sentences:  There is scant information as to how common this lower tuning (lower-ranging than the orchestral double bass) was, or in what circumstances people used it.In playing the instrument, the left-hand stops the strings against the top surface of the neck (fingerboard) for different pitches, in the same method as other stringed instruments.Given the scale of the neck and the presence of frets, the left-hand "feel" of the instrument is similar to a modern electric bass guitar.