Like the violin and viola, the cello has four strings and is played using a bow or plucked, but has one major difference – it is played vertically, resting on the floor using a spike protruding from the bottom. The cello has slightly different roots from violins and violas, being born from early instruments called viols.

The cello is a bass instrument, playing the lowest notes of the music, although it is also capable of playing high notes, which are very plaintive and lend it its reputation for being the closest instrument to the sound of a human voice.

The cellos usually sit at the front of the stage opposite the First Violins, and number around six to ten in the section.

• Like the viola, the cello’s four strings are tuned to C, G, D and A, but sound an octave (8 notes) lower than the viola • The word ‘cello’ is actually short for ‘violoncello’, literally “small large viol” • Some early cellos had 5 strings • The plural of cello is actually celli