The double bass, also called the string bass, upright bass, bass
fiddle, bass violin, doghouse bass, contrabass, bass viol,
stand-up bass or bull fiddle, is the largest and lowest-pitched
bowed string instrument of the violin family in the modern
symphony orchestra, with strings usually tuned to E1, A1, D2 and
G2 (see standard tuning). The double bass is a standard member
of the string section of the orchestra and smaller string
ensembles in Western classical music. In addition, it is used in
other genres such as jazz, 1950s-style blues and rock and roll,
rockabilly/psychobilly, traditional country music, bluegrass,
tango and many types of folk music. A person who plays the
double bass is usually referred to as a bassist. The double bass
stands around 180 cm (six feet) from scroll to endpin, and is
typically constructed from several types of wood, including
maple for the back, spruce for the top, and ebony for the
fingerboard. It is uncertain whether the instrument is a
descendant of the viola da gamba or of