Double Bass on Wikipedia
The Wikipedia entry for double bass is worth checking out for people who haven’t done so already. There is a decent amount of information in this entry, but it would be a good idea for the bass community refine and add to this information.
There is currently a partial list of names for the double bass and double bassist on the Wikipedia entry:
Terminology
A person who plays this instrument is called a bassist, double bassist, double bass player, contrabassist, contrabass player, or simply bass player.
The instrument’s standard English name, double bass may be derived from the size of the double size, since it is approximately twice as large as the cello, or because the double bass was originally used to double the cello part an octave lower. It has also been suggested that the name derives from its viol family heritage, in that it is tuned lower than the standard bass viola da gamba. The name also refers to the fact that the sounding pitch of the double bass is an octave below the bass clef. The name contrabass comes from the instrument’s Italian name, contrabbasso.
Other terms for the instrument among classical performers are string bass, bass viol, or simply bass. Jazz musicians often call it the acoustic bass to distinguish it from electric bass guitars. Especially when used in folk and bluegrass music, the instrument can also be referred to as an upright bass, standup bass, bass fiddle, bass violin, doghouse bass, dog-house, bull fiddle, hoss bass, or bunkhouse bass.
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Some other aspects of this entry could definitely be improved. Check out the main photo for double bass, for example (pictured here). It this the way people store their bow in real life? I don’t think so. It is a decent photo, but certainly there is a better photo out there to represent our instrument. That’s the beauty of Wikipedia, after all–you can alter or change information to make it better/more accurate.
Also, there is a partial list of contemporary double bass performers that could use some expansion. A few of our solo works are listed on the main double bass entry, but a more complete listing of all of our concerti, sonatas, solo works, chamber works, method books, and the like would be of real benefit to the bass community.
09 December 2006, 7:47 pm
My bass is on there! She sure is pretty.
10 December 2006, 6:35 am
It’s cool that your bass is on there. It would be great to see an expansion to the Wikipedia page that would include all sorts of double bass sizes and shapes: gamba corners, violin corners, big shoulders, small shoulders, endpin styles, extensions, and more.