Cello
Sizes

Standard-sized cellos are referred to as "full-size" or " 4 ⁄ 4 " but are also made in smaller (fractional) sizes, including 15 ⁄ 16 7 ⁄ 8, 3 ⁄ 4, 1 ⁄ 2, 1 ⁄ 4, 1 ⁄ 8, 1 ⁄ 10, and 1 ⁄ 16. The fractions refer to volume rather than length, so a 1/2 size cello is much longer than half the length of a full size. The smaller cellos are identical to standard cellos in construction, range, and usage, but are simply scaled-down for the benefit of children and shorter adults.

Cellos in sizes larger than 4 ⁄ 4 do exist, and cellists with unusually large hands may require such a non-standard instrument. Cellos made before c. 1700 tended to be considerably larger than those made and commonly played today. Around 1680, changes in string-making technology made it possible to play lower-pitched notes on shorter strings. The cellos of Stradivari, for example, can be clearly divided into two models: the style made before 1702, characterized by larger instruments (of which only three exist in their original size and configuration), and the style made during and after 1707, when Stradivari began making smaller cellos. This later model is the design most commonly used by modern luthiers. The scale length of a 4 ⁄ 4 cello is about 70 cm (27 + 1 ⁄ 2 in). The new size offered fuller tonal projection and a greater range of expression. The instrument in this form was able to contribute to more pieces musically and offered the possibility of greater physical dexterity for the player to develop technique.
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