Violoncello da Spalla Podcast

We’ll be exhibiting in London again! On February 8th, in Kings Place, London, we’ll be exhibiting at the British Violin Makers Association Makers Day. Book your flight now and take the opportunity to try a Violoncello da Spalla, the special treat of a holiday in one of the most interesting towns in the world, rich in history and fabulous museums.
Are you a luthier interested in making a Violoncello da Spalla?
In the archive of this newsletter I documented the whole process, sharing measures and templates. You can check the index and some posts at this link, and if you subscribe to a paid plan, you have instant access to all posts and a private chat where you can ask me any question.



This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit violoncellodaspalla.substack.com/subscribe

This video above is part of a long chat I recently had with Els, violist, viola d’amore and now da spalla player. Last June she acquired one of my Violoncello da Spalla, and this call was part a trouble-shooting talk (I already published a small clip about straightening the bridge) and a catching-up on how things were going after 6 months, and at the eve of her first concert with the Violoncello da Spalla.
After a brief introduction, Els tells us how she first got in touch with the Violoncello da Spalla through baroque cellist Hervé Douchy, and how later she got in touch with us. I then ask her about the first reactions she got and we discuss the role of the spalla as a continuo. She shares with us her practicing routine, her little obsession with playing fast spiccato notes (and her tricks to achieve that), and how everything came out easier at her first rehearsal with the group. Her first concert will be in an ensemble formed by viola d’amore, Violoncello da Spalla and theorbo. We discuss the repertoire she is working on and her strings set up, plus other technique tricks she’s practicing.
We then indulged in a long conversation about Sergey Malov, the strings he uses (I had a video coming from him on my WhatsApp just the day before) and the fantastic experience of attending one of his concerts. Finally, back to troubleshooting again, we discussed wolf notes: exercises to get rid of them, tips to avoid them while playing and how to get rid of them forever. But remember: all good instruments have wolf notes!!
We’ll be exhibiting in London again! On February 8th, in Kings Place, London, we’ll be exhibiting at the British Violin Makers Association Makers Day. Book your flight now and take the opportunity to try a Violoncello da Spalla, the special treat of a holiday in one of the most interesting towns in the world, rich in history and fabulous museums.
Are you a luthier interested in making a Violoncello da Spalla?
In the archive of this newsletter I documented the whole process, sharing measures and templates. You can check the index and some posts at this link, and if you subscribe to a paid plan, you have instant access to all posts and a private chat where you can ask me any question.



This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit violoncellodaspalla.substack.com/subscribe

Last October in Brescia we attended a concert by Sergey Malov. We arrived early, but a cue was already formed at the entrance. We were lucky to have reserved sits for us, because many people had to renounce, it was already full. the concert was in a library from the baroque period, the Biblioteca Queriniana, a very special venue.
We were sitting in the first row, and I recorded the video above with my iPhone. The acoustic was beautiful but dry, and Sergey didn’t employ any effects, amp, or any other trick than his musicality and practicing. No editing. This video is really like those taken from a phone on the stand of the player.
Is it poor? Do you feel the sound of the Violoncello da Spalla is not making justice of those remarkable pieces of music? do you feel it out of place?
Updates from our workshop
The four of us are hard at work these days!
We’ll be exhibiting in London again! On February the 8th, in Kings Place London, we’ll be exhibiting at the British Violin Makers Association Makers Day. We’ll probably bring there 3 da spalla cellos by Daniela, plus a violin and a cello by Alessandro, the wonderful cello that you can hear in the video below.
We are grateful to Gianluca Montaruli, principal cello of the Haydn Orchestra in Bolzano, for trying Alessandro’s cello and making this video for us.
Are you a luthier interested in making a Violoncello da Spalla?
In the archive of this newsletter I documented the whole process, sharing measures and templates. You can check the index and some of the posts at this link, and if you subscribe to a payed plan you have instant access to all the posts and to a private chat where you can ask me any question.

We have a new domain! What else could it be if not:
have a look clicking on the button above!



This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit violoncellodaspalla.substack.com/subscribe

Violoncello da Spalla historical strings are big, tensed and overspun with a round wire. This means that when you tune, they tend to bring the bridge with them, even if you put graphite in the bridge's grooves. It is good practice to check that the bridge is straight daily, because if it’s not, the sound will be more resistant and poor. In this video chat with my customer Els, I show my technique to ensure that my bridge remains straight and is not under tension from one string pulling in one direction. It’s very easy, and it can be summarised as: lift/pinch and push.
If there is anything not clear, as a question in the comments. A straight bridge is fundamental for the quality of your playing and the health of your instrument.
Do you have a different way working well on the Violoncello da Spalla? Please tell us in the comments!
Are you a luthier interested in making a Violoncello da Spalla?
In the archive of this newsletter I documented the whole process, sharing measures and templates. You can check the index and some of the posts at this link, and if you subscribe to a payed plan you have instant access to all the posts and to a private chat where you can ask me any question.

