Parts of a Cello – 17 Parts Labeled, Scroll to Endpin

All 17 parts on the diagram

Show the list

Start here: 8 main parts 8

Scroll The carved spiral at the top of the pegbox.
Tuning pegs Four tapered pegs that tighten or loosen the strings.
Strings Four strings, stretched from the pegs over the bridge to the tailpiece.
Fingerboard The smooth board the player presses the strings onto. A cello has no frets.
Bridge A carved maple piece that holds the strings up. It passes their vibration to the top.
F-holes Two f-shaped openings cut into the top.
Endpin A metal rod out of the bottom that rests on the floor.
Neck The carved piece under the fingerboard, joining the pegbox to the body.

From the front 6

Pegbox The open box that holds the tuning pegs.
Top (belly) The front plate of the body, usually spruce.
C-bouts (waist) The curved-in waist that leaves room for the bow.
Purfling A thin decorative inlay just inside the edge of top and back.
Tailpiece Holds the strings' lower ends, below the bridge.
Fine tuners Small screws on the tailpiece for tuning in tiny steps.

From the side, and inside 3

Ribs (sides) The sides of the body, wood bent into shape with heat.
Bass bar A strip glued under the top that shapes the bass notes.
Sound post A wooden rod wedged between the top and back near the bridge.

How this list was compiled: Read 2026-09-26. (1) Wikipedia, Cello, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cello : neck, fingerboard, pegbox and scroll; four tapered tuning pegs; the body with top bouts, two C-bouts and bottom bouts; the bridge and f-holes; tailpiece and fine tuners; purfling on the top and back; ribs bent round forms; the endpin; inside, the bass bar glued under the top and the sound post wedged between top and back. (2) The Instrument Place, Parts of the cello, https://www.theinstrumentplace.com/parts-of-the-cello : bass bar, bouts and waist, bridge (carved maple), end pin rod and thumb screw, f-holes, fine tuners, fingerboard, neck, nut, pegbox and tuning pegs, purfling, ribs, saddle, scroll, sound post, strings, tail gut, tailpiece, top and back. Licence: own work

The drawing: Drawn for this site by script, 2026-09-26. Own work, nothing traced. Licence: own work

How it works

The parts of a cello on two drawings: from the front, and from the side with a window cut in the ribs to see inside. Start with the 8 main parts, then the rest of the front, then the side and inside.

Read the full guide

From the top down

The scroll crowns the pegbox, where four tuning pegs hold the strings. They run down the fingerboard and over the bridge, which stands between the f-holes, to the tailpiece with its fine tuners. The endpin rests on the floor.

The body

The top is edged with purfling, and the ribs form the sides. The C-bouts pinch in the waist to leave room for the bow. Inside, the bass bar runs under the top and the sound post stands between the top and the back.

The bridge is not glued: the strings' tension alone holds it in place on the top.

Questions and answers

What is the top of a cello called?

The carved curl at the very top is the scroll. Below it, the pegbox holds the four tuning pegs.

What is the spike on the bottom of a cello?

The endpin, a metal rod that rests on the floor and holds the cello's weight. It slides in and out to suit the player.

What is inside a cello?

Two parts you cannot see from outside: the bass bar, a strip glued under the top, and the sound post, a wooden rod wedged between the top and the back.