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147-416: Originally, the orchestra consisted of eight musicians: Orestes Aragon ( double bass ), Filiberto Depestre (first violin ), Hilario René González (second violin) Rufino Roque (piano), Efraín Loyola ( flute ), Orestes Varona ( timbales ), Noelio Morejon ( güiro ) & Pablo Romay (vocals). With the illness of Aragón in 1949, Rafael Lay Apesteguía became leader, and the band entered its second phase. In 1950,

294-411: A "full size" bass; a 1 ⁄ 2 bass is not half the length of a 4 ⁄ 4 bass, but is only about 15% smaller. Double basses are typically constructed from several types of wood, including maple for the back, spruce for the top, and ebony for the fingerboard. It is uncertain whether the instrument is a descendant of the viola da gamba or of the violin, but it is traditionally aligned with

441-481: A "slide" (often made of mother of pearl ), which pinches the hair and holds it flat and stationary across the frog, viol bows have an open frog that allows more movement of the hair. This facilitates a traditional playing technique where the performer uses one or two fingers of the bow hand to press the hair away from the bow stick. This dynamically increases bow hair tension to control articulation and inflection. Viols come in seven sizes: " pardessus de viole " (which

588-432: A bass bow is shorter and heavier than a cello bow. Pernambuco , also known as Brazilwood, is regarded as an excellent quality stick material, but due to its scarcity and expense, other materials are increasingly being used. Inexpensive student bows may be constructed of solid fiberglass , which makes the bow much lighter than a wooden bow (even too light to produce a good tone, in some cases). Student bows may also be made of

735-468: A blues upright bassist, said that "Starting in the 1950s, they began to reset the necks on basses for steel strings." Rockabilly and bluegrass bassists also prefer gut because it is much easier to perform the " slapping " upright bass style (in which the strings are percussively slapped and clicked against the fingerboard) with gut strings than with steel strings, because gut does not hurt the plucking fingers as much. A less expensive alternative to gut strings

882-428: A bow in the second half of the 15th century. Within two or three decades, this led to the evolution of an entirely new and dedicated bowed string instrument that retained many of the features of the vihuela: e.g., a flat back, sharp waist-cuts, frets, thin ribs initially, and identical tuning—hence its original name, vihuela de arco ; arco is Spanish for "bow". An influence on the playing posture has been credited to

1029-449: A bow is having the bow "rehaired" by a luthier with fresh horsehair and having the leather and wire wrapping replaced. The double bass bow is strung with either white or black horsehair, or a combination of the two (known as "salt and pepper"), as opposed to the customary white horsehair used on the bows of other string instruments. Some of the lowest-quality, lowest cost student bows are made with synthetic hair. Synthetic hair does not have

1176-501: A dance which included Brazil’s capoeira, and the music that he also created featured heavy Afro percussion with the traditional sounds of cha-cha-cha. After the death of Rafael Lay Apesteguía in 1982, Richard Egües became leader, until 1984 when Rafael Lay Bravo took over. Under the younger Lay, the Orquesta established itself as a true institution of inspiration for other Orquestas in dealing with Cuban and Afro-Cuban musical styles. During

1323-472: A distinctive pitch. The top of the instrument's fingerboard range is typically near D 5 , two octaves and a fifth above the open pitch of the G string (G 2 ), as shown in the range illustration found at the head of this article. Playing beyond the end of the fingerboard can be accomplished by pulling the string slightly to the side. Double bass symphony parts sometimes indicate that the performer should play harmonics (also called flageolet tones ), in which

1470-456: A fairly generic way, having included even early violins ( viola da braccio ) under their umbrella. It is common enough (and justifiable) today for modern players of the viola da gamba to call their instruments violas and likewise to call themselves violists . That the "alto violin" eventually became known simply as the "viola" is not without historical context, yet the ambiguity of the name tends to cause some confusion. The violin, or violino ,

1617-569: A guitar—allow fine-tuning to improve tuning. Frets enable the performer to stop the strings more cleanly, improve consistency of intonation and lend the stopped notes a tone that better matches the open strings. Viols first appeared in Spain and Italy in the mid-to-late 15th century, and were most popular in the Renaissance and Baroque (1600–1750) periods. Early ancestors include the Arabic rebab and

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1764-549: A limited number of " keys ". In some of these schemes, the two strands of the gut that form the fret are separated so that the player can finger a slightly sharper or flatter version of a note (for example G ♯ versus A ♭ ) to suit different circumstances. Descriptions and illustrations of viols are found in numerous early 16th-century musical treatises, including those authored by: Both Agricola's and Gerle's works were published in various editions. There were then several important treatises concerning or devoted to

1911-502: A luthier. Professional bassists are more likely to have adjustable bridges, which have a metal screw mechanism. This enables the bassist to raise or lower the height of the strings to accommodate changing humidity or temperature conditions. The metal tuning machines are attached to the sides of the pegbox with metal screws. While tuning mechanisms generally differ from the higher-pitched orchestral stringed instruments, some basses have non-functional, ornamental tuning pegs projecting from

2058-477: A member of the chordophone family that originated in Europe in the 15th century. Before the 20th century many double basses had only three strings, in contrast to the five to six strings typical of instruments in the viol family or the four strings of instruments in the violin family. The double bass's proportions are dissimilar to those of the violin and cello; for example, it is deeper (the distance from front to back

2205-690: A number of soloists and ensembles have commissioned new music for viol. Fretwork has been most active in this regard, commissioning George Benjamin , Michael Nyman , Elvis Costello , Sir John Tavener , Orlando Gough , John Woolrich , Tan Dun , Alexander Goehr , Fabrice Fitch , Andrew Keeling, Thea Musgrave , Sally Beamish , Peter Sculthorpe , Gavin Bryars , Barrington Pheloung , Simon Bainbridge , Duncan Druce , Poul Ruders , Ivan Moody , and Barry Guy ; many of these compositions may be heard on their 1997 CD Sit Fast . The Yukimi Kambe Viol Consort has commissioned and recorded many works by David Loeb , and

2352-437: A perfect fourth). The upper limit of this range is extended a great deal for 20th- and 21st-century orchestral parts (e.g., Prokofiev 's Lieutenant Kijé Suite ( c. 1933) bass solo, which calls for notes as high as D 4 and E ♭ 4 ). The upper range a virtuoso solo player can achieve using natural and artificial harmonics is hard to define, as it depends on the skill of the particular player. The high harmonic in

2499-439: A seventh lower string. Viols were (and are) strung with gut strings of lower tension than on the members of the violin family. Gut strings produce a sonority far different from steel, generally described as softer and sweeter. Around 1660, gut or silk core strings overspun with copper wire first became available; these were then used for the lowest-pitched bass strings on viols, and many other string instruments as well. In 1664,

