A double bass typically has four strings. These strings are tuned in fourths, usually to E1, A1, D2, and G2. While the four-string version is the most common, some double basses also have five strings, adding an extra low B0 or high C3 string.
The four-string double bass remains the standard choice in most orchestral, jazz, and contemporary music settings due to its versatility and historical prevalence.
Maybe you’ve seen The Pink Panther films and heard Henry Mancini’s Pink Panther Tune. Notice how a double bass quintet creates that delightful sound. This showcases what double basses can produce.
Key Takeaways
- Historical Evolution: The double bass evolved from a three-string instrument to the modern five-string version over 500 years.
- Orchestral Role: It stands out in the string section of an orchestra, providing deep, low notes and essential harmonies.
- Tuning: Standard tuning is E-A-D-G, but variations exist with an additional low fifth string tuned to C for extended range.
- Physicality: Suited for musicians with long, strong arms and fingers due to its size and playing technique requirements.
- Jazz Adoption: Initially dominated by the tuba in jazz, the double bass has become a staple, especially with the slap bass technique.
If you’re looking to join a band, learning the double bass is a great choice. It’s tuned like a four-string electric bass guitar. Many students who start with the double bass switch to the electric bass guitar. However, before buying a double bass, it’s smart to understand more about it.
Understanding the Double Bass
The double bass stands six feet tall and has four thick strings tuned to EE, AA, D, G. Sometimes, a low fifth string tuned to C below the E string is added. Unlike other string instruments, it’s tuned in fourths.
The double bass is the biggest string instrument, with long strings for very low notes. An orchestra usually has six to eight double basses playing harmony. The instruments are so large that players often stand or use a tall stool to perform.
If you’ve got long, strong arms and fingers, playing the double bass will come naturally to you. The instrument stands on the ground with a metal peg supporting its weight, and its neck rests on your left shoulder. Use your left hand to change the pitch and your right hand to pluck the strings or use the bow.
How Are the Double Bass Strings Tuned?
The double bass has a 500-year history from Northern Italy. Early 16th-century images show this large bass instrument in ensembles. The first known depiction is from 1516.
The first double basses matched a person’s height. They had various tunings, with some using fourths and others mixing thirds and fourths.
In 1542, Silvestro Ganassi developed the bass viola de gamba, the pioneering double bass instrument.
In the past, around 50 tunings existed for the string bass. By the early 20th century, the double bass standard became E-A-D-G. Some musicians and composers still opt for lower tunings. Today, tunings cater to either double bass solo or orchestral use.
The Evolution of the Double Bass Strings
Initially, double basses varied in the number of strings, with some having up to six. Eventually, they standardized to three strings before the common four-string setup took hold.
Early musicians popularized gut-type fretting by wrapping gut strings horizontally along the fingerboard to mark each semitone’s frets.
Starting in the 17th century, people tried to shape the double bass like the cello, but these efforts failed.
Two types of double bass emerged: one with a larger body (16-foot range) and tenor instruments for middle voices. The thick gut strings were tough to play. New wound strings solved this but introduced a new problem.
String tensions rose sharply, making tuning tough. In 1778, Carl Ludwig Bachmann, a violin maker, patented a screw mechanism on the double bass pegbox. This innovation allowed precise tuning of the double bass.
In the mid-18th century, most double basses had three strings. They produced a clear and powerful sound but had limited lower register capabilities. In the 1830s, the four-string double bass emerged, and both types coexisted until the end of the century.
In the 20th century, five-string double basses emerged, offering a greater range. However, they’re tougher to play due to the larger fingerboard.
How to Tune the Double Bass Strings?
Double bass strings are tuned in fourths, unlike others tuned in fifths. This tuning is E-A-D-G, an octave lower than a guitar’s four lowest strings.
A quick glance at classical music shows notes below the double bass’ regular range. Baroque pieces feature notes below low E. Later, Romantic composers also sought lower notes. To achieve this, modern European orchestras use double basses with a fifth string.
The fifth string is tuned to B, three octaves and a semitone below middle C. In Canada, the United States, and the United Kingdom, many double bass players use instruments with a C extension. This adds an extra fingerboard section over the bass head, lowering the pitch of the lowest string to B.
The simplest version of this extension features a locking nut for extra low notes. To play them, reach over the double bass pegs and press the fingerboard’s string. This fingered extension lets you adjust the stopped notes’ intonations without any mechanical noise.
Its main drawback is the difficulty in quickly switching between low notes on this extension and fingerboard notes. For basslines with repetitive pedal points, like the low D, use the wooden fingers as a mechanical aid.
Locking a note with the mechanical finger changes the lowest string’s sound, like a low D. A B extension allows you to fret low C with wooden fingers. Tuning the double bass in Fifths makes it sound like a low C, similar to the string section.