The cello, which is technically called a violoncello (plural: celli or violoncelli), is a stringed instrument in the violin family along with the violin, viola and bass. It represents the tenor voice and is tuned to C2 – G2 – D3 – A3. Its design largely corresponds to that of a violin, but with its body length of 75 cm, it is much larger and is eye-catching especially because of the size of its ribs, which are nearly four times larger. The modern cello is played by a musician sitting in an upright position, and the instrument rests on a cello pin at a slight angle in front of the person playing. Sitting in this position means that the bow is moved very differently than violin and viola, and the left hand is also fundamentally different. It is a very popular instrument because of the large range of its voice of nearly five octaves and its rich timbre: it is considered the stringed instrument which most closely resembles the human voice.