2646-561: A singer. Now the Aragon had three voices, and a unique sound. Bacallao also was a dancer and his dances during their shows always garnered attention and acclaim. Also in 1959, the Orquesta Aragon issued the first of eight LPs with their new line up on the Discuba label ( RCA Victor subsidiary). Cellist Alejandro Tómas Valdés joined the band in the 1960s; a great dancer, he created the onda-cha as

2793-463: A size similar to a viola but with a deeper body; the typical bass is about the size of a cello . The pardessus and the treble were held vertically in the lap. The English made smaller basses known as division viols , and the still-smaller Lyra viol . The viola bastarda was a similar type of viol used in Italy for a virtuosic style of viol repertoire and performance. German consort basses were larger than

2940-408: A standard guitar ), rather than fifths , with strings usually tuned to E 1 , A 1 , D 2 and G 2 . The double bass is played with a bow (arco), or by plucking the strings ( pizzicato ), or via a variety of extended techniques . In orchestral repertoire and tango music, both arco and pizzicato are employed. In jazz, blues, and rockabilly, pizzicato is the norm. Classical music and jazz use

3087-451: A standard feature of German and Austrian viols and were retained to the very end. That feature was unique to viols and reminded one always of the viol's more ancient plucked vihuela roots, the "cuteness" of viols. Historians, makers, and players generally distinguish between renaissance and baroque viols. The latter are more heavily constructed and are fitted with a bass bar and sound post, like modern stringed instruments. The bow

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3234-474: A style of string incorporating a copper wire spun within the gut fibers, called a 'gimped' string, was introduced, mimicking the style of embroidery of the same name. Viols are fretted like early guitars or lutes , using movable wrapped-around and tied-on gut frets. A low seventh string was supposedly added in France to the bass viol by Monsieur de Sainte-Colombe ( c.  1640 –1690), whose students included

3381-639: A suitable instrument for adult learners; Percy Scholes wrote that the viol repertoire "belongs to an age that demanded musicianship more often than virtuosity." There are now many societies for people with an interest in the viol. The first was the Viola da Gamba Society, which was established in the United Kingdom in 1948 (by Nathalie and Cecile Dolmetsch ). The Viola da Gamba Society of America followed in 1962, and with over 1000 members in North America and around

3528-452: A ten-year span brought the birth and diffusion in Italy of a new family of instruments (viola da gamba, or viols). These comprised instruments of different sizes, some as large as the famous violoni —as 'big as a man'—mentioned by Prospero Bernardino in 1493. Pio also notes that the fifth string of the viola da gamba is uniquely called a bordone (drone) —both in the manuscript of the early 15th-century music theorist Antonius de Leno, and in

3675-411: Is commonly called the upright bass, standup bass or acoustic bass to distinguish it from the (usually electric) bass guitar . In folk and bluegrass music, the instrument is also referred to as a "bass fiddle" or "bass violin" (or more rarely as "doghouse bass" or "bull fiddle" ). While not a member of the violin-family of instruments, the construction of the upright bass is quite different from that of

3822-447: Is disputed), and like lutes, were very often played by amateurs. Affluent homes might have a so-called chest of viols , which would contain one or more instruments of each size. Gamba ensembles, called consorts , were common in the 16th and 17th centuries, when they performed vocal music (consort songs or verse anthems ) as well as that written specifically for instruments. Only the treble, tenor, and bass sizes were regular members of

3969-403: Is done because with bowed instruments, the player must be able to play individual strings. If the double bass were to have a flat bridge, it would be impossible to bow the A and D strings individually. The double bass also differs from members of the violin family in that the shoulders are typically sloped and the back is often angled (both to allow easier access to the instrument, particularly in

4116-399: Is held underhand with the palm facing upward, similar to a German double bass bow grip, but away from the frog towards the balance point. The stick's curvature is generally convex as were violin bows of the period, rather than concave like a modern violin bow. The "frog" (which holds the bow hair and adjusts its tension) is also different from that of modern bows: whereas a violin bow frog has

4263-583: Is in between that of the gamba and the violin family. The bass is a standard member of the orchestra's string section , along with violins , violas , and cellos , as well as the concert band , and is featured in concertos , solo, and chamber music in Western classical music . The bass is used in a range of other genres, such as jazz , blues , rock and roll , rockabilly , country music , bluegrass , tango , folk music and certain types of film and video game soundtracks . The instrument's exact lineage

4410-604: Is its New Music for Viols (NMV) a series devoted to newly written pieces. The Society sponsors the International Leo M. Traynor Composition Competition for new music for viols. The competition was first held in 1989 and has taken place every four to five years since. The competition is specifically for consort music for three to six viol that, like the repertoire of the Renaissance, is accessible to accomplished amateurs. The winning pieces are played in concert and also published by

4557-424: Is nylon strings; the higher strings are pure nylon, and the lower strings are nylon wrapped in wire, to add more mass to the string, slowing the vibration, and thus facilitating lower pitches. The change from gut to steel has also affected the instrument's playing technique over the last hundred years. Steel strings can be set up closer to the fingerboard and, additionally, strings can be played in higher positions on

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4704-454: Is occasionally confused with the viola , the alto member of the modern violin family and a standard member of both the symphony orchestra and string quartet. In the 15th century, the Italian word " viola " was a generic term used to refer to any bowed instrument, or fiddle . The word " viola " existed in Italy before the vihuela, or first viol, was brought from Spain. In Italy, " viola "

4851-431: Is proportionally much greater than the violin). In addition, while the violin has bulging shoulders, most double basses have shoulders carved with a more acute slope, like members of the viol family. Many very old double basses have had their shoulders cut or sloped to aid playing with modern techniques. Before these modifications, the design of their shoulders was closer to instruments of the violin family. The double bass

4998-404: Is radiused using a curve, for the same reason that the bridge is curved: if the fingerboard and bridge were to be flat, then a bassist would not be able to bow the inner two strings individually. By using a curved bridge and a curved fingerboard, the bassist can align the bow with any of the four strings and play them individually. Unlike the violin and viola, but like the cello, the bass fingerboard

5145-505: Is relatively rare, exclusively French and did not exist before the 18th century), treble ( dessus in French), alto, tenor (in French taille ), bass, great bass, and contrabass (the final two are often called violone , meaning large viol ), the smaller one tuned an octave below the tenor (violone in G, sometimes called great bass or in French grande basse ) and the larger one tuned an octave below

5292-423: Is similar in shape and implementation to the bow used on the other members of the orchestral string instrument family, while the "German" or "Butler" bow is typically broader and shorter, and is held in a "hand shake" (or "hacksaw") position. These two bows provide different ways of moving the arm and distributing force and weight on the strings. Proponents of the French bow argue that it is more maneuverable, due to

