A person who plays this instrument is called a "bassist", "double bassist", "double bass player", "contrabassist", "contrabass player" or "bass player". The names contrabass and double bass refer (respectively) to the … See more

Like other violin and viol-family string instruments, the double bass is played either with a bow (arco) or by plucking the strings (pizzicato). When employing a bow, the player can … See more

There are two major approaches to the design outline shape of the double bass: the violin form (shown in the labelled picture in the … See more

Because the acoustic bass is a non-fretted instrument, any string vibration due to plucking or bowing will cause an audible sound due to the strings vibrating against the fingerboard near to the fingered position. This buzzing sound gives the note its character. See more

A typical double bass stands around 180 cm (6 feet) from scroll to endpin. Whereas the traditional "full-size" (4⁄4 size) bass stands 74.8 inches (190 cm), the more common 3⁄4 size bass (which has become the most widely used size in the modern era, even among … See more

The double bass is generally regarded as a modern descendant of the violone (It. “large viol”), a member of the chordophone family that originated in Europe in the 15th century. Before the … See more

Owing to their relatively small diameters, the strings themselves do not move much air and therefore cannot produce much sound on their own. The vibrational energy of the strings must somehow be transferred to the surrounding air. To do this, the strings … See more