Books › The Instruments of the Modern Orchestra and Early Records of the Precursors of the Violin Family, in Two Volumes, Vol. I- Modern Orchestral Instruments, 1910 › scan 159
Scan 159
The Instruments of the Modern Orchestra and Early Records of the Precursors of the Violin Family, in Two Volumes, Vol. I- Modern Orchestral Instruments, 1910
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1eventually adding a fourth string, the lower D, thus gaining additional power and clearness for the third and fourth strings from the fact that the first and second, being their octaves higher, vibrate in sympathy, obviating the necessity of making the 'cellos play in octaves with the double basses to increase the tone when the lowest register is used.
3Compass. The compass is three octaves from
5[Diagram: C. to C. 8ve. lower. Real Sounds.]
7Quality of Tone. The quality of tone is rather rough, very powerful and varies greatly in its degrees of loud and soft. The deep notes when played piano sound weird or grotesque, and are used sometimes instead of the kettle drum; when forte, the tone is overwhelming, grand, gigantic. The lowest octave is seldom used, except as a fundamental octave bass to 'cello, bassoon or trombone. The tone in the pizzicato is full and rich as the vibrations are slow, and it changes character according to the harmonies which lie above it:—with a chord of the diminished seventh above it, the pizzicato sounds wild and threatening, but with the common chord, calm and majestic.
9Both natural and artificial harmonics are possible on the double bass, but the natural are the best (see "harmonics" in the Chapter on the Violin. The upper register is not used in orchestral music as that pitch belongs to the 'cello.
11Possibilities. Quick passages, though possible, are not advisable; they cannot sound clear, for the strings require time to vibrate; but excellent effect is produced by what is called the "intermittent tremolo"; owing to the elasticity of the bow, it rebounds several times on the strings when a single blow is sharply struck, forming a series of
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