5439-437: Is somewhat flattened out underneath the E string (the C string on cello), this is commonly known as a Romberg bevel. The vast majority of fingerboards cannot be adjusted by the performer; any adjustments must be made by a luthier. A very small number of expensive basses for professionals have adjustable fingerboards, in which a screw mechanism can be used to raise or lower the fingerboard height. An important distinction between

5586-427: Is still a matter of some debate, with scholars divided on whether the bass is derived from the viol or the violin family . Being a transposing instrument , the bass is typically notated one octave higher than tuned to avoid excessive ledger lines below the staff. The double bass is the only modern bowed string instrument that is tuned in fourths (like a bass guitar, viol , or the lowest-sounding four strings of

5733-470: Is the only modern bowed string instrument that is tuned in fourths (like a viol), rather than fifths (see Tuning below). The instrument's exact lineage is still a matter of some debate, and the supposition that the double bass is a direct descendant of the viol family is one that has not been entirely resolved. In his A New History of the Double Bass , Paul Brun asserts that the double bass has origins as

5880-400: Is tightened before playing, until it reaches a tautness that is preferred by the player. The frog on a quality bow is decorated with mother of pearl inlay. Bows have a leather wrapping on the wooden part of the bow near the frog. Along with the leather wrapping, there is also a wire wrapping, made of silver in quality bows. The hair is usually horsehair . Part of the regular maintenance of

6027-400: Is typically written at the sounding pitch, and the "old" German method sounded an octave below where notation except in the treble clef, where the music was written at pitch. Viol The viola da gamba , or viol , or informally gamba , is a bowed and fretted string instrument that is played da gamba (on the leg; Italian: [ˈvjɔːla da (ɡ)ˈɡamba] ). It is distinct from

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6174-513: The New York Consort of Viols has commissioned Bülent Arel , David Loeb, Daniel Pinkham , Tison Street , Frank Russo , Seymour Barab , William Presser , and Will Ayton , many of these compositions appearing on their 1993 CD Illicita Cosa . The Viola da Gamba Society of America has also been a potent force fostering new compositions for the viol. Among the music publications of the Society

6321-451: The acoustic bass guitar , as the latter is a derivative of the electric bass guitar, and usually built like a larger and sturdier variant of a viola de gamba , its ancestor. The double bass is sometimes confusingly called the violone , bass violin or bass viol . 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),

6468-409: The violin family : the viol family has flat rather than curved backs, sloped rather than rounded shoulders, c holes rather than f holes , and five to seven rather than four strings. Additional differences include tuning strategy —in fourths, with a third in the middle, rather than in fifths (similar to a lute)—the presence of frets , and underhand rather than overhand bow grip. A modern player of

6615-418: The violin form (shown in the labelled picture in the construction section); and the viola da gamba form (shown in the header picture of this article). A third less common design, called the busetto shape, can also be found, as can the even more rare guitar or pear shape. The back of the instrument can vary from being a round, carved back similar to that of the violin, to a flat and angled back similar to

6762-607: The 1490s. The term "viola" was never used exclusively for viols in the 15th or 16th centuries. In 16th century Italy, both "violas", —the early viols and violins—developed somewhat simultaneously. While violins, such as those of Amati, achieved their classic form before the first half of the century, the viol's form standardized later in the century at the hands of instrument makers in England. Viola da gamba, viola cum arculo , and vihuela de arco are some (true) alternative names for viols. Both "vihuela" and "viola" were originally used in

6909-468: The 16th century and similar to that of the modern six-string guitar . Viols were first constructed much like the vihuela de mano , with all surfaces, top, back, and sides made from flat slabs or pieces of joined wood, bent or curved as required. However, some viols, both early and later, had carved tops, similar to those more commonly associated with instruments of the violin family. The ribs or sides of early viols were usually quite shallow, reflecting more

7056-546: The 5-key wooden flute was significant. Egües replaced Rolando Lozano at the beginning of 1955 when Lozano went to Mexico. In August 1955, Celso Valdés was added on violin and thus the first classic lineup of the Orquesta Aragon was in place. The line-up now was Pepe Olmo and Rafael Lay (vocals), Lay, Filiberto Depestre and Celso Valdés (violins), Pepe Palma (piano), Jose Beltran (d. bass), Panchito Arbolaez (güiro), Orestes Varona (timbales) and Guido Sarria (conga). Lay and Egües were skilled arrangers and composers. Between 1955 and 1958

7203-449: The French gamba virtuoso and composer Marin Marais . Also, the painting Saint Cecilia with an Angel (1618) by Domenichino (1581–1641) shows what may be a seven-string viol. Unlike members of the violin family , most of which are tuned in fifths , viols are usually tuned in fourths with a major third in the middle, mirroring the tuning employed on the vihuela de mano and lute during

7350-430: The French instruments designed for continuo. Those instruments were not all equally common. The typical Elizabethan consort of viols was composed of six instruments: two basses, two tenors and two trebles, or one bass, three tenors and two trebles (see Chest of viols ). Thus the bass, tenor and treble were the central members of the family as far as music written specifically for viols is concerned. Besides consort playing

7497-412: The Italian " braccio "). Some other instruments have viola in their name, but are not a member of the viola da gamba family. These include the viola d'amore and the viola pomposa . Though the baryton does not have viola in its name, it is sometimes included in the viol family. Whether it is considered a member of this family is a matter of semantics. It is organologically closely related to

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7644-541: The Italianate violin). Composers such as Marc-Antoine Charpentier , François Couperin , Marin Marais , Sainte Colombe , Johann Sebastian Bach , Johannes Schenck , DuBuisson , Antoine Forqueray , Charles Dollé and Carl Friedrich Abel wrote virtuoso music for it. Georg Philipp Telemann published his Twelve Fantasias for Viola da Gamba solo in 1735, when the instrument was already becoming out of fashion. However, viols fell out of use as concert halls grew larger and

7791-457: The Orquesta Aragon released four LPs for RCA, listed below. During this time the Orquesta Aragon recorded nearly 100 numbers for RCA, several of which were never released. These include Macuto , Por esta adoracion , El trago , Gallo y gallina and Cha Cha Cha navideño among others. In 1958, Pedro Depestre replaced his father Filiberto on violin and in January 1959, Rafael Bacallao was added as

7938-483: The Society. The Society's goal is to stimulate development of a contemporary literature for this remarkable early instrument and thus continue its tradition in modern society. The Palazzo Strozzi in Florence commissioned composer Bruce Adolphe to create a work based on Bronzino poems, and the piece, "Of Art and Onions: Homage to Bronzino", features a prominent viola da gamba part. Jay Elfenbein has also written works for

8085-478: The Viol , points to evidence that the viol does start with the vihuela, but that Italian luthiers immediately began to apply their own highly developed instrument-making traditions to the early version of the instrument after it was introduced into Italy. Viols most commonly have six strings, although many 16th-century instruments had only four or five strings, and during the 17th century in France, some bass viols featured

