Double Bass (Bass Violin) for Beginners
The double bass, also called the bass violin, upright bass or contrabass, is the largest and lowest-pitched bowed string instrument in the orchestra. It stands about 180 cm (6 ft) tall and its four strings are tuned E1, A1, D2 and G2 – in fourths, like a bass guitar. Its music is written an octave higher than it sounds.
Works in the UK and the US. This version uses US music words (measure, quarter note, eighth note, staff); the UK version uses bar, crotchet, quaver and stave. · UK version of this page
Updated · By the Classfern Music Department
Key facts
- Open strings, lowest to highest: E1, A1, D2, G2 (41.2, 55, 73.4 and 98 Hz). They are a perfect fourth apart; the violin, viola and cello are tuned in fifths.
- Written an octave higher than it sounds, mostly in the bass clef (tenor and treble clef for high notes).
- Other names: upright bass, string bass, contrabass, bass violin and bass fiddle.
- Sizes: 1/8 to 4/4. The 3/4 bass (about 182 cm) is the most common size; a 4/4 averages about 190 cm.
- Two kinds of bow: the French bow, held like a cello bow, and the German bow, held in a “handshake”.
- Five-string basses usually add a low B; some four-string basses have an extension down to C1.
- Simandl fingering (Franz Simandl, 1840–1912) uses the 1st, 2nd and 4th fingers in the lower positions.
Double bass tuning notes
Play each open string and tune until it matches. Choose bowed or plucked (pizzicato) – jazz and folk bassists mostly pluck. Self-assessed Does each string match the sound with no “wobble”?
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Double bass notes chart (half and first position)
Click a note to hear it. The big letter is the written note; the bass sounds an octave lower. Self-assessed Play each note on your bass and match the sound.
| String | Open | +1 semitone | +2 semitones | +3 semitones | +4 semitones |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G string | |||||
| D string | |||||
| A string | |||||
| E string |
What is a bass violin?
Today “bass violin” usually means the double bass: the biggest, lowest instrument in the string section. It is also called the upright bass, string bass or contrabass. In the 1500s and 1600s the name was also used for an older bass instrument of the violin family.
The double bass has a mix of family traits: sloping shoulders like the old viols, and an f-hole body, bridge and bow like the violin family. Its tuning in fourths, E A D G, is the same as the four-string bass guitar, which is why jazz and rock bassists often play both.
How do you play the double bass?
Stand, or sit on a tall stool, with the bass leaning lightly against you and the endpin set to suit your height. Pluck the strings with the side of your index finger, or draw a rosined bow across them between the bridge and fingerboard.
- Set the endpin height: a common starting point is the 1st finger in half position about level with your eyes.
- Pizzicato: pluck with the side of the index (or index and middle) finger, pulling across the string, not away from it.
- Left hand: use fingers 1, 2 and 4 – the 3rd finger helps the 4th. In half position each finger covers a half step.
- Arco: hold a French bow like a cello bow, or a German bow in a handshake, and keep it parallel to the bridge.
Self-assessed Play the four open strings, then the first notes on the G string from the chart: A♭ (half position, 1st finger), A (half position, 2nd finger) and B♭ (half position, 4th finger).
How is a double bass tuned?
From lowest to highest: E1, A1, D2, G2. The strings are a perfect fourth apart, the same as a bass guitar. Bass music is written an octave higher (E2 A2 D3 G3 on paper), so it fits the bass clef without too many ledger lines.
Beginners usually tune each open string to a tuning note, like the buttons above, or to a clip-on tuner. Many bassists then check the strings against each other with harmonics – a teacher will show you how. Bass strings stretch, so check the tuning every time you play.
What size double bass do I need?
Most adults play a 3/4 bass, the most common size (about 182 cm tall). Full-size 4/4 basses average about 190 cm. Children start on 1/8, 1/4 or 1/2 basses; a teacher or shop should fit the size to height and hand span.
Size names are fractions, but they are not exact: two 3/4 basses can differ by several centimeters in string length. Try the bass with your left hand in half position – you should reach the 1st and 4th finger notes without straining.
What is the difference between a double bass and a bass guitar?
Both have four strings tuned E A D G, an octave below the lowest four guitar strings. The double bass is acoustic, fretless and can be bowed; the bass guitar is electric, usually fretted, played on a strap and plugged into an amplifier.
The notes are the same, so tab and bass-clef music for one work on the other. See Classfern’s bass guitar guide and the bass clef notes lesson. Classfern’s free music tools on lessonplanner.info run in your browser.
Double bass lessons
Many US school orchestras and jazz bands start bass players in middle school, often with a school-owned instrument. Because the bass is big and expensive, renting is the usual first step. A teacher will set the endpin, choose French or German bow, and check that the size fits. These are general patterns, not official figures – ask your school or district.
Quick quiz: the double bass
Six questions on tuning, sizes, bows and names. Marked by Classfern Your score stays in this browser.
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