Why is the double bass not a member of the violin family?
9 Answers. It is because the double bass, essentially, comes from a different family of instruments than the cello, viola and violin. This is a controversial assertion among music historians, as these things evolved continously, but many scholars do not consider the double-bass to be a part of the violin family at all.
What family does the double bass belong to?
string family
At over 6 feet long, the double bass is the biggest member of the string family, with the longest strings, which allow it to play very low notes. The 6 to 8 double basses of the orchestra are almost always playing the harmony.
What family does the bass violin belong to?
Bass violin is the modern term for various 16th- and 17th-century bass instruments of the violin (i.e. viola da braccio) family. They were the direct ancestor of the modern cello. Bass violins were usually somewhat larger than the modern cello, but tuned to the same nominal pitches or sometimes one step lower.
Is the double bass the lowest in the string family?
The double bass is the biggest and lowest pitched instrument in the string family. The deep, very low sounds of the double bass are often used to help hold together the harmonies and to help carry the rhythm. There are 6-8 double basses in an orchestra.
How is the double bass different from instruments in the violin family?
Violin family instruments have four strings each, are tuned in fifths (except the double bass, which is tuned in fourths), are not fretted and have four rounded bouts while always having a sound post and bass bar inside.
What is the ancestor of violin?
The Arabian rabab and the rebec, which came from the orient in the middle ages and was played widely in Spain and France in the fifteenth century, are said to be the ancestors of the violin. Near the end of the middle ages, a bowed stringed instrument called a fiddle appeared in Europe.
What instrument family is the violin in?
String Instrument
Bowed string instrumentViolin family
Violin/Instrument family
What is a double bass and violin?
double bass, also called contrabass, string bass, bass, bass viol, bass fiddle, or bull fiddle, French contrebasse, German Kontrabass, stringed musical instrument, the lowest-pitched member of the violin family, sounding an octave lower than the cello.
How many double bass are in the orchestra?
six double basses
A symphony orchestra is usually made up of (give or take) around ten first violins and ten second violins, ten violas, eight cellos and six double basses.
Why is double bass called double bass?
The double bass is the largest and lowest-pitched bowed string instrument in the modern symphony orchestra. 2. The origin of the name of the double bass stems from the fact that its initial function was to double the bass line of large ensembles. It is a hybrid instrument influenced by the gamba and the violin family.
How many double basses are in the orchestra?
Why is it called double bass?
Is the double bass part of the violin family?
The double-bass is the contrabass instrument of the string section and is not strictly speaking a member of the violin family (violin, viola, cello). The double-bass differs in several ways from the instruments of the violin family. In its modern form it is a hybrid, combining elements of both the viola da gamba and the violin families.
What are the members of the violin family?
The standard modern violin family consists of the violin, viola, cello, and double bass. (The violone is not part of the modern violin family; its place is taken by the modern double bass, an instrument with a mix of violin and viol characteristics.)
Which is lower the cello or the double bass?
Double bass. Written By: Double bass, also called contrabass, string bass, bass, bass viol, bass fiddle, or bull fiddle French contrebasse, German Kontrabass, stringed musical instrument, the lowest-pitched member of the violin family, sounding an octave lower than the cello.
How is the double bass different from other stringed instruments?
stringed instrument: Double bass. The double bass has numerous features that set it apart from other members of the violin family. For example, it only rarely serves as a solo instrument. In the symphony orchestra it often serves simply to double the cello part one octave lower,….
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NnyxX_4zVJU