The double bass for kids: how it works and what to hear

The double bass is the biggest and lowest instrument in the string family. It stands about six feet tall, which is taller than many of the people who play it. The player stands or sits on a high stool and reaches around the instrument to play. Its low notes are the floor that the rest of the orchestra stands on.

It is also called the bass, the string bass, the upright bass, and the contrabass.

Quick facts

• Family: strings
• Size: about six feet tall
• Strings: four, tuned to E, A, D, and G
• Played: standing or on a high stool, with a bow or plucked
• In an orchestra: about six to eight

How it makes sound

A bow pulls across a string, or a finger plucks it. The long, thick strings shake at a slow rate, and that gives the low notes. The large hollow body makes them louder.

The strings are so long that the notes sit far apart. A bass player’s left hand has to stretch and jump more than a violinist’s.

How it differs from the other strings

The tuning. Violins, violas, and cellos tune their strings five notes apart. The bass tunes its strings four notes apart. This keeps the notes within reach of the hand.

The shape. The shoulders of a bass slope down, where a violin’s are round. The bass comes from an older family of instruments called viols.

The bow. There are two kinds of bass bow. One is held from above, like a cello bow. The other is held from the side, with the palm turned up.

Extra low notes. Some basses have a fifth string, or an extension on the lowest string, to reach notes below the usual range.

Its job in the orchestra

The basses sit behind the cellos, on the right. They often play the same line as the cellos, an octave lower, which gives the orchestra its depth. The audience may not notice the basses. They would notice at once if the basses stopped.

The bass in other music

In jazz, the bass is almost always plucked. It walks up and down in a steady line that keeps the band together. It plays the same part in bluegrass and in many kinds of folk music. Some school and community bands have one double bass too.

Pieces to hear

“The Elephant” from The Carnival of the Animals, by Saint-Saëns. A double bass plays a heavy waltz. See the listening guide.

Symphony No. 1, third movement, by Mahler. A single bass begins, playing the round “Frère Jacques” in a sad, slow version. Read Mahler for kids.

Symphony No. 5, third movement, by Beethoven. In the middle, the basses and cellos race through a gruff, fast tune. See the listening guide.

The double bass variation in The Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra, by Britten. The basses climb from the bottom with heavy steps.

Starting to play

A full-size bass is too big for a child. Basses come in small sizes, and most adults play one called three-quarter size. Children often start on the bass in a school orchestra at about nine or ten. Some start earlier on a small bass, and some start on the cello and switch.

Moving a bass around takes planning. Ask about a school instrument, so that one can stay at school and one at home.

Things to do together

Stomp like an elephant. Play “The Elephant” and waltz with big, heavy steps.

Find the basses. In a concert video, look at the back right for the tallest instruments.

Bow or pluck. Play an orchestra piece and a jazz piece. Ask how the bass sounds in each.

How tall? Measure six feet up a wall with tape. Stand next to it.

Print and play

To tell it from its smaller neighbor, read cello vs double bass. Tick the strings on the instrument families listening chart. For the rest of the family, read string instruments for kids. To see where the basses sit, print the orchestra seating chart.