What is a bass viol called?

What is a bass viol called?

double bass, also called contrabass, string bass, bass, bass viol, bass fiddle, or bull fiddle, French contrebasse, German Kontrabass, stringed musical instrument, the lowest-pitched member of the violin family, sounding an octave lower than the cello.

What are the parts of a bass instrument?

There are essentially five important parts of the bass: the headstock, neck, body, pickups and bridge.

Is a bass a viol?

The bass viol is one of several sizes that form the viola da gamba family, while the cello is the bass member of the violin family, more formally known as the viola da braccio family, literally ‘arm fiddles.

How many strings does a bass viol have?

six strings
Viols most commonly have six strings, although many 16th-century instruments had only four or five strings.

What kind of instrument is viol?

string instrument
The viol (also referred to as the viola da gamba, or gamba) is a European bowed and fretted string instrument played on the leg (da gamba), used at court and in the home primarily during the Renaissance and Baroque periods.

What is the difference between a viol and a violin?

Violins and viols are played differently. Viols are played vertically, while violin family instruments (with the exception of the cello) are played under the neck. Viol family instruments are fretted, with 5 to 7 strings, and are tuned in perfect 4ths with a major third in the middle.

What are the parts of a double bass?

The double bass features many parts that are similar to members of the violin family, including a wooden, carved bridge to support the strings, two f-holes, a tailpiece into which the ball ends of the strings are inserted (with the tailpiece anchored around the endpin mount), an ornamental scroll near the pegbox, a nut …

How is a viol tuned?

The violin is tuned by adjusting the pegs at the top of the instrument or the fine tuners (if installed) at the tailpiece. The most common method for beginners is to find the desired pitches on a piano, tuning fork, pitch pipe, or other source, and to adjust the pitch of the strings to match.

What is the difference between a bass viol and a cello?

From size and tuning to the sound produced and how they’re played, we’ll go through the main differences between the two. If you’ve decided to purchase a cello or a bass and aren’t sure what your next steps should be, we’ve got you covered. Head into one of our stores or check out our cello buying guide.