This giant bass is shaking the floor with a rumble you feel
Chapter 1

Anatomy of a musical giant

Chapter 2

The classical backbone

Chapter 3

Jazz, slap, and rockabilly

Chapter 4

The extreme and the bizarre

YOUR GOAL

Master of The secret life of the double bass

Ch 4 · The extreme and the bizarre
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maestro The electric upright bass in heavy metal music

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maestro The Octobass

This giant bass is shaking the floor with a rumble you feel but can't even hear!

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A double bass salvaged from an 1840 shipwreck is still played in orchestras today.

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maestro The rare double basses of Antonio Stradivari.

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The metal-stringed heavy metal bass

maestro A slim, body-less electric upright bass stands against a colossal wooden background.

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The multi-million dollar Stradivarius basses

maestro Glowing amber varnish covers the colossal wooden curves of a towering double bass.

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The Big Bass Buzz
BETA

maestro Drag the heavy bow to learn how the double bass creates its deep, powerful sound.

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Fun Fact

Sub-bass hearing: The lowest notes of the giant octobass are so low that humans feel them as physical vibrations rather than hearing them as pitches.

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Glossary
octobass (noun)
A very large, rare bowed string instrument of the violin family that is tuned an octave below the double bass. French luthier Jean-Baptiste Vuillaume built the first successful model in Paris around 1850.

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Gossip

Would you ever try playing the eleven-foot-tall octobass?

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Quiz

What is the name of the Italian city famous for historic luthiers like Stradivari and Amati?

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maestro The giant octobass created by French instrument maker Jean-Baptiste Vuillaume.

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Quiz

The lowest notes of the octobass reach 16 Hertz, which is below what biological threshold?

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maestro The Thomas Kennedy double bass that survived a shipwreck

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Quiz

Which famous 1815 English double bass survived a shipwreck in 1840 and is still played today?

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Quiz

Which legendary violin maker also crafted a tiny, highly prized number of double basses in the 1700s?

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Quiz

How does a musician press down the strings on a giant three-stringed octobass?

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Quiz

How tall is the giant 'octobass' invented by French luthier Jean-Baptiste Vuillaume in 1850?

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Quiz

What is the main advantage of an Electric Upright Bass (EUB) on a loud rock stage compared to an acoustic bass?

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Quiz

Why are acoustic double basses highly prone to screeching 'feedback' when plugged into loud amplifiers?

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