8232-1173: The Yukimi Kambe Viol Consort, Les Voix Humaines, and Elliot Z. Levine, among others. Other composers for viols include Moondog , Kevin Volans , Roy Whelden , Toyohiko Satoh , Roman Turovsky , Giorgio Pacchioni , Michael Starke , Emily Doolittle , and Jan Goorissen. Composer Henry Vega has written pieces for the Viol: "Ssolo," developed at the Institute for Sonology and performed by Karin Preslmayr, as well as for Netherlands-based ensemble The Roentgen Connection in 2011 with "Slow slower" for recorder, viola da gamba, harpsichord and computer. The Aston Magna Music Festival has recently commissioned works including viol from composers Nico Muhly and Alex Burtzos . The Italian contemporary composer Carlotta Ferrari has written two pieces for viol: "Le ombre segrete" in 2015, and "Profondissimi affetti" in 2016, this latter being based on RPS modal harmony system. Since

8379-523: The angle at which the player holds the bow. Advocates of the German bow claim that it allows the player to apply more arm weight on the strings. The differences between the two, however, are minute for a proficient player, and modern players in major orchestras use both bows. The German bow (sometimes called the Butler bow) is the older of the two designs. The design of the bow and the manner of holding it descend from

8526-489: The appearance of the overwound gut string in the 1650s, the double bass would surely have become extinct", because thicknesses needed for regular gut strings made the lower-pitched strings almost unplayable and hindered the development of fluid, rapid playing in the lower register. Prior to the 20th century, double bass strings were usually made of catgut ; however, steel has largely replaced it, because steel strings hold their pitch better and yield more volume when played with

8673-420: The back that are very worthwhile repertoire. A little later, in England, Thomas Mace wrote Musick's Monument , which deals more with the lute but has an important section on the viol. After this, the French treatises by Machy (1685), Rousseau (1687), Danoville (1687), and Etienne Loulie (1700) show further developments in playing technique. Viols were second in popularity only to the lute (although this

8820-858: The base of the double bass is a metal rod with a spiked or rubberized end called the endpin, which rests on the floor. This endpin is generally thicker and more robust than that of a cello, because of the greater mass of the instrument. The materials most often used in double bass construction for fully carved basses (the type used by professional orchestra bassists and soloists) are maple (back, neck, ribs), spruce (top), and ebony (fingerboard, tailpiece). The tailpiece may be made from other types of wood or non-wood materials. Less expensive basses are typically constructed with laminated ( plywood ) tops, backs, and ribs, or are hybrid models produced with laminated backs and sides and carved solid wood tops. Some 2010-era lower- to mid-priced basses are made of willow , student models constructed of Fiberglass were produced in

8967-408: The bass (violone in D, or the contrabass viol). This latter instrument is not to be confused with the double bass . Their tuning (see next section) alternates G and D instruments: pardessus in G, treble in D, tenor in G, bass in D (the seven-string bass was a French invention, with an added low A), small violone in G, large violone in D and the alto (between the treble and the tenor. The treble has

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9114-415: The bass could also be used as a solo instrument (there were also smaller basses designed especially for a virtuosic solo role, see above division viol , lyra viol , viola bastarda ). And the bass viol could also serve as a continuo bass. The pardessus was a French 18th-century instrument that was introduced to allow ladies to play mostly violin or flute music but eventually acquired its repertoire. The alto

9261-553: The bass. The thumb rests on the shaft of the bow, next to the frog while the other fingers drape on the other side of the bow. Various styles dictate the curve of the fingers and thumb, as do the style of piece; a more pronounced curve and lighter hold on the bow is used for virtuoso or more delicate pieces, while a flatter curve and sturdier grip on the bow sacrifices some power for easier control in strokes such as detaché, spiccato, and staccato. Double bass bows vary in length, ranging from 60 to 75 cm (24–30 in). In general,

9408-429: The bassist lightly touches the string–without pressing it onto the fingerboard in the usual fashion–in the location of a note and then plucks or bows the note. Bowed harmonics are used in contemporary music for their "glassy" sound. Both natural harmonics and artificial harmonics , where the thumb stops the note and the octave or other harmonic is activated by lightly touching the string at the relative node point, extend

9555-652: The best-known modern viola da gamba players. Among the foremost modern players of the viol are Alison Crum , Vittorio Ghielmi , Susanne Heinrich , Wieland Kuijken , Paolo Pandolfo , Andrea de Carlo , Hille Perl and Jonathan Dunford . Many fine modern viol consorts (ensembles) are also recording and performing, among them the groups Fretwork , the Rose Consort of Viols , Les Voix Humaines , and Phantasm . The Baltimore Consort specializes in Renaissance song (mostly English) with broken consort (including viols). A number of contemporary composers have written for viol, and

9702-421: The bouts—but more commonly, they had two. The two C-holes might be placed in the upper bouts, centrally, or in the lower bouts. In the formative years, C-holes were most often placed facing each other or turned inwards. In addition to round or C-holes, however, and as early as the first quarter of the 16th century, some viols adopted S-shaped holes, again facing inward. By the mid-16th century, S-holes morphed into

9849-463: The bow. Gut strings are also more vulnerable to changes of humidity and temperature, and break more easily than steel strings. Gut strings are nowadays mostly used by bassists who perform in baroque ensembles, rockabilly bands, traditional blues bands, and bluegrass bands. In some cases, the low E and A are wound in silver, to give them added mass. Gut strings provide the dark, "thumpy" sound heard on 1940s and 1950s recordings. The late Jeff Sarli,

9996-514: The cello (i.e. the cello part was the main bass line, and the "double bass" originally played a copy of the cello part; only later was it given an independent part). The terms for the instrument among classical performers are contrabass (which comes from the instrument's Italian name, contrabbasso ), string bass (to distinguish it from brass bass instruments in a concert band , such as tubas ), or simply bass. In jazz, blues, rockabilly and other genres outside of classical music, this instrument

10143-409: The cellos. This transposition applies even when bass players are reading the tenor and treble clef (which are used in solo playing and some orchestral parts). The tenor clef is also used by composers for cello and low brass parts. The use of tenor or treble clef avoids excessive ledger lines above the staff when notating the instrument's upper range. Other notation traditions exist. Italian solo music

10290-720: The characteristic "humming" sound of viols; yet the absence of a sound post also resulted in a quieter and softer voice overall. It is commonly believed that C-holes (a type and shape of pierced sound port visible on the top face or belly of string instruments) are a definitive feature of viols, a feature used to distinguish viols from instruments in the violin family, which typically had F-shaped holes. This generality, however, renders an incomplete picture. The earliest viols had either large, open, round, sound holes (or even round pierced rosettes like those found on lutes and vihuelas), or they had some kind of C-holes. Viols sometimes had as many as four small C-holes—one placed in each corner of

