The cello for kids: how it works and what to hear

The cello is a large string instrument with a deep, warm sound. It is built like a violin and is about four feet tall. The player sits down, rests the cello on a metal spike on the floor, and holds it between the knees. Its full name is violoncello, and it is said “CHEL-oh.”

Quick facts

• Family: strings
• Size: about four feet tall
• Strings: four, tuned to C, G, D, and A
• Played: sitting down, with a bow or plucked
• In an orchestra: about ten

How it makes sound

The cello works the way a violin does. A bow coated with rosin pulls across a string and sets it shaking. The hollow body makes the sound louder.

The strings are longer and thicker than a violin’s, so the notes are lower. The lowest string is two octaves below middle C on a piano.

The left hand presses the strings to change the notes. Because the cello is large, the fingers have to stretch farther than on a violin.

Why people love the sound

The cello covers much the same range as the human voice, from a low man’s voice to a high woman’s voice. Many listeners say it is the instrument that sounds most like singing.

Its job in the orchestra

The cellos sit at the front right. Much of the time they play the low line that holds the harmony up, together with the double basses. Composers also give them some of the richest tunes in the orchestra.

Pieces to hear

“The Swan” from The Carnival of the Animals, by Saint-Saëns. One cello glides over two pianos. See the listening guide.

Prelude from Cello Suite No. 1, by Bach. One cello, alone, with no other instrument. The notes roll like waves. For more, read famous cello pieces for kids.

William Tell Overture, the opening, by Rossini. Five cellos begin the piece by themselves. See the listening guide.

Symphony No. 8, “Unfinished,” first movement, by Schubert. The cello section sings a famous, warm tune.

The cello variation in The Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra, by Britten. See the listening guide.

The parts

The cello has the same parts as a violin: a body with f-holes, a neck, a scroll, pegs, and a bridge. It has one extra part, the endpin. This is the metal spike at the bottom that holds the cello up. The player slides it in and out to set the height.

Starting to play

Cellos come in small sizes, from one-tenth size up to full size, so children can start young. The child sits on a chair that lets the feet rest flat on the floor. Suzuki teachers take cello beginners from about four. To weigh it against the violin, read violin vs cello.

A teacher or a string shop fits the size with the child sitting down. Many families rent, because a growing child moves up through several sizes. See how to choose a first instrument.

Things to do together

Sing along. Play “The Swan” and hum the tune. Ask your child if the cello sounds like a voice.

Find the cellos. In a concert video, look to the right of the conductor for the players who are sitting with their instruments upright.

High, middle, low. Play a violin piece, a cello piece, and a double bass piece. Put them in order from highest to lowest.

Big string, low note. Stretch a thick rubber band and a thin one over a box. Pluck both. The thick one is lower, for the same reason a cello is lower than a violin.

Print and play

To tell it from its larger neighbor, read cello vs double bass. Tick the strings on the instrument families listening chart. For the rest of the family, read string instruments for kids. For all four families, see instruments of the orchestra for kids.