Halloween is only 9 days away. Here are some cello tricks and treats for you.

1. Halloween Tricks to Make Spooky Sound Effects on Your Cello

Liz, a professional multi-genre cellist in Austin, Texas, from Cellomoji created this wonderful video explaining how to create many spooky cello sound effects.

These tricks are particularly good for young cellists and teachers looking for something different for Halloween-themed cello skills.

Love the cello but don’t play? This video is still entertaining.

2. Cello Costumes

Here’s another trick to accessorize your cello: dress it up with a costume. A carefully chosen cello hat or accessory can add some holiday spirit to cello lessons, orchestra classes, YouTube videos, and pops concerts.

Cello Wearing a Small Dog Cowboy Costume

In choosing your costume, be sure to use common sense to select items that won’t harm your cello. Always check to make sure that the costume has no rough parts that will scratch or rub on the instrument. You also need to be sure that the costume won’t get in the way of playing or tuning.

We have found that cat or small dog costumes, particularly those that focus on a hat or head covering, are most effective. You’ll often have to be creative in how you attach the costume, as animal ears and cello scrolls are anatomically different.

Another option is to look at ones made for small animals and then make your own, custom cello costume.

Be sure to share your cello costume photos with us.

3. Treats! Listen to Halloween-Themed Music

Get yourself into the Halloween spirit by listening to these cello covers, arrangements, and compositions.

Here are a couple of the usual suspects:

Night on Bald Mountain, Performed by Cellospeak

“This is Halloween” from The Nightmare Before Christmas, Performed by Cello Fury

And now for a phantom, ghosts, a “zombie,” and a witch:

The Phantom of the Opera, Performed by the Prague Cello Quartet

The Theme from Ghostbusters, Performed by GnuS Cello

A cello and its case make brief appearances in this movie, too.

A Cover of “Zombie” by the Cranberries, Performed by the Brooklyn Duo

“Burn the Witch” by Radiohead, Performed by the London Cello Quartet with Ruth Corey

Get in the Halloween spirit with some spooky cello background music.

“Frightful Fantasy” – Scary Cello Background Music Created and Performed by Montana Cellist

4. Treats for Cellists! Halloween Music to Play on Your Cello

Looking for some Halloween music for yourself or for your students? Virtual Sheet Music has several options for cello, and for many other instruments as well.

Our favorites are their Halloween Collection for two cellos, rated for intermediate to advanced players, and their Halloween Collection for cello and piano, which comes in an easy or intermediate version.

Each one has about 100 pages, including both parts and title and end pages.  You can hear and see samples on their website, so it’s easy to determine which choice is right for you. Click the following link to have a look.

Your Turn

Be sure to share your cello costume photos with us. Send them to curator(at)cellomuseum.org. We will pick a few to share on our site.

What is your favorite Halloween-related cello music? Let us know in the comments.