sized cello is 47 and 10/16 inches tall) the cello is fairly light, due to its hallow shape and thin wooden frame.

          Early versions of the cello have been around sense the late 11th century. An italian instrument called the viola da gamba (meaning viol for the leg) was almost identical to the modern cello except it was about two feet shorter and considerably quieter. The violoncello was the first cello referred to print in 1556 by Jambe de Fer. It could be strapped to the shoulder, so the cellist could walk around while playing. Modern era cellos are played while sitting down, with a endpin to support the instrument.

         The cello is a very widely used instrument. It is a staple in orchestral, chamber, and strings music. It is also quite often used in blues, rock, bluegrass, progressive rock, metal, popular, and pretty much every genre of music. Its low sound have been favored by famous musicians/bands/orchestras like The Beatles, Apocalyptica, and The London Philharmonic.

         Because the cello is so awesome, here are two videos mostly involving cellos:
Cello Wars (Star Wars Parody) Lightsaber Duel - ThePianoGuys (I recommend checking out more videos by this guy) and  One - Apocalyptica.

Here are some pictures: