The double bass is the largest and lowest-pitched instrument of a modern orchestra.
The double bass has the lowest pitch of all the instruments of a modern orchestra. It is also called the upright bass, contrabass, and the string bass. It has become a staple in jazz music and spawned a legacy of performers who have left their mark on the genre.
Evolution
The double bass has been popular in music since the 18th century, when composers began to write solo pieces for the instrument. It first began to appear in jazz music in the early 20th century. Jazz groups often had a tuba or bass saxophone to play their bass line, however when performers started to play in bars and brothels, they substituted these instruments for the upright double bass.
All that Jazz
In the 1920s and 1930s the double bass became an essential instrument in swing and big band ensembles. Its use continued in 1950s bebop groups, and the 1960s free jazz era, when musicians attempted to play outside the confines of the structures of the aforementioned styles. It continues to be used in jazz music, except Latin jazz and other fusion styles which tend to favour the electric bass
Features
Despite its deep tone, the double bass, a non-electric instrument, was usually the quietest instrument in the ensemble, therefore musicians developed a "slapping" style of playing where their fingers rhythmically hit the fingerboard. This movement also allowed the bass to be better heard on recordings, as early sound recording equipment was not as able to pick up the nuances of every instrument as it is today. This slapping sound is now characteristic of jazz music.
Notable Performers
Paul Chambers worked with Miles Davis and John Coltrane on several recordings, and was one of the first jazz musicians to play the double bass with a bow. He died prematurely from tuberculosis at the age of 33 in 1969.
Charles Mingus was a highly accomplished double bass and piano player, and toured with Lionel Hampton and Louis Armstrong. The prolific musician recorded over a hundred albums and influenced generations of performers to come with his forward thinking-compositions. He died in 1979.
Scott LaFaro played double bass for only six years before his untimely death in 1961 at the age of 25, however he was already known as one of the best young bassists around, partly due to his work with the Bill Evans Trio. His predilection for never using a pick-up and his fluidity of sound have influenced many bass players since.
Influences
The slap style typical of jazz has developed into "pizzicato," which is a popular way of playing the bass today. The bass is amplified and the strings are plucked with the fingers, it is essentially a less vigorous form of the slap style. Today, double basses are used in a variety of music genres, including rock, jazz, folk, and contemporary classical music.
Tags: double bass, jazz music, modern orchestra, slap style
