What is the definition of bass in music?
1 : a tone of low pitch. 2 : the lowest part in harmony that has four parts. 3 : the lower half of the musical pitch range. 4 : the lowest male singing voice. 5 : a singer or an instrument having a bass range or part.
What are the two meanings of bass?
The word bass has two main meanings with separate pronunciations — bass with a high vowel sound (like base) ironically refers to very low sounds — bass instruments and singers are in the lowest part of the musical range, like the low rumble of a bass guitar. If you say bass with a low vowel sound, it’s a type of fish.
Is music a bass or base?
English can be a confusing language at times. Take the words “bass” and “base”: they often (but not always) sound the same, and they are spelled similarly, but they have entirely different meanings. To avoid mistakes in your writing, then, you may want to check out our advice below!
What is another meaning for bass?
Of sound, a voice or an instrument, low in pitch or frequency. deep. low. deep-toned.
What does bass mean in slang?
bass is being used metaphorically to refer to the buttocks. I think the juxtaposition of bass and treble refers to the clefs in musical notation: the bass cleff is on the bottom, the treble cleff is on the top, and bottom is another euphemism for the butt, while top is often used to refer to a woman’s breasts.
Why is bass pronounced base?
Base comes from the Latin word basis which means foundation and the Greek word basis which means step, pedestal. Bass, when pronounced as base, means the lowest pitch, an adult male who sings in the lowest pitch, any number of instruments that play the lowest pitch.
Where did the word bass come from?
The term encompasses both freshwater and marine species, all belonging to the large order Perciformes, or perch-like fishes. The word bass comes from Middle English bars, meaning ‘perch’.
Is a bass bigger than a guitar?
The bass guitar is typically slightly larger than the standard electric or acoustic guitar. With four strings, it is quite similar to the guitar, except for the fact that its notes are about an octave lower than the guitar. Because of this, its typical role in a band is to act as a supporting instrument.
Why bass is called base?
Why are bass called bass?
Bass (/bæs/) is a name shared by many species of fish. The term encompasses both freshwater and marine species, all belonging to the large order Perciformes, or perch-like fishes. The word bass comes from Middle English bars, meaning ‘perch’.
What is the opposite of bass?
Treble sound is the counterpart to bass sound. The term “treble” derives from the Latin triplum, used in 13th century motets to indicate the third and highest range.
What does basses mean?
noun, plural (especially collectively) bass, (especially referring to two or more kinds or species) bass·es. any of numerous edible, spiny-finned, freshwater or marine fishes of the families Serranidae and Centrarchidae.
Is bass or baritone deeper?
Bass-baritones can be seen either as a low baritone or a high bass. They have baritone qualities to their voice, but can reach into deeper, true bass pitches when the musical repertoire requires it. A defining characteristic of this voice type, however, is that the bass-baritone loses some of his power and resonance in the lower part of his range.
What is the adjective for bass?
bass adjective. His powerful bass voice contributed much to the film. Extra Examples. The unusually deep bass voice was amused. This bass part contains some relatively complex passages. The bass clarinet forms a solid bass for the woodwind group. Word Origin late Middle English: alteration of the adjective base.
What does Stone bass mean?
Princeton’s WordNet (0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition: stone bass, wreckfish, Polyprion americanus (noun) brown fish of the Atlantic and Mediterranean found around rocks and shipwrecks.