This article is about a variety of instruments in the contrabass register. For the string instrument sometimes referred to as contrabass, see
double bass. For the contrabass voice type, see
basso profondo.
An instrument tuned in octaves lower than the standard instrument
Contrabass (fromItalian:contrabbasso) refers to severalmusical instruments of very low pitch—generally oneoctave below bass register instruments. While the term most commonly refers to thedouble bass (which is the bass instrument in the orchestral string family, tuned lower than thecello), many other instruments in the contrabass register exist.
The term "contrabass" is relative, usually denoting a very low-pitched instrument of its type, rather than one in a particular range. For example, thecontrabass flute's lowest note is approximately an octave higher than that of thecontrabass clarinet. Instruments tuned below contrabass instruments, such as thedouble contrabass flute orsubcontrabass saxophone, may be referred to as "double contrabass," "triple contrabass," "subcontrabass," or "octocontrabass" instruments. On the other hand, the "contrabass" classification often includes such instruments.
- Contrabass clarinet, two octaves below the B♭soprano clarinet
- Octocontralto clarinet, two octaves below thealto clarinet
- Subcontralto clarinet, alias of an octocontralto clarinet
- Octocontrabass clarinet, three octaves below the B♭ soprano clarinet
- Subcontrabass clarinet, alias of an octocontrabass clarinet
- Contrabass flute, two octaves below the Cconcert flute
- Subcontrabass flute, two octaves below thealto flute
- Double contrabass flute, three octaves below the C concert flute
- Hyperbass flute, four octaves below the C concert flute
- Contrabass oboe, two octaves below theoboe
- Contrabassocarina, one octave below the bass ocarina in C
- Great contrabasspommer
- Contrabass rackett
- Contrabass recorder, in F, two octaves below the alto/treble recorder
- Subcontrabass recorder, in C, three octaves below the soprano/descant recorder
- Sub-subcontrabass recorder, in F, three octaves below the alto/treble recorder
- Contrabass sarrusophone, range similar to the contrabass saxophone
- Contrabass saxophone, two octaves below thealto saxophone
- Subcontrabass saxophone, two octaves below thetenor saxophone
- Contrabasstin whistle[1]
- Contrabasstubax, a saxophone-like instrument two octaves below the alto saxophone
- Subcontrabasstubax, two octaves below the tenor saxophone
- Contrabassoon, an octave below thebassoon
- Contraforte, a recently invented proprietary wide-bore variant of the contrabassoon with a more powerful tone and an upward pointing bell
- Reed contrabass
- Contrabassophone[2]
- Slide reed subcontrabass[3]
- Contrabassharmonica
- Contrabass singer,basso profondo or oktavist, a rare sub-bass, classical singer who performs notes in the contrabass octave
