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| Double bass (string instrument) | |
|---|---|
| Name | Double bass |
| Classification | String instrument |
| Related | Cello; Viola; Violin; Contrabassoon |
| Developed | 16th century |
Double bass (string instrument) The double bass is the largest and lowest-pitched bowed string instrument in orchestral and chamber settings, central to Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, New York Philharmonic, and Berlin Philharmonic. It appears in diverse traditions from Baroque music ensembles to Jazz combos and Bluegrass bands. Its design evolved alongside makers and performers associated with Antonio Stradivari, Giovanni Battista Guadagnini, and ensembles such as the London Symphony Orchestra.
The double bass emerged in the late 16th and 17th centuries amid developments in Venice and Padua instrument workshops alongside makers like Amati family and Andrea Amati, responding to demands from institutions such as St Mark's Basilica and patrons like Cardinal Scipione Borghese. In the 18th century, reformers including Ludwig van Beethoven and conductors of the Concertgebouw Orchestra influenced orchestral scoring that increased the bass's prominence. 19th-century virtuosi tied to conservatories such as the Paris Conservatoire and the Royal Academy of Music advanced solo literature, while 20th-century innovators in New Orleans jazz and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra expanded pizzicato and arco techniques. Contemporary composers associated with ensembles like London Sinfonietta and festivals such as the Biennale di Venezia further broadened repertoire.
Double bass construction traces to luthiers in Cremona and workshops in Milan and Nuremberg. Typical components include a carved spruce top and maple back and ribs, varnish traditions influenced by Stradivari and Guarneri, and a fingerboard often of ebony as used by makers connected to Nicholas Amati. Bridges, tailpieces, and endpins reflect innovations from firms like Steinway & Sons for bass-support designs. Strings have evolved from gut strings endorsed in Vienna salons to steel-core and synthetic-core strings popularized in New York and London orchestras. Bow design follows Franco-Belgian and German schools exemplified by artisans linked to François Tourte and workshops in Mirecourt.
Standard tuning for the double bass typically follows fourths (E1–A1–D2–G2) as codified in conservatory practices at institutions like Juilliard School and the Conservatoire de Paris. Some traditions—particularly those influenced by soloists trained in Vienna and parts of Italy—employ a C extension or a low C tuning informed by repertoire from composers such as Johannes Brahms and Gustav Mahler. The instrument's practical range extends from E1 (or C1 with an extension) up into tenor and alto registers used in works performed by orchestras including the Los Angeles Philharmonic and chamber groups like Kronos Quartet.
Techniques on the double bass reflect pedagogies from schools such as Simandl method proponents and modern approaches promoted by educators at Curtis Institute of Music and Royal College of Music. Arco techniques draw lineage to bowing practices in symphonies led by conductors like Herbert von Karajan and Leonard Bernstein, while pizzicato techniques are central to jazz artists rooted in Louis Armstrong and ensembles like the Duke Ellington Orchestra. Extended techniques—col legno, sul ponticello, harmonics—appear in works premiered by ensembles such as BBC Symphony Orchestra and festivals including the Tanglewood Music Center. Amplification and electric variants are used by players associated with Pat Metheny and groups like Weather Report.
The double bass serves foundational harmonic and rhythmic roles in orchestras such as the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, chamber ensembles including the Guarneri Quartet, and contemporary ensembles like the Ensemble InterContemporain. Solo repertoire includes concertos by Giovanni Bottesini, Serge Koussevitzky, and 20th-century works premiered at venues like Carnegie Hall and festivals including the Aldeburgh Festival. In jazz, bassists linked to Charles Mingus, Ray Brown, and Ron Carter helped define walking bass lines and solos featured in clubs across New York City and recordings on labels such as Blue Note Records. In folk and popular music, the instrument appears in settings associated with Bill Monroe, Johnny Cash, and touring acts performing at arenas tied to promoters like Live Nation.
Historical makers include workshops tied to Stradivari, Guarneri del Gesù, and the Amati family; 19th- and 20th-century makers such as Gaetano Vinaccia and luthiers in Mirecourt also contributed. Prominent players encompass soloists and educators like Giovanni Bottesini, Luciano Berio collaborators, conservatory faculty at Juilliard School and Curtis Institute of Music including Gary Karr and Edicson Ruiz; orchestral principals linked to New York Philharmonic, Berlin Philharmonic, and Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra. Influential jazz and session players include Charles Mingus, Paul Chambers, and Jimmy Blanton, while contemporary crossover artists appear on recordings produced by labels like ECM Records.
Related instruments include the orchestral contrabassoon used in Gustav Mahler symphonies, the electric upright bass popularized in Miles Davis ensembles, and historical violone types found in Baroque music revivals at institutions such as Schola Cantorum Basiliensis. Regional variants appear in folk traditions of Argentina (tango ensembles associated with Astor Piazzolla), Brazil choro groups, and Appalachian bands tied to Béla Fleck. Hybrid instruments and modern experiments are found in collaborations with instrument makers linked to IRCAM and contemporary ensembles such as Bang on a Can.