Transposing between the viola da gamba and cello | Tafelmusik

In this video, hear from Keiran Campbell on how he transposed scores for viola da gamba to cello. When you perform historically informed music, you’ll occasionally encounter challenges: like transposing instrument lines that aren’t intended for your instrument. In this video, originally recorded as a pre-chat for our Essential Bach concert, Tafelmusik cellist Keiran Campbell shares how he transposed a part for viola da gamba to fit a baroque cello. Campbell didn’t have a 5 string piccolo cello on hand, so he transposed to a cello tuned to DADG—an alternate tuning one octave below the violin—to achieve the same effect. Learn more about how he made this part fit in this video. This video originally aired on June 29, 2021 as part of our 2020/21 Digital Season concert, Essential Bach. The cello, also known as the violincello, is an instrument with four strings, and is typically tuned to CGDA, and has been actively played from the time of baroque music through to classical music, and through to the present day.