Free to follow every thread. No paywall, no dead ends.
Double bass: the story on HearLore | HearLore
Double bass
A 1640 painting by Peter Lely shows a violone being played, capturing an instrument that sits at the crossroads of two distinct families. The double bass is generally regarded as a modern descendant of the violone, which originated in Europe during the 15th century. Yet scholars remain divided on whether this large string instrument evolved from the viol family or the violin family. Paul Brun asserts that while the exterior may resemble the viola da gamba, the internal construction is nearly identical to instruments in the violin family. Professor Larry Hurst argues differently, stating that the modern double bass is not a true member of either family. He suggests its first general shape was likely that of a violone, with some earliest extant instruments featuring C-shaped sound holes fitted with modern trappings. 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. This uncertainty persists because the instrument embodies features found in both older groups.
Construction And Design Variations
A typical double bass stands around six feet tall from scroll to endpin, though the more common size bass stands on average five and a half feet. Most professional orchestra bassists use fully carved instruments made from maple for the back, spruce for the top, and ebony for the fingerboard. Less expensive student models often feature laminated plywood tops and backs, or hybrid bodies with laminated backs and carved solid wood tops. The back of the instrument can vary from being a round, carved surface similar to that of the violin, to a flat and angled back like members of the viol family. Machine tuners are always fitted on double basses, contrasting with the wooden friction pegs still used on violins and cellos. A metal rod with a spiked or rubberized end called the endpin rests on the floor at the base of the instrument. Some 2010-era lower- to mid-priced basses are constructed of willow, while student models made of fiberglass were produced in the mid-20th century. Travel instruments exist in two forms: one has a much smaller body retaining all acoustic features, while another has a hinged or removable neck to reduce size for transport.
The double bass originated in Europe during the 15th century as a modern descendant of the violone. Scholars remain divided on whether this large string instrument evolved from the viol family or the violin family.
How tall is a typical double bass?
A typical double bass stands around six feet tall from scroll to endpin, though the more common size bass stands on average five and a half feet. Most professional orchestra bassists use fully carved instruments made from maple for the back, spruce for the top, and ebony for the fingerboard.
When were child-sized double basses first widely available?
Until the 1990s, child-sized double basses were not widely available, preventing children from playing until they grew tall enough to handle a three-quarter-size model. Starting in the 1990s, smaller one-half, one-quarter, and even one-eighth sized instruments became more widely available.
Why did steel strings replace gut strings for the double bass?
Steel has largely replaced catgut because steel strings hold their pitch better and yield more volume when played with the bow. Professor Larry Hurst argues that without overwound gut strings invented in the 1650s, the instrument would surely have become extinct due to unplayable thicknesses needed for regular gut strings.
Who wrote the earliest known concerto for the double bass?
The earliest known concerto for double bass was written by Joseph Haydn in 1763, though it is presumed lost in a fire at the Eisenstadt library. The earliest known existing concertos are by Carl Ditters von Dittersdorf, who composed two concertos for the double bass and a Sinfonia Concertante for viola and double bass.
Bassists either stand or sit on a high stool to play the instrument, leaning it against their body turned slightly inward. When playing in the upper range above G3, players shift their hand from behind the neck and flatten it out using the side of the thumb to press down the string. This technique is known as thumb position. Classical pedagogy focuses almost entirely on performing with the bow and producing a good bowed tone, leaving little work done on developing significant pizzicato skills. In jazz, blues, and rockabilly, however, pizzicato is the norm except for some solos and occasional written parts that call for bowing. Rockabilly style can be very demanding on the plucking hand due to the use of slapping on the fingerboard. The space between notes on the fingerboard is large because of scale length and string spacing, requiring players to hold fingers apart for lower positions. Until the 1990s, child-sized double basses were not widely available, preventing children from playing until they grew tall enough to handle a three-quarter-size model. Starting in the 1990s, smaller one-half, one-quarter, and even one-eighth sized instruments became more widely available.
Evolution Of String Technology
The history of the double bass is tightly coupled to the development of string technology, specifically the advent of overwound gut strings in the 1650s. Professor Larry Hurst argues that without these strings, the instrument would surely have become extinct because thicknesses needed for regular gut strings made lower-pitched strings almost unplayable. Prior to the 20th century, double bass strings were usually made of catgut, but steel has largely replaced it because steel strings hold their pitch better and yield more volume when played with the bow. Gut strings are nowadays mostly used by bassists who perform in baroque ensembles, rockabilly bands, traditional blues bands, and bluegrass bands. The late Jeff Sarli, a blues upright bassist, said that starting in the 1950s, they began to reset the necks on basses for steel strings. A less expensive alternative to gut strings is nylon strings, where higher strings are pure nylon and lower strings are wrapped in wire. Steel strings can be set up closer to the fingerboard, allowing players to play in higher positions on the low E and A strings with clear tone. The classic 19th-century Franz Simandl method does not use the low E string in higher positions because older gut strings could not produce clear tone in these areas.
Classical Repertoire History
The earliest known concerto for double bass was written by Joseph Haydn in 1763, though it is presumed lost in a fire at the Eisenstadt library. The earliest known existing concertos are by Carl Ditters von Dittersdorf, who composed two concertos for the double bass and a Sinfonia Concertante for viola and double bass. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's concert aria Per questa bella mano contains impressive writing for solo double bass of that period. Domenico Dragonetti, a prominent musical figure and acquaintance of Ludwig van Beethoven, wrote ten concertos for the double bass and many solo works for bass and piano. In the 19th century, Giovanni Bottesini was considered the Paganini of the double bass, composing operatic-style concertos requiring virtuosic runs and great leaps. Serge Koussevitzky, conductor of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, popularized the double bass as a solo instrument in the early 20th century. Many new concerti were written during the mid-century and following decades, including Nikos Skalkottas's Concerto from 1942 and Gunther Schuller's Concerto from 1962.
Role In Jazz And Popular Genres
In jazz, blues, and rockabilly, pizzicato is the norm, with bassists required to play rapid walking basslines for extended periods. Bluegrass and jazz players typically use less amplification than blues, psychobilly, or jam band players. In rockabilly and psychobilly, percussively slapping the strings against the fingerboard is an important part of the playing style. Since piezoelectric pickups are not good at reproducing the sounds of strings being slapped, bassists in these genres often use both piezoelectric pickups and miniature condenser microphones. These two signals are blended together using a simple mixer before the signal is sent to the bass amp. The use of microphones and amplifiers in a classical setting has led to debate within the classical community regarding acoustic enhancement. Some bassists reduce feedback problems by lowering their onstage volume or playing further away from their bass amplifier speakers. Electronic feedback eliminator devices identify and reduce frequencies where feedback occurs to solve this issue. Electric upright basses have playing characteristics like the double bass but usually little or no soundbox, making feedback less likely.