Double bass

From Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The double bass is either plucked or played using a bow, this depends on the type of music
The double bass is either plucked or played using a bow, this depends on the type of music

The double bass is a large stringed instrument used in orchestras, jazz bands, rockabilly bands, bluegrass music, and some country music bands. The double bass plays low-pitched musical notes in musical ensembles and bands. In jazz bands, these low-pitched musical notes are called the "bass line."

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[edit] How it is built

The double bass is usually built from wood. Double basses have a hollow wooden body which helps to amplify the sounds of the instrument ("amplify" means "to make louder"). A wooden neck is attached to the body, and a flat wooded fingerboard is glued onto the neck. It usually has four metal strings which are strung with tension on the neck.

[edit] How it is played

In orchestra, double bass players bow the strings with a wooden bow strung with horsehair, or pluck the strings with their fingers (plucking the strings is called pizzicato). In jazz ensembles, the double bass is played pizzicato most of the time. However, some jazz players use the bow to play melodies on the double bass.

To play different notes on the double bass, double bass players hold down the metal strings against the fingerboard with their left hand and then bow the string or pluck it with their right hand. To play different notes, double bass players move the left hand to different positions on the fingerboard.

Double bass players in jazz bands or rockabilly bands often connect their double bass to an electronic amplifier and a loudspeaker, to make a louder, stronger sound. This makes it easier for the double bass player, the other musicians, and the audience to hear the double bass' musical notes.

[edit] History

The double bass is usually considered a member of the violin family, because it is constructed using many of the same techniques as violins. The double bass also has influences from the viol family. Viols are old string instruments from the 1400s and 1500s with sloping "shoulders" on the instrument's body and flat backs. Like the viols, the double bass also has sloping "shoulders" on its body and a flat.

[edit] Other names

The double bass also has many other names. Some bluegrass musicans call it a "bass fiddle" or a "bull fiddle." Rockabilly bands often call it an "upright bass." Some orchestra musicians call it a "contrabass." In a military concert band, it is often called the "string bass." Sometimes the double bass is simply called a "bass."

[edit] See also