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The Double bass Classroom Resource
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Double bass
What does a double bass
look like?
The double bass looks quite similar to the violin, only much bigger! A full sized
double bass has a body about 140 centimetres long, and has four or sometimes five
strings. It is made of wood and so is usually brown in colour. The main difference
between the violin and the double bass, other than size, is that the shoulders of the
double bass (the top of the double
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basses wooded body) are much
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more sloped and the back can be
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more curved. This allows the bassist
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easier access when reaching around
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to play the instrument. Bassists
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play either standing up or sitting on
a tall stool.
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A bit of double bass history
The double bass is not only an orchestral instrument; it has had a fascinating history
as a key instrument in the development of jazz. From the earliest days of jazz in
the 1890s, musicians who played tuba in outdoor jazz bands moved to double bass
(often called string bass) when the band moved indoors. Because an unamplified
double bass is generally the quietest instrument in a jazz band, many players use
the slap style, slapping and pulling the strings so that they make a rhythmic “slap”
sound against the fingerboard. The slap style cuts through the sound of a band
better than simply plucking the strings, and allows the bass to be more easily heard
on recordings. The double bass was also important in the development of bluegrass
and rock and roll.
Duke Ellington
Hurricane Ballroom
rhythm section
NZSO Music for Schools - Rachel Hyde ©2011
Fact
The double bass has many
alternate names such as
contrabass, string bass,
upright bass and even
bull fiddle. In Hungary the
double bass is nicknamed
nagy b_g_, which means
‘big crier’ in reference to the
instruments large sound.
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When you look at the double basses
in an orchestra you will notice that
some have what looks like a rod
sticking up from the top of the
neck, by the scroll. This is what is
called an extension. It adds extra
length to the bottom string of the
instrument, allowing it play even
lower and more grumbling notes
than usual !
FUN
Repertoire that
features the double bass
The earliest known concerto for double bass
was composed by Haydn in around 1763. The
double bass was very popular during the 18th
century and many composers wrote double
bass concertos, including 18 concerto by
the composer Johannes Matthias Sperger.
Undoubtedly the most famous double bass
piece from this era is Mozart’s concert aria
Per questa bella mano, which features an
impressive solo double bass part. There are a
number of well-known pieces of chamber music
that include the double bass, such as Schubert’s
Trout Quintet, Dvorak’s String Quintet in G
major, and Mozart’s Eine Kleine Nachtmusik.
However it wasn’t until the 20th century that
the double bass really became known as a solo
instrument, with composers including Philip
Glass, Elliot Carter, Sofia Gubaidulina and Paul
Hindemith all contributing important works.
nzso.co.nz/education
The Double bass Classroom Resource
The
The double bass in the orchestra
The main role of the double bass in the orchestra is to sustain the lowest music,
the bass part, either on its own or playing with the cellos, bassoons and tuba. As
with so many instruments it was Beethoven who began to make more interesting
use of the double bass. Before Beethoven the double bass had been invaluable
in providing a solid bass line, but was rarely given music of any individuality. In
his Symphony No 5 Beethoven makes the double bass sound quite humorous in
the scherzo movement, and in the Symphony No 9 the section sounds notably
eloquent. When used imaginatively the double bass section can sound mysterious
and even menacing. Composers such as Tchaikovsky, Dvorak and Sibelius made
particularly original use of the double bass section.
140 Centimetres
Double bass
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Double bass strings
How long is a double bass string? If the body of a double
bass is 140 centimetres long, the strings must be at least this
long! Get a ball of string or wool and measure out a piece 140
centimetres long. Get two friends to pull it tight and see if it
makes a sound when you pluck it.
Do you know what instrument strings are made out of?
Use the internet to research all the different materials that
are used to make double bass strings.
NZSO Music for Schools - Rachel Hyde ©2011
nzso.co.nz/education