Cello Tuning and Notation
Hello, composer!
As a composer and cellist myself, I have had a lot of people ask about best practices for notation, so in this blog post, I’ll show you the standard tuning of the cello and considerations for notation.
In terms of tuning, just like the other instruments in the string family, the cello is tuned in 5ths. The only instrument that's not tuned in fits in the string family is the double bass, which is tuned in fourths. From the lowest string to the highest C, G, D, and A:
It's the same as the viola but one octave lower. Chords can be built using these open strings as references. Normal unisons are also possible with all but the lowest string, so I'll get into all of the different kinds of intervals that you can create and different kinds of multi-stops that are really idiomatic for the cello in a future blog.
In terms of notation, because of the large range, the cello uses three clefs. It uses bass clef, tenor clef, which is a C-clef, where the second line down from the top is a middle C, and then treble clef, and I would notate them in the following ranges:
Notice that there are overlaps between these clefs, which is very common in notation for cello.
Clef changes are always going to be context-based and there’s not an easy rule, but if you’re generally in the lower register, use bass, if it’s mostly in the middle register and above, tenor or treble might be best. Don’t be afraid of clef changes and consult with a cellist if you’re not sure.
This chart is what's comfortable for me. I typically don't like to see more than four ledger lines in bass clef above the staff. When you switch to tenor clef, I would say the open A string (A3), which is right in the middle of the staff is pretty comfortable to read. Below the open A, it starts to be a little bit counterintuitive, at least for me, and I would prefer a clef change to bass clef at that point because it’s a lot easier to read.
Use your best judgment and again, you can always ask the performer that you're working with what they prefer to see.
Hope that helped! If you want to learn more about composing for the cello, check out the video I made 👇🏻
Happy composing!
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