10437-494: The classic F-shaped holes, which were then used by viols and members of the violin family alike. By the mid-to late 16th century, the viol's C-holes facing direction were reversed, becoming outward-facing. That configuration then became a standard feature of what we today call the “classic” 17th-century pattern. Yet another style of sound holes found on some viols was a pair of flame-shaped Arabesques placed left and right. The lute- and vihuela-like round or oval ports or rosettes became

10584-411: The combination of sul ponticello and tremolo can produce eerie, ghostly sounds. Classical bass players do play pizzicato parts in orchestra, but these parts generally require simple notes (quarter notes, half notes, whole notes), rather than rapid passages. Classical players perform both bowed and pizz notes using vibrato , an effect created by rocking or quivering the left hand finger that is contacting

10731-426: The composer was requesting violas as well as treble and bass instruments. The full name of the viola, namely "alto de viola da braccio" , was finally shortened to "viola" in some languages (e.g. English, Italian, Spanish) once viols became less common, while other languages picked some other part of the phrase to designate the instrument, e.g. " alto " in French and " Bratsche " in German (the latter derived from

10878-407: The construction of their plucked vihuela counterparts. Rib depth increased during the 16th century, finally coming to resemble the greater depth of the classic 17th-century pattern. The flat backs of most viols have a sharply angled break or canted bend in their surface close to where the neck meets the body. This serves to taper the back (and overall body depth) at its upper end to meet the back of

11025-402: The double bass a much richer tone than the bass guitar, in addition to the ability to use a bow, while the fretless fingerboard accommodates smooth glissandos and legatos . 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 either use it traditionally or strike

11172-405: The double bass and other members of the violin family is the construction of the pegbox and the tuning mechanism. While the violin, viola , and cello all use friction pegs for tuning adjustments (tightening and loosening the string tension to raise or lower the string's pitch), the double bass has metal machine heads and gears. One of the challenges with tuning pegs is that the friction between

11319-424: The double bass is a transposing instrument . Since much of the double bass's range lies below the standard bass clef , it is notated an octave higher than it sounds to avoid having to use excessive ledger lines below the staff. Thus, when double bass players and cellists are playing from a combined bass-cello part, as used in many Mozart and Haydn symphonies, they will play in octaves, with the basses one octave below

11466-466: The early 1980s, numerous instrument makers, including Eric Jensen, Francois Danger, Jan Goorissen, and Jonathan Wilson, have experimented with the design and construction of electric viols. Like other acoustic instruments to which pickups or microphones have been added, electric viols are plugged into an instrument amplifier or a PA system , which makes them sound louder. As well, given that amplifiers and PA systems are electronic components, this gives

11613-566: The early 21st century, the Ruby Gamba, a seven-string electric viola da gamba, was developed by Ruby Instruments of Arnhem , the Netherlands. It has 21 tied nylon (adjustable) frets in keeping with the adjustable (tied gut) frets on traditional viols and has an effective playing range of more than six octaves. Electric viols have been adopted by such contemporary gambists as Paolo Pandolfo , Tina Chancey , and Tony Overwater . The viola da gamba

11760-413: The ends of their fretboards flat on the deck, level with or resting upon the top or soundboard. Once the end of their fretboards was elevated above the top of the instrument's face, the entire top could vibrate freely. Early viols did not have sound posts , either (again reflecting their plucked vihuela siblings). This reduced damping again meant that their tops could vibrate more freely, contributing to

11907-495: The example of Moorish rabab players. However, Stefano Pio (2012) argues that a re-examination of documents in light of new data indicates an origin different than the vihuela de arco from Aragon. According to Pio, the viol had its origins in Venice , and evolved independently there. He asserts it was implausible that the vihuela de arco underwent such a rapid evolution by Italian rather than Venetian instrument makers. Nonetheless,

12054-409: The features needed for playing. While these smaller-body instruments appear similar to electric upright basses , the difference is that small-body travel basses still have a fairly large hollow acoustic sound chamber, while many EUBs are solid body, or only have a small hollow chamber. A second type of travel bass has a hinged or removable neck and a regular sized body. The hinged or removable neck makes

12201-408: The frog from underneath, while the ring finger and middle finger rest in the space between the hair and the shaft. The French bow was not widely popular until its adoption by 19th-century virtuoso Giovanni Bottesini . This style is more similar to the traditional bows of the smaller string family instruments. It is held as if the hand is resting by the side of the performer with the palm facing toward

12348-637: The general knowledge we have on the viola da gamba, its forms, and the different techniques used for its manufacture. The 1991 feature film Tous les matins du monde (All the Mornings of the World) by Alain Corneau , based on the lives of Monsieur de Sainte-Colombe and Marin Marais , prominently featured these composers' music for the viola da gamba and brought viol music to new audiences. The film's bestselling soundtrack features performances by Jordi Savall , one of

12495-472: The hazards of touring and performing in bars). Another option is the hybrid body bass, which has a laminated back and a carved or solid wood top. It is less costly and somewhat less fragile (at least regarding its back) than a fully carved bass. The soundpost and bass bar are components of the internal construction. All the parts of a double bass are glued together, except the soundpost, bridge, and tailpiece, which are held in place by string tension (although

12642-405: The instrument against their body, turned slightly inward to put the strings comfortably in reach. This stance is a key reason for the bass's sloped shoulders, which mark it apart from the other members of the violin family—the narrower shoulders facilitate playing the strings in their higher registers. The double bass is generally regarded as a modern descendant of the violone (It. “large viol”),

12789-437: The instrument smaller when it is packed for transportation. The history of the double bass is tightly coupled to the development of string technology, as it was the advent of overwound gut strings, which first rendered the instrument more generally practicable, as wound or overwound strings attain low notes within a smaller overall string diameter than non-wound strings. Professor Larry Hurst argues that had "it not been for

12936-441: The instrument's range considerably. Natural and artificial harmonics are used in plenty of virtuoso concertos for the double bass. Orchestral parts from the standard Classical repertoire rarely demand the double bass exceed a two-octave and a minor third range, from E 1 to G 3 , with occasional A 3 s appearing in the standard repertoire (an exception to this rule is Orff's Carmina Burana , which calls for three octaves and

13083-565: The later violin , or viola da braccio (viol for the arm); and it is any one of the earlier viol family of bowed , fretted , and stringed instruments with hollow wooden bodies and pegboxes where the tension on the strings can be increased or decreased to adjust the pitch of each of the strings. Although treble, tenor and bass were most commonly used, viols came in different sizes, including pardessus (high treble, developed in 18th century), treble, alto, small tenor, tenor, bass and contrabass (called violone ). These members of

13230-439: The less valuable varieties of brazilwood. Snakewood and carbon fiber are also used in bows of a variety of different qualities. The frog of the double bass bow is usually made out of ebony, although snakewood and buffalo horn are used by some luthiers . The frog is movable, as it can be tightened or loosened with a knob (like all violin family bows). The bow is loosened at the end of a practice session or performance. The bow

