Bass

Bass Pictures

History of Instrument

The entire violin family, including the bass, sprang from the viol clan which were invented in the 15^th century. The cello needed lower support, so a bigger instrument was invented to play an octave below it (that’s how it got the name "double" bass). Even though this instrument is called the "double bass", there is no such thing as a single bass. Haydn attempted the first bass concerto (now lost) in about 1761. Beethoven used the bass in his Fifth Symphony, pairing it with cellos.

The bigger the stringed instrument the lower the sound. That’s the case with bass. It is commonly called the double bass, but is also known as the string bass, bass viol, or contrabass. Large orchestras have 8 to 10 basses, and some chamber groups will also include a bass. The bass makes an important rhythm instrument, too. Most basses have 4 strings, so compared to the piano’s number of keys, this is a pretty small number. Fortunately for the player of this instrument it has more notes than strings. This instrument is too large to be thrown under your chin, since it measures approximately 6 feet tall! It is usually played sitting down on a high stool, or standing up.

The strings on a bass are very thick, and it is often plucked as well as bowed. Orchestral basses may have a device attached over the scrollwork called a "low-C extension", which lets the bass play notes two tones lower than its normal range. Its deep tones make it the foundation of the orchestra, but it is not suitable for long solos.

You can  tell a cello from a bass if you look carefully. The bass is considerably larger than the cello, and its "shoulders" slope down more than the other stringed instruments.

Range of the Bass:

Begins at the E just below 2 octaves below middle C, and goes up two octaves and a third to the G just below middle C.

Music for the bass