cello da spalla
The violoncello da spalla, known informally as the cello da spalla, is a small 5-string cello played braced against the shoulder. Its tuning is the same as the violoncello, with a fifth string added to the upper register, making the open string tuning from lowest to highest: C2, G2, D3, A3, E4 in scientific pitch notation. • Illustration — Violoncello da spalla The violoncello da spalla was designed to be played by violinists, who have limited experience playing instruments such as the viola da gamba or cello, which are held in a vertical position fixed between legs. The violoncello da spalla is held on the shoulder and chest, and is larger than the viola.
Also recorded as violoncello da spalla · viola da spalla
cello da spalla
Frinck51 · CC BY-SA 3.0
- Field
- necked box lute played with a bow
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Possible use by Bach
Possible use by Bach
There are also numerous instances of suites, serenades, divertimenti, and cassations that begin and/or end with marches. If these marches were to get the players in or out, the bass lines could have been played on these instruments, as well as on procession cellos which are regular cellos with a tiny hole under the neck where the player can attach a hook and a strap.
Because of the variety in terminology used in the eighteenth century, it can be difficult now to determine exactly what instrument was intended in specific instances. The terms "violoncello da spalla" and "viola da spalla" tend to appear in theoretical works rather than as instrument designations from composers. However, it is possible that J. S. Bach, and perhaps other composers, might have intended the violoncello da spalla in cases where the "violoncello piccolo" is specified. This term, "violoncello piccolo", features in many of the Bach cantatas, with the parts written in a variety of clefs (bass, tenor, alto and soprano). The variety of clefs has been taken as a representation of the instrument's relatively wide range. The five-string version of the instrument may have been what Bach had in mind for performing his Cello Suite No. 6 (which was intended for an instrument with the tuning CGdae'). The high E string on the violoncello da spalla also allows for the possibility of playing violin music an octave lower than written (e.g. the Bach violin sonatas and partitas, Mozart Violin Sonatas and Concertos, etc.) without the need of a special arrangement.
Musicians
Musicians
• François Fernandez • Sigiswald Kuijken • Sergey Malov • Ryo Terakado • Dmitry Badiarov • Stephen Collins • Samuel Hengebaert • Olav Johansson • Mikael Marin • Andrew Gonzalez • Makoto Akatsu • Gregorio Ibáñez Gómez
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Part of the biographical narrative on this page reuses licensed material. Its origin, revision and licence are recorded here.
The biographical narrative on this page is based on the Wikipedia article Cello da spalla, revision 1347107747 (EN edition), by its contributors. VALÉORINE has edited that text and built its own documentary record around it. The reused material is available under CC BY-SA 4.0, and this page's reuse of it is offered under the same licence. Everything else on this page — the chronology, the holdings, the evidence, the plates and the connections — is VALÉORINE's own record. Sources and licences.
Notes from the source article
Cited by Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
These works are cited by the source article, in its own numbering. They are recorded as its citations, not as sources VALÉORINE has verified.
- 1.Barnett, Gregory. The Violoncello da Spalla: Shouldering the Cello in the Baroque Era. Journal of the American Musical Instrument Society. 24. 81–106. 1998.
- 2.Vittes, Laurence. (23 January 2024). 'Book review: Da Spalla: How violinists can find their unique voice and open new career opportunities in 14 days'. The Strad.
- 3.Badiarov, Dmitry. "The Violoncello, Viola da spalla and Viola pomposa in Theory and Practice." The Galpin Society Journal, vol. 60, 2007, pp. 121–145. Online at JSTOR. Accessed 3 Sept. 2021.
- 4.Violoncello piccolo. Bach Cantatas website.
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References
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The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 14 August 2026.
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