13377-543: The louder and more penetrating tone of the violin family became more popular. In the 20th century, the viola da gamba and its repertoire were revived by early music enthusiasts, an early proponent being Arnold Dolmetsch . The treble viol in d and the even smaller pardessus de viole in g (often with only five strings) were also popular instruments in the 18th century, especially in France. Composers like Jean-Baptiste Barrière , Georg Phillipp Telemann and Marin Marais wrote solo- and ensemble pieces for treble or pardessus. It

13524-454: The low register. The fifth string was incorporated into the neck. This was surpassed by a sixth string ( basso ) which fixed the lower sound produced by the instrument. Pio's view was: the origin of the viola da gamba is tied to the evolution of the smaller violetta, or vielle , which was originally fitted with a fifth-string "drone"; and the name 'stuck' even after it ceased to perform this function. Ian Woodfield, in his The Early History of

13671-556: The lower strings and still produce clear tone. The classic 19th century Franz Simandl method does not use the low E string in higher positions because older gut strings, set up high over the fingerboard, could not produce clear tone in these higher positions. However, with modern steel strings, bassists can play with clear tone in higher positions on the low E and A strings, particularly when they use modern lighter-gauge, lower-tension steel strings. The double bass bow comes in two distinct forms (shown below). The "French" or "overhand" bow

13818-534: The medieval European vielle , but later, more directly possible ancestors include the Venetian viole and the 15th- and 16th-century Spanish vihuela , a six-course plucked instrument tuned like a lute (and also like a present-day viol) that (at the time) looked like, but was quite distinct from, the four-course guitar (an earlier chordophone). Although bass viols superficially resemble cellos , viols are different in several respects from instruments of

13965-445: The mid-20th century, and some (typically fairly expensive) basses have been constructed of carbon fiber . Laminated (plywood) basses, which are widely used in music schools, youth orchestras , and in popular and folk music settings (including rockabilly, psychobilly, blues, etc.), are very resistant to humidity and heat, as well to the physical abuse they are apt to encounter in a school environment (or, for blues and folk musicians, to

14112-419: The moment. The single most common and ubiquitous pairing of all was always and everywhere the lute and bass viol: for centuries, the inseparable duo. The bass viola da gamba remained in use into the 18th century as a solo instrument (and to complement the harpsichord in basso continuo ). It was a favorite instrument of Louis XIV and acquired associations of both courtliness and "Frenchness" (in contrast to

14259-410: The more common 3 ⁄ 4 size bass (which has become the most widely used size in the modern era, even among orchestral players) stands 71.6 inches (182 cm) from scroll to endpin. Other sizes are also available, such as a 1 ⁄ 2 size or 1 ⁄ 4 size, which serve to accommodate a player's height and hand size. These names of the sizes do not reflect the true size relative to

14406-453: The natural sound produced acoustically by the instrument, as does traditional bluegrass . In funk, blues, reggae, and related genres, the double bass is often amplified . 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 instrument's range, and to its use one octave lower than

14553-543: The neck joint flush with its heel. Traditional construction uses animal glue, and internal joints are often reinforced with strips of either linen or vellum soaked in hot animal glue—a practice also employed in early plucked vihuela construction. The peg boxes of viols (which hold the tuning pegs) were typically decorated either with elaborately carved heads of animals or people or with the now-familiar spiral scroll finial. The earliest vihuelas and viols, both plucked and bowed, all had sharp cuts to their waists, similar to

14700-544: The northeast of England. It gives young people the opportunity to learn the viol and gives concerts in the North East and abroad. Ensembles like these show that the viol is making a comeback. A living museum of historical musical instruments was created at the University of Vienna as a center for the revival of the instrument. More than 100 instruments, including approximately 50 historical violas da gamba in playable condition, are

14847-401: The older viol instrument family. With older viols, before frogs had screw threads to tighten the bow, players held the bow with two fingers between the stick and the hair to maintain tension of the hair. Proponents of the use of German bow claim that the German bow is easier to use for heavy strokes that require a lot of power. Compared to the French bow, the German bow has a taller frog, and

14994-446: The only slightly later plucked vihuelas and the modern guitar, they would be out of luck. By the mid-16th century, however, "guitar-shaped" viols were fairly common, and a few of them survive. The earliest viols had flat, glued-down bridges just like their plucked counterpart vihuelas. Soon after, however, viols adopted the wider and high-arched bridge that facilitated the bowing of single strings. The earliest of viols would also have had

15141-430: The orchestra made its first journey to Havana, and in 1953 Lay changed the personnel to suit his own ideas. Around this time, the danzón genre began to fade, and the cha-cha-cha to gain popularity. Flautist was now Rolando Lozano and, later, Richard Egües. Pepe Olmo began singing along with the director Rafael Lay. Pepe Palma joined the orchestra and be its Piano Player for decades onwards. The emergence of Richard Egües on

15288-403: The pegbox and a sturdy, thick sound post , which transmits the vibrations from the top of the instrument to the hollow body and supports the pressure of the string tension. Unlike the rest of the violin family, the double bass still reflects influences, and can be considered partly derived, from the viol family of instruments, in particular the violone, the lowest-pitched and largest bass member of

15435-500: The performer the ability to change the tone and sound of the instrument by adding effects units such as reverb or changing the tone with a graphic equalizer . An equalizer can be used to shape the sound of an electric viol to suit a performance space, or to create unusual new sounds. Electric viols range from Danger's minimally electrified acoustic/electric Altra line to Eric Jensen's solid-body brace-mounted design. They have met with varying degrees of ergonomic and musical success. In

15582-418: The pizzicato basslines that classical bassists encounter in the standard orchestral literature, which are typically whole notes, half notes, quarter notes, and occasional eighth note passages. In jazz and related styles, bassists often add semi-percussive " ghost notes " into basslines, to add to the rhythmic feel and to add fills to a bassline. The double bass player stands, or sits on a high stool, and leans

15729-410: The player holds it with the palm angled upwards, as with the upright members of the viol family. When held in the traditionally correct manner, the thumb applies the necessary power to generate the desired sound. The index finger meets the bow at the point where the frog meets the stick. The index finger also applies an upward torque to the frog when tilting the bow. The little finger (or "pinky") supports

15876-419: The profile of a modern violin. This was a key and new feature—first appearing in the mid-15th century—and from then on, it was employed on many different types of string instruments. This feature was also key in seeing and understanding the connection between the plucked and bowed versions of early vihuelas. If one were to go searching for very early viols with smooth-curved figure-eight bodies, like those found on

16023-592: The property of this new concept of a museum: the Orpheon Foundation Museum of Historical Instruments . All the instruments of this museum are played by the Orpheon Baroque Orchestra, the Orpheon consort, or by musicians who receive an instrument for a permanent loan. The instruments can be seen during temporary exhibitions. They are studied and copied by violin makers, contributing to the extension of

