.. Copyright © 2020, Eron Hennessey (Abstrys) ##################### Cello Reference Sheet ##################### Cello tuning ============ From low to high, the cello is typically tuned in *fifths*. I play a 5-string cello with a low **F** (*F1* on the piano scale). A typical 4-string cello has its lowest string is tuned to **C2**. * **F1** - 43.65353 Hz * **C2** - 65.40639 Hz * **G2** - 97.99886 Hz * **D3** - 146.8324 Hz * **A3** - 220.0000 Hz Scale and string length ======================= |scale-length|_ refers to the length of the string between the nut and bridge, also known as its *vibrating length*. On a 4/4 (full-size) cello, the scale length is usually between 27.17" and 27.4" (69-69.4 cm). The length of a full-size cello string itself is about 40" (101.6 cm). String gauge and tension ======================== The D'Addario strings (NSS510) on my 5-string cello are thus: * F - 0.0815 in (2.07 mm) * C - 0.0540 in (1.37 mm) * G - 0.0390 in (0.99 mm) * D - 0.0340 in (0.87 mm) * A - 0.0305 in (0.77 mm) They are "medium tension" with stranded steel core, flat-wound steel strings. Flat-wound bass strings are available usually in sizes by 0.005. However, bass strings are designed for a 34" scale length instead of 27", the cello's usual scale length. Although shorter-scale basses exist—I have two of them: a Kala U-Bass (scale length 21") and a De Rosa violin-shaped bass (scale length 30"). Using bass strings on a cello ----------------------------- .. todo:: I haven't done this yet, but flat-wound bass strings of a similar diameter as regular cello strings *should* work just fine... Tuning a bass like a cello -------------------------- You can, of course, tune a bass like a cello, and in fact, have a bass with a 30" scale length, which isn't as far from the usual cello scale length. A bass scale usually goes like this (an octave lower than the four lowest strings on a guitar): * **E1** - 41.204 Hz * **A1** - 55.000 Hz * **D2** - 73.416 Hz * **G2** - 97.99886 Hz The lowest string on a bass guitar is only one step lower than my cello with it's low **F** string, so I could try tuning it like this: * **F1** - 43.65353 Hz (tune **E** string up 1 step) * **C2** - 65.40639 Hz (tune **A** string up 2 steps) * **G2** - 97.99886 Hz (tune **D** string up 4 steps) * **D3** - 146.8324 Hz (tune **G** string up 5 steps) Because a cello is tuned in fifths rather than fourths, the higher strings get progressively further away from bass tuning, and *really* stretches those top two strings! However, by *detuning* the low note on a bass to **C1** (an octave lower than a regular cello), I get a setup much closer to standard bass tuning. In fact, I don't even need to change the **D** string tuning: * **C1** - 34.65 Hz (tune **E** string down 2 steps) * **G1** - 49.00 Hz (tune **A** string down 1 step) * **D2** - 73.416 Hz (same as normal bass) * **A2** - 110.00 Hz (tune **G** string up 1 step) I've tried it and it works quite well on both my basses, though that detuned low string gets a bit floppy—having a higher-tension string might help. .. |scale-length| replace:: *Scale length* .. _`scale-length`: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scale_length_(string_instruments)