Double Bass

[Hall Monitor]

Who invented the double bass?


Also how is it constructed ( Materials,parts)?

[Hall Monitor]

Anybody?

[TSP]

There are histories of the double bass here and here, though there is still debate on the subject - Paul Brun's recent book "A New History of the Double Bass" questions the general assumption that the bass is descended from the viol. As with most musical instruments, there is no 'inventor' - the instrument evolved over many years from ancient predecessors.

As for making, there's a fascinating board here describing someone's project of making his first double bass, which gives many insights into the construction process.

[philip sirois]

The bass was invented by an italian named Joe pepitone, who moved to bronx as a young man, and when he wasn't inventing instruments, played outfield for the New york Yankees. As the bass started to take off as an instrument, pepitone switched to first bass. He hit .258 lifetime with 219 home runs, and was as comfortable arco as he was pizz.

[reedo35]

[drurb]

Originally Posted by philip sirois

The bass was invented by an italian named Joe pepitone, who moved to bronx as a young man, and when he wasn't inventing instruments, played outfield for the New york Yankees. As the bass started to take off as an instrument, pepitone switched to first bass. He hit .258 lifetime with 219 home runs, and was as comfortable arco as he was pizz.

You have been awarded two "comedy points" for this.

[Marcus Johnson]

I always thought Louis Bellson invented the double bass.

[Jake deVilliers]

"The bass was invented by an italian named Joe pepitone"

I used to have his rookie card, but traded it for a set of used Gamuts.

[PoorPlayer]

I thought that pepitone hit a single and made it a double bass when he stole second in a game with the Senators?

[Marcus Johnson]

Hah! We're a lot of help! This poor guy's never gonna get his term paper done at this rate.

[hdiddy]

Originally Posted by PoorPlayer

I thought that pepitone hit a single and made it a double bass when he stole second in a game with the Senators?

No, actually it was with the Utah Jazz.

[Kam]

Is Pepitone the same guy who was thrown out of the league for using Beta Blockers that were under someone else's prescription?

[greitzer]

Originally Posted by philip sirois

The bass was invented by an italian named Joe pepitone, who moved to bronx as a young man, and when he wasn't inventing instruments, played outfield for the New york Yankees. As the bass started to take off as an instrument, pepitone switched to first bass. He hit .258 lifetime with 219 home runs, and was as comfortable arco as he was pizz.

"And I still say that ball Pepitone hit in the '64 World Series was foul . . . er, was it fair . . . ?" I have friends from New York who are STILL arguing about it.

[Hall Monitor]

That didn't help me, I need to know this by the end of February 6th.

[greitzer]

Yes, sorry, I can see where our extended humor wasn't muich help.

I don't think we can do any better than the links TSP provided you with in the first reply to your question.

I'm no historical expert on it by any means, but I agree with the notion that no one particular person invented it. Musical instruments almost all have evolved from very simple, prehistoric devices (gut strings stretched across a plank, a ram's horn, etc.) to more refined ones that we use today, and I think it's pretty hard to identify an inventor.

My musical dictionary says the double bass was "derived from the violone," but then goes on to say there isn't universal agreement about what exactly the "violone" was:

"In the 16th and 17th centuries, the double bass viol was often called the violone, but some writers used the term to mean ordinary bass viol, and Corelli and Handel used it as a synonym for cello. Many violones had six strings, were fretted and tuned like violin." So, you see how imprecise it all is/was.

The above quote was from the Concise Oxford Dictionary of Music, Third Edition, 1980.

Others out there, do you know of hisotrical sources on development of the double bass that Hall Monitor could use?

[drurb]

Originally Posted by Hall Monitor

That didn't help me, I need to know this by the end of February 6th.

Sometimes the internet is not the best place to use as a source for a school report.

[Michael Case]

Originally Posted by drurb

Sometimes the internet is not the best place to use as a source for a school report.

Yeah, the TV is the best resource.

[PoorPlayer]

TSP gave you excellent references.

Also check out wikipedia to get started. Here's another place to look.

A TBDBer, Matthew Tucker, is buidling a bass and you can see how it is done! And another fellow's efforts.

There is a good bibliography here that you might find resources from.

And for fun, you could make a cardboard bass to go with your report.

[Tumbao]

http://www.smithbassforums.com

[Don Carrigan]

Originally Posted by Hall Monitor

That didn't help me, I need to know this by the end of February 6th.

Here in the USA we started building contrabasses about 1819. Abraham Prescott copied European examples by Klotz (German) in order to accompany Protestant choirs. Prior to that, New England Puritan Ministers accompanied themselves on a small bass "church bass" a little larger than a 'cello. Puritans considered most instruments "impure" because they could not distinquish quarter tones, such as the difference between Eb and D#. Most Americans couldn't care less about this fine point and played even the evil fretted instruments. However, unfretted instruments do sound better. Or as ignorant Americans dismiss the subject: "Ya can't beat strings". See my research on the subject: Click here below:
http://home.earthlink.net/~prescottv...HistSoc101.jpg
Also click here: http://www.amis.org/publications/new.../35.3-2006.pdf
to read my Article published by the American Musical Instrument Society NEWSLETTER, Page 13.
Good luck, Don Carrigan