16170-596: The pure consort of viols was the mixed or broken consort (also called Morley consort). Broken consorts combined a mixture of different instruments—a small band, essentially—usually comprising a gathering of social amateurs and typically including such instruments as a bass viol, a lute or orpharion (a wire-strung lute, metal-fretted, flat-backed, and festoon-shaped), a cittern , a treble viol (or violin , as time progressed), sometimes an early keyboard instrument ( virginal , spinet , or harpsichord ), and whatever other instruments or players (or singers) might be available at

16317-463: The range illustration found at the head of this article may be taken as representative rather than normative. Five-string instruments have an additional string, typically tuned to a low B below the E string (B 0 ). On rare occasions, a higher string is added instead, tuned to the C above the G string (C 3 ). Four-string instruments may feature the C extension extending the range of the E string downwards to C 1 (sometimes B 0 ). Traditionally,

16464-451: The revolutionary period, Aragón travelled to give performances in over 30 countries. Double bass The double bass ( / ˈ d ʌ b əl b eɪ s / ), also known as the upright bass , the acoustic bass , the bull fiddle , or simply the bass , is the largest and lowest-pitched chordophone in the modern symphony orchestra (excluding rare additions such as the octobass ). It has four or five strings, and its construction

16611-452: The same low pitches played with a delicate pianissimo can create a sonorous, mellow accompaniment line. Classical bass students learn all of the different bow articulations used by other string section players (e.g., violin and cello ), such as détaché , legato , staccato , sforzato , martelé ("hammered"-style), sul ponticello , sul tasto , tremolo , spiccato and sautillé . Some of these articulations can be combined; for example,

16758-412: The side of the pegbox, in imitation of the tuning pegs on a cello or violin. Several manufacturers make travel instruments, which are double basses that have features which reduce the size of the instrument so that the instrument will meet airline travel requirements. Travel basses are designed for touring musicians. One type of travel bass has a much smaller body than normal, while still retaining all of

16905-417: The soundpost under the bridge is essential for the instrument to sound its best. Basic bridges are carved from a single piece of wood, which is customized to match the shape of the top of each instrument. The least expensive bridges on student instruments may be customized just by sanding the feet to match the shape of the instrument's top. A bridge on a professional bassist's instrument may be ornately carved by

17052-416: The soundpost usually remains in place when the instrument's strings are loosened or removed, as long as the bass is kept on its back. Some luthiers recommend changing only one string at a time to reduce the risk of the soundpost falling). If the soundpost falls, a luthier is needed to put the soundpost back into position, as this must be done with tools inserted into the f-holes; moreover, the exact placement of

17199-406: The string, which then transfers an undulation in pitch to the tone. Vibrato is used to add expression to string playing. In general, very loud, low-register passages are played with little or no vibrato, as the main goal with low pitches is to provide a clear fundamental bass for the string section . Mid- and higher-register melodies are typically played with more vibrato. The speed and intensity of

17346-486: The strings must somehow be transferred to the surrounding air. To do this, the strings vibrate the bridge and this in turn vibrates the top surface. Very small amplitude but relatively large force variations (due to the cyclically varying tension in the vibrating string) at the bridge are transformed to larger amplitude ones by combination of bridge and body of the bass. The bridge transforms the high force, small amplitude vibrations to lower force higher amplitude vibrations on

17493-427: The strings vibrating against the fingerboard near to the fingered position. This buzzing sound gives the note its character. The lowest note of a double bass is an E 1 (on standard four-string basses) at approximately 41 Hz or a C 1 (≈33 Hz), or sometimes B 0 (≈31 Hz), when five strings are used. This is within about an octave above the lowest frequency that the average human ear can perceive as

17640-416: The tailpiece (important for violin, viola and cello players, as their instruments use friction pegs for major pitch adjustments) unnecessary, a very small number of bassists use them nevertheless. One rationale for using fine tuners on bass is that for instruments with the low C extension, the pulley system for the long string may not effectively transfer turns of the key into changes of string tension/pitch. At

17787-431: The tiny "barbs" that real horsehair has, so it does not "grip" the string well or take rosin well. String players apply rosin to the bow hair so it "grips" the string and makes it vibrate. Double bass rosin is generally softer and stickier than violin rosin to allow the hair to grab the thicker strings better, but players use a wide variety of rosins that vary from quite hard (like violin rosin) to quite soft, depending on

17934-404: The top of the bass body. The top is connected to the back by means of a sound post, so the back also vibrates. Both the front and back transmit the vibrations to the air and act to match the impedance of the vibrating string to the acoustic impedance of the air. Because the acoustic bass is a non-fretted instrument, any string vibration due to plucking or bowing will cause an audible sound due to

18081-489: The treatises of the Venetian Silvestro Ganassi dal Fontego and Giovanni Maria Lanfranco  [ de ] . However, it is not a drone and is played the same as the other strings. This inconsistency is justified, Pio argues, only by assuming the invention (in the latter 15th century) of a larger instrument derived from the medieval violetta , which gradually added more strings to allow greater extension to

18228-471: The true bass of the violin family . He states that, while the exterior of the double bass may resemble the viola da gamba, the internal construction of the double bass is nearly identical to instruments in the violin family , and very different from the internal structure of viols. Double bass professor Larry Hurst argues that the "modern double bass is not a true member of either the violin or viol families". He says that "most likely its first general shape

18375-418: The tunings that have been adopted at least somewhat widely during the 20th and 21st-century revival of the viols. (Lyra viol tunings are not included.) Alternative tunings (called scordatura ) were often employed, particularly in the solo lyra viol style of playing, which also made use of many techniques such as chords and pizzicato , not generally used in consort playing. An unusual style of pizzicato

18522-436: The upper range). Machine tuners are always fitted, in contrast to the rest of the violin family, where traditional wooden friction pegs are still the primary means of tuning. Lack of standardization in design means that one double bass can sound and look very different from another. The double bass is closest in construction to violins, but has some notable similarities to the violone , the largest and lowest-pitched member of

18669-545: The vibrato is varied by the performer for an emotional and musical effect. In jazz, rockabilly and other related genres, much or all of the focus is on playing pizzicato. In jazz and jump blues , bassists are required to play rapid pizzicato walking basslines for extended periods. Jazz and rockabilly bassists develop virtuoso pizzicato techniques that enable them to play rapid solos that incorporate fast-moving triplet and sixteenth note figures. Pizzicato basslines performed by leading jazz professionals are much more difficult than

18816-502: The viol consort, which consisted of three, four, five, or six instruments. Music for consorts was very popular in England in Elizabethan times, with composers such as William Byrd and John Dowland , and, during the reign of King Charles I, John Jenkins , William Lawes and Tobias Hume . The last music for viol consorts before their modern revival was probably written in the early 1680s by Henry Purcell . Perhaps even more common than

