The term contrabass (derived from the Italian contrabbasso) refers to very low musical instruments; generally those pitched one octave below instruments of the bass register. While the term most commonly refers to the double bass (which is tuned one octave lower than the cello, which is the bass instrument in the orchestral string family), many other instruments in the contrabass register exist. A musical instrument is a device that has been constructed or modified with the purpose of making music. ... In music, an octave (sometimes abbreviated 8ve or 8va) is the interval between one musical note and another with half or double the frequency. ... Side and front views of a modern double bass with a French bow. ... The violoncello, almost always abbreviated to cello, or cello (the c is pronounced as the ch in cheese), is a bowed stringed instrument, the lowest-sounding member of the violin family. ...

Instruments tuned below contrabass instruments (such as the double contrabass flute or subcontrabass saxophone) are referred to as "double contrabass," "triple contrabass," "subcontrabass," or "octocontrabass" instruments. The double contrabass flute (sometimes also called octobass flute or subcontrabass flute) is the largest and lowest pitched flute in the world. ... A B-flat subcontrabass tubax (right), the closest extant instrument to a subcontrabass saxophone. ...

Wind

Brass

• Contrabass bugle, a variant tuba used in drum and bugle corps
• Contrabass trombone, a fourth below the trombone
• Contrabass serpent^photos

The Contrabass Bugle, usually shortened to Contra, is the lowest-pitched instrument in the drum and bugle corps hornline. ... The trombone is a musical instrument in the brass family. ... A serpent is a bass wind instrument with a mouthpiece like a brass instrument but side holes like a woodwind instrument. ...

Woodwind

• Contrabass clarinet, two octaves below the soprano clarinet
• Octocontra-alto clarinet, two octaves below the alto clarinet
• Octocontra-bass clarinet, three octaves below the soprano clarinet
• Contrabass flute, two octaves below the flute
• Contrabass oboe, two octaves below the oboe
• Contrabass ocarina^photo
• Contrabass recorder, two octaves below the alto recorder^photo
• Contrabass saxophone, two octaves below the alto saxophone
• Subcontrabass saxophone, two octaves below the tenor saxophone
• Tubax, a saxophone-like instrument two octaves below the alto saxophone
• Contrabass sarrusophone, range similar to the contrabass saxophone
• Contrabass tin whistle[1]
• Contrabassoon, an octave below the bassoon

The contrabass clarinet is the largest common member of the clarinet family. ... Two soprano clarinets: a B♭ clarinet (left) and an A clarinet (right, with no mouthpiece). ... The octocontra-alto clarinet (also known as octo contra alto, sub contra alto or octocontralto) is the second largest member of the clarinet family. ... The alto clarinet is a wind instrument of the clarinet family. ... The octocontrabass clarinet (also known as octo contrabass clarinet, octo contra bass clarinet, or sub-contra bass clarinet) is the largest and lowest member of the clarinet family. ... Two soprano clarinets: a B♭ clarinet (left) and an A clarinet (right, with no mouthpiece). ... The contrabass flute is one of the rarer members of the flute family. ... The contrabass oboe is a double reed woodwind instrument in the key of C, sounding two octaves lower than the standard oboe. ... A tenor and an alto ten-hole ocarina. ... Various recorders The recorder is a woodwind musical instrument of the family known as fipple flutes or internal duct flutes—whistle-like instruments which include the tin whistle and ocarina. ... The contrabass saxophone is the second largest member of the saxophone family (the largest being the triple B-flat subcontrabass tubax, although the tubax is not technically a member of the saxophone family due to its narrower bore). ... A B-flat subcontrabass tubax (right), the closest extant instrument to a subcontrabass saxophone. ... A B-flat subcontrabass tubax (right). ... This is a small-pipe EEb Contrabass Sarrusophone. ... Tin whistles in a variety of makes and keys. ... This is a contrabassoon. ...

Other

• Contrabass harmonica^photos

This article does not cite its references or sources. ...

String

Bowed

• Double bass, or contrabass violin
• Violone, a contrabass viol
• Dalaruan, used in the modern Chinese orchestra
• Dadihu, used in the modern Chinese orchestra

Side and front views of a modern double bass with a French bow. ... The violone (literally large viol in Italian, -one being the suffix for large) is a musical instrument of the viol family. ... Various sizes of viol, from Michael Praetorius Syntagma musicum (1618) The viol (also called viola da gamba) is any one of a family of bowed, fretted stringed musical instruments developed in the 1400s and used primarily in the Renaissance and Baroque periods. ... The laruan (also called la ruan) is a relatively new Chinese string instrument blending the acoustics of the ruan with that of the Western cello. ... The term Chinese orchestra can refer to either: The ancient Chinese orchestra, or The modern Chinese orchestra // According to recent archaeological findings, ancient Chinese music was much more developed and sophisticated than is generally believed. ... A dadihu (the largest instrument shown), with other Chinese string instruments The dihu (低胡, pinyin: dīhú) is a large bowed string instrument from China. ... The term Chinese orchestra can refer to either: The ancient Chinese orchestra, or The modern Chinese orchestra // According to recent archaeological findings, ancient Chinese music was much more developed and sophisticated than is generally believed. ...

Plucked

• Acoustic bass guitar
• Bass guitar
• Contrabass guitar
• Contrabass balalaika - large triangular lute used in traditional Russian folk music
• Guitarrón - a Mexican acoustic bass guitar used in mariachi ensembles
• Chitarrone moderno - A plucked bass type designed around 1900 by Italian luthiers for use in a mandolin orchestra.

The acoustic bass guitar (also called ABG or acoustic bass) is a bass instrument with a hollow wooden body similar to, though usually somewhat larger than a steel-string acoustic guitar. ... Martin EB18 Bass Guitar in flight case. ... A contrabass guitar is a low-register six-string instrument in the guitar family, tuned B-E-A-D-G-C (B=B0 - the lowest B on the piano), usually with a solid wooden body. ... Balalaika The balalaika (Russian: балала́йка; IPA ) is a stringed instrument of Russian origin, with a characteristic triangular body and 3 strings (or sometimes 6, in pairs). ... The guitarrón is a very large, deep-bodied Mexican 6-string acoustic bass guitar played in Mariachi bands. ... Mariachi is a type of musical group, originally from Mexico. ...

See also

• Octobass

The octobass is an extremely large bowed string instrument constructed about 1850 in Paris by the French luthier Jean-Baptiste Vuillaume (1798-1875). ...

External links

• www.contrabass.com, the "Contrabass Mania" site dedicated to ridiculously low instruments of all kinds

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