Save the date, book the flight! What can be possibly better than the opportunity of trying a Violoncello da Spalla AND enjoying a weekend in one of the most interesting towns in the world? The opportunity of trying 3 spallas!
We’ll be exhibiting in London again! On February the 8th, in Kings Place London, we’ll be exhibiting at the British Violin Makers Association Makers Day. We’ll probably bring there 3 da spalla cellos by Daniela, plus a violin and a cello by Alessandro, the wonderful cello that you can hear in the video.
Book your flight now and add to the opportunity of trying a Violoncello da Spalla the special treat of a holiday in one of the most interesting towns in the world, rich of history and fabulous museums.
We wish you and your dearest ones a wonderful holiday season!
Daniela & Alessandro



This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit violoncellodaspalla.substack.com/subscribe

Clemens Kutschera is a young luthier who recently made a Violoncello da Spalla as his degree instrument. He got in touch with us last year about an apprenticeship, but unfortunately, it was a bad time for us. In Italy, there is a lot of paperwork and regulations to comply with when you accept someone into your workshop. Anyway, we kept in touch, and he was one of the first to subscribe to our “How it’s made” series, and the first to complete an instrument following that.
We had a video call to discuss the playing position because, as a cellist, he was having difficulty finding one that was comfortable and reliable. The video is long and may be a bit repetitive, but it is filled with tiny insights, so it was not really editable into something shorter. Thanks for watching!
A few questions to Clemens:
1. Where are you based, and where did you study/graduate in violin making?
Hi, my Name is Clemens Kutschera, I’m 23 years old, and I am attending the last of 4 grades at luthiery school in Hallstatt, Upper Austria. It’s practically the only possibility to do such an education in the country. After my graduation in June, I plan to do internships in violin making across Europe.
2. As a cellist, what attracted you to the Violoncello da Spalla?
I remember first learning about the Violoncello da Spalla when seeing a YouTube video of Sergey Malov playing the 6th Bach cello suite, and I was immediately in love. The da Spalla offers a very interesting alternative to the traditional cello, with an even larger register and portability more akin to a viola. To me, it’s an endlessly fascinating instrument, and I hope it’ll become more popular and widely played in the coming years.
3. A few words on your approach to its construction (your model, the process you chose)
I had a very hard time researching the dimensions, general build information, etc. The most significant help was Daniela and Alessandro’s “How it’s made” Series, a CT scan PDF with many views of a Hoffmann I got from a kind person at the Musical Instruments Museum in Brussels, and, first and foremost, the wise advice I got from my Teachers, Helge Murgg and Robert Grieshofer. I took the Hoffmann as a starting point, but everything about the instrument I built was designed and refined by me, with the Thomastik-Infeld strings in mind. I made it using the same philosophy as with the school model violin I built the year before. Utilizing an internal mold, carving the outside arching first, then the inside. Finishing the body first and setting the neck with a mortise joint. The fingerboard was carved from a solid block of ebony. I finished it with oil varnish, painted on with my fingers and karate-chopped with my palms. My bridge design was lifted from a baroque viol model I found on the internet, and my tailpiece has fine tuners on the E, A, and D strings. (G and C wouldn’t fit)
4. (If you like) what would you do differently next time? Is there something different that makes you curious to try?
I’m generally quite pleased with the way it turned out. Building another one is definitely worth pursuing, even though I want to make the 4/4 cello I have moulds for first. I feel like my next da Spalla could definitely be thinner, especially given the high, curvaceous archings.
News from da Spalla world
We’ll be exhibiting in London again! On February the 8th, in Kings Place London, we’ll be exhibiting at the British Violin Makers Association Makers Day. We’ll probably bring there 3 da spalla cellos by Daniela, plus a violin and a cello by Alessandro, the wonderful cello that you can hear in this video.
Updates from our workshop
Are you a luthier interested in making a Violoncello da Spalla?
In the archive of this newsletter I documented the whole process, sharing measures and templates. You can check the index and some of the posts at this link, and if you subscribe to a payed plan you have instant access to all the posts and to a private chat where you can ask me any question.



This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit violoncellodaspalla.substack.com/subscribe