18963-481: The viol family are distinguished from later bowed string instruments, such as the violin family, by both appearance and orientation when played—as typically the neck is oriented upwards and the rounded bottom downwards to settle on the lap or between the knees. The viola da gamba uses the alto clef. Seven and occasionally eight frets made of "stretched gut", tied on the fingerboard around the instrument's neck. Frets tied in this manner—instead of permanently fixed as on

19110-415: The viol family. The double bass features many parts that are similar to members of the violin family, including a wooden, carved bridge to support the strings, two f-holes , a tailpiece into which the ball ends of the strings are inserted (with the tailpiece anchored around the endpin mount), an ornamental scroll near the pegbox, a nut with grooves for each string at the junction of the fingerboard and

19257-450: The viol family. For example, the bass is tuned in fourths, like a viol, rather than in fifths, which is the standard in the violin group. Also, notice that the 'shoulders' meet the neck in a curve, rather than the sharp angle seen among violins. As with the other violin and viol family instruments that are played with a bow (and unlike mainly plucked or picked instruments like guitar), the double bass's bridge has an arc-like, curved shape. This

19404-444: The viol family. Unlike the violone, however, the fingerboard of the double bass is unfretted , and the double bass has fewer strings (the violone, like most viols, generally had six strings, although some specimens had five or four). The fingerboard is made of ebony on high-quality instruments; on less expensive student instruments, other woods may be used and then painted or stained black (a process called "ebonizing"). The fingerboard

19551-417: The viol is attracting ever more interest, particularly among amateur players and early music enthusiasts and societies, and in conservatories and music schools. This may be due to the increased availability of reasonably priced instruments from companies using more automated production techniques, coupled with the greater accessibility of early music editions and historic treatises. The viol is also regarded as

19698-411: The viol is commonly known as a gambist , violist / ˈ v aɪ əl ɪ s t / , or violist da gamba . Notably, "violist" is a homograph of the word commonly used since the mid-20th century to refer to a player of the viola , which can cause confusion in written/printed texts when not clear from the context. Vihuelists began playing their flat-topped, originally plucked, instruments with

19845-461: The viol. The first was by Silvestro Ganassi dal Fontego : Regola Rubertina & Lettione Seconda (1542/3). Diego Ortiz published Trattado de Glosas ( Rome , 1553), an important book of music for the viol with both examples of ornamentation and pieces called Recercadas . In England, Christopher Simpson wrote the most important treatise, with the second edition being published in 1667 in parallel text (English and Latin ). This has divisions at

19992-402: The viola da gamba proper, but if we think of the family as the group of differently sized instruments that play together in consorts, the baryton would not be among this group. The names viola (Italy) and vihuela (Spain) were essentially synonymous and interchangeable. According to viol historian Ian Woodfield, there is little evidence that the vihuela de arco was introduced to Italy before

20139-402: The violin family. While the double bass is nearly identical in construction to other violin family instruments, it also embodies features found in the older viol family. The notes of the open strings are E 1 , A 1 , D 2 , and G 2 , the same as an acoustic or electric bass guitar . However, the resonance of the wood, combined with the violin-like construction and long scale length gives

20286-471: The weather, the humidity, and the preference of the player. The amount used generally depends on the type of music being performed as well as the personal preferences of the player. Some brands of rosin, such as Wiedoeft or Pop's double bass rosin, are softer and more prone to melting in hot weather. 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

20433-423: The wood of the bow against the string. In orchestral repertoire and tango music, both arco and pizzicato are employed. In jazz, blues, and rockabilly, pizzicato is the norm, except for some solos and occasional written parts in modern jazz that call for bowing. Bowed notes in the lowest register of the instrument produce a dark, heavy, mighty, or even menacing effect, when played with a fortissimo dynamic; however,

20580-476: The wood peg and the peg hole may become insufficient to hold the peg in place, particularly if the peg hole become worn and enlarged. The key on the tuning machine of a double bass turns a metal worm , which drives a worm gear that winds the string. Turning the key in one direction tightens the string (thus raising its pitch); turning the key the opposite direction reduces the tension on the string (thus lowering its pitch). While this development makes fine tuners on

20727-529: The world. Since then, similar societies have been organized in several other nations. In the 1970s, the now-defunct Guitar and Lute Workshop in Honolulu generated resurgent interest in the viol and traditional luthierie methods within the western United States. A notable youth viol group is the Gateshead Viol Ensemble. It consists of young players between the ages of 7 and 18 and is quite well known in

20874-424: Was a relatively rare smaller version of the tenor. The violones were rarely part of the consort of viols but functioned as the bass or contrabass of all kinds of instrumental combinations. The standard tuning of most viols is in fourths , with a major third in the middle (like the standard Renaissance lute tuning), or in fourths , with a major third in between the 2nd and 3rd strings. The following table shows

21021-409: Was also common to play music for violins or flutes or unspecified top parts on small viols. Historic viols survive in relatively great number, though very few remain in original condition. They can often be found in collections of historic musical instruments at museums and universities. Here are some of the extant historic viols at The Metropolitan Museum of Art : In the 20th and early 21st century,

21168-494: Was first applied to a braccio precursor to the modern violin, as described by Tinctoris ( De inventione et usu musice , c.  1481 –3), and then was later used to describe the first Italian viols as well. Depending on the context, the unmodified viola da braccio most regularly denoted either an instrument from the violin family, or specifically the viola (whose specific name was "alto de viola da braccio" ). When Monteverdi called simply for "viole da braccio" in "Orfeo",

21315-588: Was known as a thump. Lyra viol music was also commonly written in tablature . There is a vast repertoire of this music, some by well-known composers and much by anonymous ones. Much viol music predates the adoption of equal temperament tuning by musicians. The movable nature of the tied-on frets permits the viol player to make adjustments to the tempering of the instrument, and some players and consorts adopt meantone temperaments , which are more suited to Renaissance music. Several fretting schemes involve frets that are spaced unevenly to produce better-sounding chords in

21462-629: Was originally the soprano viola da braccio , or violino da braccio . Due to the popularity of the soprano violin, the entire consort eventually took on the name "violin family". Some other names for viols include viole or violle (French). In Elizabethan English , the word "gambo" (for gamba) appears in many permutations; e.g., "viola de gambo", "gambo violl", "viol de gambo", or "viole de gambo", used by such notables as Tobias Hume , John Dowland , and William Shakespeare in Twelfth Night . Viol da Gamba and Gamba also appear as string family stops on

21609-399: Was that of a violone, the largest member of the viol family. Some of the earliest basses extant are violones, (including C-shaped sound holes) that have been fitted with modern trappings." Some existing instruments, such as those by Gasparo da Salò , were converted from 16th-century six-string contrabass violoni. There are two major approaches to the design outline shape of the double bass:

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