Talk:Double bass/rewrite July 2004

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This is a holding Page for the re write of the Double Bass entry

Read at you own risk this page will also be a place holder for information facts article headdings etc untill we are ready to finaly go live! Please see Talk Double Bass for information and background as to why this page was created.

Introduction[edit]

The double bass is a stringed musical instrument, usually considered the fourth - and lowest-tuned - member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the violin, viola, and cello. It resembles the other members of the family, but is much larger and has slight differences in shape and tuning, which arguably originate from its controversial viol origin. It is used extensively in European classical music as a standard member of the string section of symphony orchestras and smaller string ensembles. For a long time it was only rarely used as a solo instrument and its paper in the orchestra was limited to the reforcing of the cello part. It is now also widely encountered in other genres such as Jazz, Blues, Rock and Roll, Folk and Bluegrass, both in the rhythm section or as a solo instrument. It is then usually played pizzicato rather than with the bow

Its name derives from the definition of an octave in musical theory as a doubling in the frequency of the vibration of the strings. As it is pitched an octave lower than the cello, which played the bass parts in orchestras and string ensembles, it was named double bass. Other names include string bass, acoustic bass, bass violin, doghouse bass, doghouse, bull fiddle, contrabass, and upright bass. A person who plays this instrument is called a bassist, doublebassist or contrabassist.

History[edit]

The double bass has evolved from the viol and or the Violone (although what exactly constitutes a Violone is a matter of accidemic debate) and of course the violin. Early double basses had anything from 6 to 3 strings. In the 18 hundreds the 3 string bass was popular (as played by Domenico Dragonetti and Giovanni Bottesini) the 4 String only coming into real promeniance in the late 18 hundres / early 20 Th century and the existance of the 5 String bass especially in symphony orchestras is now very common.

(these next few paragraphs have been taken from the spanish and french pages, with no reference, so I haven't really checked them ... can anybody verify the information and give references please ?tradora 18:03, 19 January 2006 (UTC))[reply]

The double bass appeared in 1620, deriving from the violone and bass viol (??), but it was introduced in the orchestra only in the middle of the XVII century. Originally it doubled the cello parts an octave lower, and obtained independant parts during the romantic period (XVIII).

It aquires a proper identity in the violin family in the XVIII century. This date is quite late in comparison with the other instruments, and may due to the lack of homogeneization in the conception, the number of strings, the size, the tuning, which still exists today.

Its origin goes back to the XVI and came from the viola da gamba and the violone. Its size was bigger than today and left it out of the string quarted (then composed of two violins, one viola and a cello). During the XVI century, Stiggio and Corteggia composed an interlude with a part for the “sotto basso di viola”, but it is not known whether it refered to a solo for the bass viola da braccio or bass viola da gamba. In the beginning of the XVII century, Michael Praetorius described a five string instrument named violone, also known as bass viola da gamba or bass violin, which seems to be the ancestor of the double bass. The tuning of this big prototype, which size reached over two meters, was similar to that of today's double bass. It sounded an octave lower than what was written on the score, a particularity that maintains true today.

Debate over violin/viol origin[edit]

The double bass is often erroneously considered to be a member of the violin family of string instruments, even sometimes being referred to as "bass violin." In reality, however, it is generally regarded as the only modern descendant of the viola da gamba family of instruments, a family which originated in Europe in the 15th century, and is more properly described as a "bass viol."

The double bass is closest in construction to the violone (literally "large viol"), the largest and lowest member of the viola da gamba family. Unlike the violone, however, the fingerboard of the double bass is unfretted, and the double bass has fewer strings (the violone, like most viols, generally had six strings, although some specimens had five or four). Before the 20th century many double basses had only three strings, in contrast to the five to six strings typical of instruments in the viola da gamba family or the four strings of instruments in the violin family.

The double bass' proportions are dissimilar to those of the violin; for example, it is deeper (the distance from top to back is proportionally much greater than the violin). In addition, while the violin has bulging shoulders, most double basses have shoulders carved with a more acute slope, like members of the viola da gamba family. Many very old double basses have had their shoulders cut or sloped to aid playing with modern techniques; before these modifications the design of their shoulders was closer to instruments of the violin family.

The issue of the instrument's exact lineage is still a matter of some debate, and the supposition that the double bass is a direct decendent of the viola da gamba family is an issue that has not been entirely resolved.

In his A New History of the Double Bass, Paul Brun asserts, with many references, that the double bass has origins as the true bass of the violin family. He states that, while the exterior of the double bass may resemble the viola da gamba, the internal construction of the double bass is nearly identical to that of other instruments in the violin family, and is very different from the internal structure of viols.

