DOUBLE BASS, the largest member of the violin family and the lowest in pitch. (Fr. contrebasse; Ger. Kontrabass, Gross Bass Geige; Ital. contrabasso, violone.) The double bass differs slightly in construction from the other members of the family in that it has more slanting shoulders (one of the features of the viola da gamba, see VIOLIN). Formerly, too, the double bass was made with a flat back—another characteristic of the viol family whereas now the back is as of ten found arched as flat.
The technique of the double bass presents certain difficulties inherent in an instrument of such large proportions. The stretches for the fingers are very great, almost double those required for the violoncello, and owing to the thickness of the strings great force is required to press them against the finger-board when they are vibrating.
The double bass sometimes has three strings tuned, in England and Italy in fourths : ; in France and Germany in fifths : the real sounds being an octave lower. Owing to the scoring of modern composers, however, it was found necessary to adopt an accordance of f our strings in order to tain the additional lower notes required, although this entailed the sacrifice of some beauty of tone, the three-stringed instrument being more sonorous. The four strings are tuned in fourths: The practical compass of the double bass (real sounds) with all chromatic intervals. In order to avoid ing numerous ledger lines the music is written an octave higher.
The quality of tone is very powerful but somewhat rough, and varies greatly in its grada tions. The tone of the pizzicato is full and rich owing to the slow ness of the vibrations. Both nat ural and artificial harmonics are possible on the double bass, the former being best ; but they are seldom used in orchestral works.
The technical capabilities of the double bass are necessarily somewhat more limited than those of the violoncello, but it is the foundation of the whole or chestra and therefore of great im portance; it plays the lowest part, often, as its name indicates, only doubling the 'cello part an octave lower. It is only since the begin ning of the 19th century that an independent voice has occasion ally been allotted to it, as in the Scherzo of Beethoven's Fifth Symphony:— These opening bars are played soli by 'cellos and double basses, a daring innovation of Beethoven's which caused quite a consterna tion at first in musical circles. Still more striking is the famous passage, suggesting the gambols of an elephant, which the double basses are called on to play at the opening of the trio of the same movement.
The remote origin of the double bass is the same as that of the violin. It was evolved from the bass viols, though whether the transformation took place simultaneously with that of the violin from the treble viol, or preceded it, has not been definitely proved.
Giovanni Bottesini (1822-89) was the greatest virtuoso on the double bass that the world has ever known. Before him, Domenico Dragonetti also enjoyed great fame, while more re cently Kussevitsky, who later exchanged the bow for the baton and became a world-renowned conductor, was for some years a leading exponent of the instrument.