The name contrabassĬomes from the instrument's Italian name, contrabbasso. The name also refers to the fact that the sounding pitch of theĭouble bass is an octave below the bass clef.
Heritage, in that it is tuned lower than the standard bass viola da It has also been suggested that the name derives from its viol family The instrument's standard English name, double bass, may be derivedįrom the fact that it is approximately twice as large as the cello, orīecause the double bass was originally used to double the cello part Still, the origin of the name Double Bass does not seem clear. Perhaps the cello is a tenor instrument in terms of the entire range of instruments, but until the double bass was invented, it was the bass voice relative to the rest of the violin family.ĭuring the Baroque and Classical eras, in quartets and orchestras the cello traditionally played "bass" parts, until Beethoven made a mission of "liberating the cello", by writing more lyrical music for the cello for virtuoso players he knew personally - music that exploited its higher registers. Plucking a string will sound sharp and short in comparison to using a bow.Double Bass does not imply a Single Bass instrument:īut I was under the impression that the cello was a "tenor" Strings played with the hairs on a bow with sound smooth but a player can be told to tap the strings with the wooden back of the bow to create a different sound. There are many different sounds a classical stringed instrument can make. Whilst one hand moves the bow the other plays the notes by placing the tips of the fingers at specific points along the neck.ĭepending on their size will determine where the instrument is placed a violin and viola will rest on the shoulder whereas double basses and cellos are played vertically as they are equipped with an extension peg that is in contact with the floor. The strings can be struck either by finger plucking or with a bow - a long piece of wood with horse hair stretched between the two ends. When the strings are struck they vibrate and amplified by the instrument’s hollow body. Playing a stringed instrument requires strings to be stretched out over the instrument that has a hollow body. Strings are made of a synthetic material but some traditionalists still prefer to use strings made from dried out animal guts. Traditionally the body of a string instrument is made of different woods and the bow hairs are from a horse. Once you have learnt one string instrument it is possible to transfer your skills on to another. Hand coordination: Coordination between the two hands is a must and possession of nimble fingers is favourable, but learning a string instrument will help you gain these qualities. Their qualities make them ideal when choosing a new instrument to play. Versatile in genres: There are string instruments that you can pluck, bow or both, the instruments on this page are capable of doing both and are versatile amongst the different genres of music. What to consider when choosing a string instrument Read all of the facts and watch the BBC Philharmonic play the instruments below.
Stringed instruments have featured in a classical orchestra for centuries, especially the violin, viola, cello and double bass.
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