Tuning[edit]

Historicaly the tuning of the bass has varied greatly depending on the number of strings and what was in vouge.

The double bass is also the only modern bowed string instrument that is tuned in fourths (like viola da gambas), rather than fifths (see Tuning, below).

Modern instruments are usually tuned E-A-D-G, with the upper G being an octave and a fourth below middle C (approx 98Hz), and the E almost 3 octaves below middle C (the bottom E on a modern piano, approx 41Hz). Five String instruments are tuned B-E-A-D-G. For much of the solo repetiore the tuning of the 4 string bass is a whole tone above the standard orchestral tuning this being F#-B-E-A.

The double bass is also the only modern bowed string instrument that is tuned in fourths (like viola da gambas), rather than fifths (see Tuning, below).

The Vienna school[edit]

would it be a good idea to make a separate section for this as it seems quite important tradora

Alfred Planyavsky and the Vienna Double Bass Archive Franz Simandl

Construction[edit]

The double bass is closest in construction to the violone (literally "large viol"), the largest and lowest member of the viola da gamba family. Unlike the violone, however, the fingerboard of the double bass is unfretted, and the double bass has fewer strings (the violone, like most viols, generally had six strings, although some specimens had five or four). Before the 20th century many double basses had only three strings, in contrast to the five to six strings typical of instruments in the viola da gamba family or the four strings of instruments in the violin family.


The double bass compared to the rest of the violin family is not an instrument that has gained a physical standardisation (even today). In general there are three major approaches to the design of the outline shape of the double bass, these being (in order of occourance) Viol, Violin and bussetto (and very rarely the guitar) other hybrids are not unknowin. The back of the instrument can vary from being a carved rounded back similar to the violin or a flat and angled back (with variations inbetween).

Not to be forgotten is the influence of the viol on the double base. These charachistics include tuning in fourths to avoid a too long finger stretch (whereas the violin, viola and cello are tuned in fifths.) The sloped shoulders of the instrument, the often angled back (both to allow easier access to the instrument, particularly in the upper range) and the near-universal use of machine heads for tuning.

At this point we should also mention the 4th String extensions that a number of players use to extend the ranges of the 4 string bass to low C. (sometimes low b) *** Pics of 4 String extension.****


Since the range of the double bass lies largely below the standard bass clef, it is notated an octave higher (hence sounding an octave lower than written). This transposition applies even when reading the tenor clef and treble clef, which are used for the instrument's upper range.

The main parts of the double bass are (from top to bottom):

  • the head (scroll, pegbox)
  • the neck and the fingerboard
  • the belly (front, back, ribs)
  • the endpin

The back, the neck and the ribs are usually made of maple, the top of spruce and the fingerboard of ebony. All these parts are glued together. In the front two F-holes are carved. Inside the body, a soundpost connects the front and back sounding boards.

The strings are attached to the body through ( from top to bottom):

The tuning pegs are attached to the sides of the pegbox with wood screws and the rest of these devices is only kept in place by string tension. On some models, a special system, known as C-extension, is attached on the lowest string to allow a tuning in C. The viol family of instuments also featured frets, but the double bass never had them. A wooden or metallic mute can be attached to the bridge, to make the sound softer.


The Bow[edit]

-Old Dragonetti type bow, Baroque bows -Where to find photos?

Technique[edit]

Simandl, Thumb Positon, Rabbath

The double bass repertoire[edit]

-Expansion of the double Bass's role in various Musical environments -Mention also Electric Upright bass

European classical music[edit]

- May not need that much work

Jazz[edit]

- I know a little but the very early stuff may take me a while to track down (pre 1920)

Bluegrass[edit]

Famous Bassists[edit]

-Maybe some simple info about each player

External links[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to double basses.

Resources[edit]

Associations[edit]

Publications[edit]

Shops[edit]

References[edit]

  • Brun, Paul (1989). A history of the double bass. translated by Lynn Morrel and Paul Brun. LCCN 90127236.
  • Brun, Paul (2000). A new history of the double bass. Paul Brun Productions. ISBN 2-9514461-0-1.
  • Elgar, Raymond (1960). Introduction to the double bass. LCCN 61026829.
  • Elgar, Raymond (1963). More about the double bass. LCCN 64004638.
  • Elgar, Raymond (1967). Looking at the double bass. LCCN 71370759.
  • Planyavsky, Alfred (1998). The baroque double bass violone. translated by James Barket. ISBN 0810834480.
  • Slatford, Rodney (1980). "History of the Double Bass". In Stanley Sadie (ed.). The New Grove dictionary of music and musicians. Macmillan Publishers, London. ISBN 0333231112.
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