String Bass

A Brief History of the String Bass

The String Bass, Double Bass,  or Contra Bass is the largest, and lowest pitched stringed instrument in the orchestra. As well as being indespensable in the symphony orchestra--the average orchesta has eight--the double bass is also an essential member of jazz and dance bands, where its pizzicato-playing provides the rythmic bass line. Today the bass generally has four strings tuned in fourths, but this has not always been the case. During the 17th century five-string basses were used in Austria and Germany, and in the early 18th century three-string basses were normal.

Like the viola, the size of the early bass size made them unwieldy to play. This problem was overcome with advances in wound string technology. Today's most common string bass is the 3/4 size (but it's still pretty big) !