Double Bass
Despite appearing at almost the same time as the other members of the violin family in the late fifteenth century, the double bass has still never been standardised in size, shape, tuning or number of strings.
As the deepest member of the violin family its modern, full length approaches 1.8m (almost six feet), though previously much larger ones existed, and, currently, they can be only 1.5m (about five feet).
The shape varies from the characteristic curved-shoulder shape of its relations with a viol-like slope to its shoulders. Even this shape is not a constant since some double basses do have the shoulder shape of violins. Another distinguishing feature concerning its shape is that, due to the size, even the ribs are not of a standard, uniform width around the boundaries of the body. The ribs narrow towards the neck end of the body with the resultant, beneficial effect of the fingerboard sloping towards the body of the player thus improving ease of performance.
Were the double bass to be tuned in the fashion of its family members (in fifths) such is the length of the strings (approximately 108cms) that the finger stretch involved in pitch selection would be extremely difficult, if not impossible. As a consequence the double bass is tuned in fourths.
In the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, three-stringed double basses were common and earlier models sometimes had five strings. Three string basses are now obsolete but occasionally a fifth string is added to allow the bass to fulfil its function as doubling for the cello. The fifth string allows the range of the cello to be replicated at one octave below. The need for a fifth string can be eliminated by the attachment of a string lengthening mechanism.
The idiosyncrasies of the double bass continue with its bow and bowing technique. Certainly in the nineteenth century and selectively in Germany into the twentieth century, different bows and actions were used way beyond the time when other family members had converted to the, now usual, convex bow with overhand action. The French bow and German bow, as they are known, differ inasmuch as the French bow and action resembles the current violin practice and the German bow resembles the viol bow and grip; that is, it is concave and is held underhand.
Within the orchestra, the double bass frequently adds texture by doubling the cello part at one octave beneath but it does also play its own line depending on composer and period. The bass occasionally appears in chamber music but rarely does it appear as a solo instrument due to limited scope within its repertoire.
Domenico Dragonetti (1763-1846), Giovanni Bottesini (1821-1879) and Serge Koussevitzky (1874-1951) were double bass virtuosi. Perhaps it was a reflection of the paucity of repertoire that all of these three celebrated bassists were also renowned as musicians in spheres beyond their performance ability. Dragonetti played in an opera orchestra, did give nationwide recitals of his own compositions and, though based in London, visited Vienna where he met and befriended Beethoven.
Whilst such matters are subjective and comparison is impossible, it has been said that Bottesini was the most accomplished player of all but he was also a conductor and composer of merit.
Koussevitzky composed a concerto for double bass, was a conductor of such eminence that he worked with the Berlin Philharmonic, London Symphony and Boston Symphony Orchestras, was a successful publisher and was the philanthropic instigator of a foundation that commissions new works.
The double bass, or contrabass as it is also known, is used widely in jazz ensembles and dance bands where it is played pizzicato (plucked) rather than bowed as in the symphony orchestra. One can expect to find about ten double basses in the orchestras of today.