Man spelar på en kontrabas. Man spelar på en kontrabas.

The orchestral instruments The double bass

The largest member of the string family, with some of the orchestra’s deepest notes. Discover the double bass, the instrument that brings depth, weight and power to the strings.

The double bass is the largest and lowest-pitched instrument in the string family. It is sometimes simply called the bass or upright bass. In the orchestra, it is usually played with a bow, but the strings can also be plucked with the fingers, a technique known as pizzicato. A double bass is typically 1.8-2 metres tall.

Our orchestra has nine double bass players.