Double Bass
The double bass in five languages — double bass, contrabbasso, Kontrabass, contrebasse
Related
Five languages
| Language | Name |
|---|---|
| Chinese | 低音提琴 |
| English | double bass |
| Italian | contrabbasso |
| German | Kontrabass |
| French | contrebasse |
The double bass is the largest and lowest member of the violin family, usually carrying the root of the harmony in an orchestra. It is tuned in fourths and sounds an octave below written pitch; the "double" in its English name is commonly explained by its habit of doubling the bass line at the octave.
Watch out: the double bass and the cello are both low bowed strings, but the cello is tuned in fifths and held between the knees, while the double bass is larger and lower. In speech, "bass" often means the electric bass; "upright bass" is this instrument.
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Sources
- 各语种乐器名依通行音乐术语词典（参 The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, "Double bass"）；本文为原创表述
Used for fact-checking only; all prose is original.