Double Bass
The
double bass (sometimes called the
contra-bass or acoustic bass) is the lowest pitched
member of the orchestral strings family. The strings family consists of the
violin, the viola, the cello, and this, the double bass. It is about 6 ft in
height, and it has four strings. The lowest string is tuned to the third E
below middle C, (E1 using MIDI note-naming) and the next three strings
ascend in fourths. So the second string is the 3rd A below middle C, the
third string is the second D below middle C, and the top string is the second G
below middle C (MIDI G2). To make the score easier to read, lots of ledger
lines are avoided by printing the double bass part one octave higher than the
true pitch.
In the orchestra, this instrument is played with the bow, or plucked for a
pizzicato sound. It is sometimes called the contrabass. In jazz and popular
groups, it is always plucked, and it is often called the "Acoustic
Bass", to distinguish it from the electric bass guitar. The instrument
rests on the ground, and the player either stands up, or sits on a special
high stool.
In the General MIDI system, the plucked double bass is called
the "Acoustic Bass", and is midi instrument number 32, whereas the
bowed instrument is called the "Contrabass" and is MIDI instrument
number 43.
Strictly speaking, it is not a true member of the violin
family, but a descendant of the ancient viol family. This is made apparent by
the sloping neck, whereas the violin, viola and cello all have rounded necks.
Since
the pitch is so deep, very little music has ever been written for the double
bass as a solo instrument. It normally plays the lowest notes in any orchestration,
often sounding the root notes of chords, laying the foundation for the harmony.
The
most famous exception is the solo passage for the double bass called "The
Elephant", from Saint-Saens's Carnival of the Animals.