The cello covers the bass, the tenor and, in solo writing, much of the alto register. Its A string is the singing tenor voice that makes cello melodies so effective under picture.
Cello registers
| Register | Range | How it sounds |
|---|---|---|
| C and G strings | C2 to D3 | Powerful and resonant. The foundation of the string bass line, often doubled by the double basses an octave below. |
| D string | D3 to A3 | Warm and full, a natural home for inner voices and countermelodies. |
| A string | A3 to E5 | The singing register. Long cello melodies are usually written here, read in tenor clef as they climb. |
| Thumb position | Above E5 | Solo territory. Bright and tense, and harder to keep in tune across a section. |
Writing for the cello
- Open strings are C2, G2, D3 and A3. Write in bass clef, tenor clef for the upper register, and treble only for very high passages.
- Above E5 is solo writing. A section can play there, but tone and tuning both suffer.
- A single exposed cello is far harder to make convincing in a mockup than the whole section.
The cello in sample libraries
Section cello patches often stop where the section stops being comfortable, while solo cello libraries extend into thumb position. If a line climbs above E5, check whether your patch is a section or a soloist before deciding it works.
The full range is every note a professional can produce. The practical range is narrower on purpose, leaving out the notes only strong players produce reliably. The figures here are cross-checked between orchestration references, and where they disagree the practical range takes the more conservative one.
Other strings ranges
- Violin range: G3 to E7
- Viola range: C3 to E6
- Double bass range: E1 to D4
See every instrument on one chart, or check a whole MIDI file against these ranges, in the instrument range chart.